Paying for your benefits: What you need to know

April 2, 2019

Whether you’re full time, part time, or on a leave, you may be required to pay for some or even all your benefits through payroll deduction or pre-authorized debit (PAD).

First, let’s review the parties that have a role in the cost of your benefits plan and the administration of your benefit premiums.

Who	Role and responsibilities	Role regarding your benefit costs
Your plan sponsor: OSSTF Benefits Employee Life and Health Trust (ELHT) Board of Trustees	Manages and governs the OSSTF Benefits ELHT Benefits Plan. The trustees manage the OSSTF Benefits ELHT Benefits Plan in the best interests of members, and make plan design, funding, administrative and investment decisions on their behalf.	Administrates the funding for the benefits plan and determines the portion of the benefit costs that are paid by the OSSTF Benefits ELHT and/or you. For 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) members, the OSSTF Benefits Employee Life and Health Trust pays 94% of the health and dental benefit costs; you pay 6% of the benefit costs. For members who work less than a 1.0 FTE, your member share of the benefit cost is pro-rated. For example, an eligible 0.5 FTE member would pay 50% plus 6% of the health and/or dental benefit costs, if they enrol in these benefits. Basic Life and AD&D are 100% paid by your ELHT while you are actively at work. Optional benefits like Member, Spousal and Child Optional Life Insurance are 100% paid by you if you choose them.
Your plan administrator: OTIP	Administers your benefits plan. OTIP assists members with questions about enrolment, eligibility, benefits, costs/premiums, and claims for health and dental care. OTIP also manages and processes life and/or Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance claims, and waiver of life insurance premiums.	Works with your employer to: Process your employment information that is required for eligibility and enrolment into the ELHT benefits plan Collect your benefit premiums on behalf of the ELHT Send you notices about your benefits, premiums, claims and other pertinent information Issues applicable tax slips to you for your taxable benefits
Your employer	Manages members’ employment status and personal information. Your employer is responsible for keeping your employment record and your personal information up to date and providing it to OTIP (i.e. your name, date of birth, mailing address, FTE/hours worked, work status, etc.).	Provides members’ employment information to OTIP to determine eligibility, enrolment, and benefit costs.OTIP calculates what you are responsible for paying for your benefits based on the employment information provided by your employer and then provides this information back to your employer to administer via payroll. If you work more than a 0.3 FTE, then any benefit premiums, you are responsible for paying, are deducted from your pay by your employer. For example, if you work a 0.7 FTE and are responsible for 30% of your benefit premiums, the employer will deduct this monthly amount from your pay based on their payroll schedule.
Claim payer/insurer: Manulife	Underwrites and issues insurance policies, and pays health and dental claims on behalf of the ELHT. NOTE: The insurer of the Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefit is Teachers Life.

Who

Role and responsibilities

Role regarding your benefit costs

Your plan sponsor:

OSSTF Benefits Employee Life and Health Trust (ELHT) Board of Trustees

Manages and governs the OSSTF Benefits ELHT Benefits Plan.

The trustees manage the OSSTF Benefits ELHT Benefits Plan in the best interests of members, and make plan design, funding, administrative and investment decisions on their behalf.

Administrates the funding for the benefits plan and determines the portion of the benefit costs that are paid by the OSSTF Benefits ELHT and/or you.

For 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) members, the OSSTF Benefits Employee Life and Health Trust pays 94% of the health and dental benefit costs; you pay 6% of the benefit costs.
For members who work less than a 1.0 FTE, your member share of the benefit cost is pro-rated. For example, an eligible 0.5 FTE member would pay 50% plus 6% of the health and/or dental benefit costs, if they enrol in these benefits.
Basic Life and AD&D are 100% paid by your ELHT while you are actively at work.
Optional benefits like Member, Spousal and Child Optional Life Insurance are 100% paid by you if you choose them.

Your plan administrator:

OTIP

Administers your benefits plan.

OTIP assists members with questions about enrolment, eligibility, benefits, costs/premiums, and claims for health and dental care.

OTIP also manages and processes life and/or Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance claims, and waiver of life insurance premiums.

Works with your employer to:

Process your employment information that is required for eligibility and enrolment into the ELHT benefits plan
Collect your benefit premiums on behalf of the ELHT
Send you notices about your benefits, premiums, claims and other pertinent information
Issues applicable tax slips to you for your taxable benefits

Your employer

Manages members’ employment status and personal information.

Your employer is responsible for keeping your employment record and your personal information up to date and providing it to OTIP (i.e. your name, date of birth, mailing address, FTE/hours worked, work status, etc.).

Provides members’ employment information to OTIP to determine eligibility, enrolment, and benefit costs.OTIP calculates what you are responsible for paying for your benefits based on the employment information provided by your employer and then provides this information back to your employer to administer via payroll.

If you work more than a 0.3 FTE, then any benefit premiums, you are responsible for paying, are deducted from your pay by your employer.

For example, if you work a 0.7 FTE and are responsible for 30% of your benefit premiums, the employer will deduct this monthly amount from your pay based on their payroll schedule.

Claim payer/insurer:

Manulife

Underwrites and issues insurance policies, and pays health and dental claims on behalf of the ELHT.

NOTE: The insurer of the Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefit is Teachers Life.

Reviewing your benefits coverage and costs

You can review your benefits information and monthly benefit costs/premiums online:

Go to www.otip.com and click Log in.
Select Health and Dental from the drop-down menu and log in.
After you have logged in, click My Benefits.
On My Benefits home page, click My Coverage in the My Personal Info box.
Click on Your Coverage tab to see your monthly Member Cost.

Paying by pre-authorized debit

All members on a leave or who work 0.3 FTE or less are required to pay for their benefits via pre-authorized debit, administered by OTIP.
Pre-authorized debits occur on the 10 th of every month.

Reasons your benefit costs may have changed

Your benefit costs are subject to change due to factors like your employment status, salary changes, plan renewals and amendments. If a change occurs in your benefits, your monthly premiums will be updated.

New to enrolling in your benefits plan?

Members enrolling in their benefits plan and who are responsible for benefit costs will see a deduction on their next month’s pay or bank account that consists of:

The premium for the current month AND
Any outstanding monthly premiums (backdated to your eligibility date)

E.g. Jean-Pierre started an eligible permanent position on September 4. His monthly premium is $50. Therefore, his total premium deduction in October will be $100.

OTIP Benefits Services is here to help

If you have any questions regarding your monthly benefit costs and/or premiums, please contact OTIP Benefits Services at 1-866-783-6847.

The information in this document is provided by OSSTF Benefits for general information only. OSSTF Benefits endeavours to have all information current and accurate. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or suitability of the information included. All information is subject to change without notice.

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