Coverage for your parents, in-laws & your mental health 
Q The health and dental plan changed as of September 2020. What do I need to know?
We have moved to a monthly hour bank system from an annual dollar bank system. Producer contributions based on your paid hours are used to calculate the number of credited hours towards each month of benefits. Every 140 hours of paid work credited to your account will
entitle you to 1 month of coverage in the health and dental plan, without any additional cost to you. You can also bank any extra hours (above the 140 per month) and carry up to a year’s worth of coverage in your hour bank (1680 hours). If you are short hours, you can log into the plan portal
and authorize a monthly top-up payment (self-pay) through AGA Benefit Solutions (the third-party administrators) to stay “in coverage”.
Q Is the eligibility changing?
Yes, in the past we had single, couple, and family coverage. With an hour bank, if you are “in coverage”, your dependants can be covered (spouse and/or dependent children) without paying any extra. The benefits are the same in the hour bank plan as the previous plan.
Q Why did these changes happen?
The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the causes of this change. With an annual dollar bank system, work stoppages and slowdowns can force many members out of the health and dental plan. Contributions are collected in advance of when they can be used and once out of the plan it can take months if not years for members to earn enough contributions for a paid-up health plan. The hour bank significantly shortens the time it takes to get “into coverage”. Hour banks also allow you to build up to a year’s coverage in your bank (1680 hours), which is a benefit if you need to take
time off.
Q Where can I get information about my health plan coverage for September?
Go to AGA Benefit Solutions to set up your account. (AGA Benefits). Once you have registered, created a password and verified your account, your specific hour bank information will be available under your member profile. General information about plan coverage and how an hour bank works is available: The Hour Bank
Q How can I check my coverage and beneficiary information?
Go to the AGA Benefit Solutions website (AGA Benefits). The website is available 24/7 for you to check your bank balance, make changes to beneficiaries, and make other administrative requests. Please make sure you check and update this information regularly, especially after any life-changing events.
Q I checked out my hour bank balance with AGA and it said I have 1680 hours. What does that mean?
A CONGRATULATIONS! Your balance of 1680 hours is a full-hour bank (140 hours x 12 months). You and your eligible dependents are covered for 12 full months if you aren’t currently working. When you go back to work, your paid hours will be credited to your balance minus the 140 hours that are deducted each month for your benefits. 1,680 is the maximum amount of rollover hours allowed in your bank, so maintaining this level will mean that you always have 12 months of health/dental coverage available to you.
Q The AGA website says that I have 560 hours in my bank. What does that mean?
CONGRATULATIONS! 560 hours will cover you for 4 months (560 hours/140 hours = 4 months). If you go back to work, before those hours reach “zero” any new hours will be added to your balance. Each month, AGA benefits will withdraw 140 hours from your hour bank to pay for that month’s coverage.
Q I didn’t work very much last year, and the AGA website says I have only 200 hours in my bank. What does that mean for me?
To be covered by the hour bank you will need at least 280 hours in your bank. When you go back to work, your paid hours will be deposited in your bank. Achieving, 280 hours will put you “in coverage”. Remember that once you are in coverage you will get single health & dental benefits
automatically but you will need to enroll online to add your eligible dependents. Coverage will begin on the 1st of the month, 1 month following the month in which you earned the 280 hours in your bank. For example, if you earned 280 hours in November your coverage would commence January 1, the following year.
Q I am planning to take maternity leave this year. What happens to my hour bank balance?
While you are off on your maternity or parental leave your hour bank will be credited the withdrawal of 140 hours. Approved, Short-term disability claims will also receive the same credit on their hour bank, along with the first three months of a WSIB claim. Notification and in some cases, documentation will have to be provided to AGA Benefit Solutions to initiate these accommodations.
Q I am on Distressed Leave. How does this change affect me?
Members in the hour bank who go on distressed dues will receive a subsidized rate of monthly withdrawals. AGA Benefit Solutions can provide you with further details on this.