A great friend and fellow benefit advisor, Chris Gory of Orchard Benefits, has compiled a document that provides updates from most insurance companies and TPA’s with regards to COVID 19.
These are being updated daily, or as they become available. CLICK HERE
I write this from a hotel room in St. Martin at the end of a great sailing holiday around what was once a beautiful island. It’s not messed up by Covid-19 (there are NO cases here), but by hurricanes Irma and Maria almost 2 and a half years ago. Some properties have recovered, others have sprung up from the rubble, but far too many are awaiting new zoning rules (French sides government delays) before they can begin the re-construction. It’s amazing to see how far, and for how long the repercussions of events can last.
We are hoping to fly out on Tuesday (one of the last flights before the airport here is closed) and will then look at facing 2 weeks of self isolation (for being out of country). As a result, our service levels may be a bit different.
If we have meetings scheduled with you, we’ll be in touch to reschedule, or to arrange to do them via Zoom. Zoom is a great app that you can (but don’t need to) download to video conference, view files (like your renewal report etc) and meet virtually. You can view and communicate all through a web browser and call in via phone if you don’t have a camera and microphone attached to your system.
I will also be postponing our Calgary and Vancouver industry educational events until the fall, as well as doing fewer speaking events over the next couple months. As a result, I’m hoping to have more time to support our great clients, CGIB members, family and friends.
I hope that you, your families and staff are all okay during these challenging times. I’ve already had friends step up and offer to get us groceries, friends of my son offer to get him from university and offer a place to stay so he doesn’t need to be alone (or locked up with us) and others offer to help. We are truly lucky for having great people all around us..
This is a great time for everyone to help out friends, neighbours and absolute strangers and show how great humans can be. Stay well.
Dave
Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) has a slew of training events that are; in person, e-courses and webinar format. If you’re an Ontario employer, these may be of interest to you (and many are free!).
Visit the site and look under “Training & Products“
Each year the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) sets their dental fee guide for the coming year. This guide is used by many dentists to set their prices (though they can charge above or below this). Insurers tend to use these numbers as the “reasonable & customary” limitation for claims.
Last year the Ontario increase was 4.19% on average, which was the highest we’d seen in well over a decade. The average over that time period was about 2.2%/ year. The 1.27% increase for 2020 is a bit of a nice break and much lower than we’d been led to expect.
What this means to employers is that if your employees all submitted the exact same claims this year, as they did last year, then the cost charged would be 1.27% higher. In reality, there are also trend and utilization numbers that are added to this (because we don’t do the same thing every year), but that said, this means a bit of relief in the rate creep we had been dreading. (Other insurers will be similar to the levels shown below)
If you’re a current client of Mainstay Insurance Brokerage (or are considering being one), then know that you are always welcome to CGIB events at my expense.
CGIB is an association that holds several educational events each year. The seminars are intended for a benefit advisor audience, to help them to educate their clients. If you attend, you’ll be getting the message direct from the horses mouth.
Our next event is March 4th in Vaughan and all the details are here… http://www.cvent.com/d/ghqrt4
Just drop me a note if you’d like to attend and we’ll book you a spot.
As employers prepare T4’s, they can make like a bit easier for staff. By reporting the employees contributions to the health and dental premium in Box 85, you are helping staff make sure they get the medical Expense Tax Credit (METC) where available.
This avoids employees being audited for proof of contributions (and you having to write out letters for them). You can find more on the CRA site below or ask your accountant.
An interesting article, by a law firm, on the importance of getting staff to complete insurer forms. We deal with this several times a year for different reasons, usually concerning staff not completing forms for excess Life and LTD coverage. it is imperative that staff complete and submit these in a timely manner in order to get the coverage the employer offers.
Throughout an employee’s time with an employer, there are many occasions where the employer will be required to have the employee complete forms or other documents for third parties, or where the employer must complete forms themselves for third parties. We have encountered employers who either delay or completely disregard these requirements. Failing to meet these requirements are risky and potentially costly oversights! Below we will identify the consequences for the employer if these documents are not completed, completed inaccurately, or are not completed in a timely manner.
We’ve had several calls by clients about the OHIP removal of out of country coverage and if it posed a problem. In actuality, the cut has made it easier to have claims paid with the group coverage by almost every carrier (no waiting for the province to pay first). This article provides some context around it and also great questions to ask if people are not covered by group plans and plan on buying coverage.
If you are an Ontario resident planning to travel outside of Canada over the holidays and will be out of the country after Jan. 1, make sure you have adequate travel health insurance coverage or risk dealing with a crippling medical bill should a medical emergency arise.
READ MORE https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/how-to-avoid-a-massive-holiday-health-care-bill-when-ohip-out-of-country-coverage-ends-1.4721528
A very short list of the policies that you MUST have (and those that you SHOULD have) in Ontario.
Ontario employers are required by law to have certain workplace policies in place at work. The policies that employers must have include the following:
Failure to have these policies in place is a violation of Ontario law and may result in the imposition of statutory fines and penalties.
I’m so pleased to finally get this initiative resolved after almost 3 years of effort.
If you’re reading this, and a Mainstay client, then you know how adamant I am about NOT allowing women to opt-out of coverage during maternity leave. If you’re not a client, or are not sure why this is so important, just give me a call.
Major Canadian insurers are no longer resetting the long-term disability pre-existing condition clause for women whose benefits coverage lapsed during their maternity leave when they return to work.
