Benefit reminders throughout the school year
November 28, 2023
As changes occur in your life and at work, it’s important to review your coverage and make any updates to ensure you and/or your eligible dependants remain covered.
Here are some important OSSTF ELHT benefit reminders.
Update your coverage within 31 calendar days if:
- Your family status has changed, or you have had a recent life event (e.g. birth/adoption of a child, marriage/common-law qualification/divorce, spouse loses their health and/or dental benefits coverage)
- If you do not update your coverage within 31 calendar days, proof of good health (evidence of insurability) will be required, and you could be subject to limited coverage for the first 12 months and/or denied coverage.
- You are a newly eligible member (or your FTE has changed*)
- If you have started a new eligible position (e.g. a new permanent position, new Long Term Occasional Teaching Position, or Long Term Assignment for Education Workers**), you will receive an email to enrol or re-enrol in your benefits plan. This email will be sent once OTIP receives your work status information from your school board/employer. It may take a few weeks to update your information in OTIP’s systems. If you do not receive an enrolment email from OTIP within four weeks of your start date, contact OTIP Benefits Services at 1-866-783-6847.
- You will have 31 calendar days from the date you receive your email from OTIP to complete your enrolment.
- If you elect health and/or dental benefits, coverage will be implemented effective the start date of your eligible assignment. Eligible claims will be honoured, and you will be responsible for plan member benefit premiums (6% of health and dental premium for full time members and pro-rated for less than full-time members) towards the benefits from the effective date of coverage.
- If you do not complete your enrolment within 31 calendar days, active members will be set up with the OSSTF ELHT default coverage, which is Base Life Insurance and AD&D (Accidental Death and Dismemberment) coverage. Life and AD&D Benefits will be based on two times annual earnings and no health and dental coverage will be in effect.
*If your FTE has changed, you will have a new opportunity to enrol in health and/or dental benefits (if you did not enrol in them initially).
**The Long Term Occasional Teaching Position or Long Term Assignment for Education Workers must be 90 calendar days or longer to be eligible.
Update your preferred email address so you won’t miss important information about your benefits coverage and plan. Not getting OTIP’s messages? If you entered your personal email address as your preferred email address, add OTIP to your contacts or safe senders list. This will ensure that our emails are sent to your inbox and not to your junk/spam folder.
Use My Benefits to:
- Update your coverage and confirm who is covered under your plan.
- Review and update your beneficiary designation for your life insurance policy.
- Set up co-ordination of benefits to submit your eligible claim(s) to you and your spouse’s benefit plans. You can be reimbursed up to 100% for eligible health and dental claim costs.
Use My Claims to:
- Access your benefits booklet to find out what coverage you have for services like paramedical, dental and vision care. Don’t forget to submit an estimate before making expensive health and dental purchases to avoid paying out of pocket!
- Submit claims online and view your claims history.
- You will have 12 months from the date you incur an eligible expense or 90 calendar days from the date that your coverage terminates, whichever is earlier, to submit a claim. If you choose to submit your claim(s) online, always keep your receipts in the event Manulife requires them.
- Attach documents related to a claim.
- Send a secure email to OTIP Benefits Services.
- View a list of delisted providers who would not be covered under your plan.
- Check on your available balances for dental, paramedical and vision.
Use My Library/My News to:
- View a quick at-a-glance summary of your benefits plan, including perks and promos you have access to as a plan member (My Library).
- Get caught up on the latest news about your benefits plan and resources available (My News).
We hope that these benefit reminders will help ensure you and your eligible dependants remain covered and informed throughout the school year.
Questions? Contact OTIP Benefits Services at 1-866-783-6847 or by email using the online form.
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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