Questions and Answers about changes to the Health & Dental Plan

Q I have heard there are changes to our health and dental plan for this September. What do I need to know?

A We are moving to a monthly hour bank system from an annual dollar bank system. Producer contributions based on the hours you are paid will be 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 J&D Benefits (the plan administrators) to stay “in coverage”.

Q Is the eligibility changing?

A 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. For those who do not qualify for the hour bank and won’t be working for the next plan year, a Basic Plan can be purchased, but this will have slightly different coverage.

Q Why are we doing these changes now?

A The COVID pandemic is one of the drivers 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 personal bank (1680 hours), which is a benefit if you need to take time off.

Q Where can I get information about my individual health plan coverage for September?

A As of August 24th, 2020 go to the J & D Benefits website (www.jdbenefits.com). 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 will be available at Hour Bank – Things to Know

Q I checked out my hour bank balance at the J & D website 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 dependants are covered until August 2021. When you go back to work, your paid hours will be credited to your balance minus the 140 hours that is deducted each month for your benefits. 1,680 is the maximum rollover hours in the bank, so maintaining this level will mean that you always have 12 months of health/dental coverage available to you.   Any member with a full hour bank (1,680 hours) as of September 1st, 2020 will be granted a Health Spending Account.

Q The J & D Benefits website says I have 560 hours in my bank. What does that mean?

A CONGRATULATIONS! 560 hours will cover you for 4 months (560 hours/140 hours = 4 months) or from Sept 1st, to Dec 31st, 2020. If you go back to work, before December 31, 2020, paid hours earned in those months, will be added to your balance.  Each month, J&D 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 J & D website says I have only 200 hours in my bank. What does that mean for me?

A 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 2020, your coverage would commence on January 1, 2021. If you ARE NOT planning on working for this upcoming plan year, you should strongly consider purchasing the “Basic” plan as of September 1, 2020.  Contact J&D Benefits to discuss.  905.477.7088 / 1.800.218.7018.

Q For the last few years I have been paying the full cost for my health plan. Is this option going to still be available?

A Yes, for the next two years we will have a “Basic” health plan with single, couple, and family coverage.  This plan will be like the hour bank plan, with a few notable exceptions.  There will be a $7,500 cap on drug expenses per insured person, paramedical practitioner limits are less generous as are dental benefits.  Additionally, like the hour bank plan, where members who do not have a “full bank”, no longer have access to the spending account, this Basic plan will also not have a health spending account component. To enroll in the Basic plan, contact J & D Benefits after August 24th, 2020 for basic plan pricing or to sign up.  Members purchasing the Basic plan cannot rejoin the hour bank plan throughout the plan year.  The next time they will be eligible for the Hour Bank plan will be September 1st, 2021.  Hours worked however during the time they remain on the hour bank will be available to them for hour bank eligibility in September 2021.

Q If I am in the hour bank, do I still get a health spending account?

A Members who have earned 1,680 hours or more (a full hour bank) from last year’s prorated qualifying period (June 1 – May 31 + 20%) will receive the health spending account visa card. The amount for the health spending account for the 2020-2021 plan year is $500 per member.  Over 84 % of the 3,100 working members this year have earned a full hour bank.

Q– Why is the Health Spending Account of $500 only given to members with a full bank (1,680 hours)?  What if I achieve a full bank in December 2020?

A– Benefit plans are required to have a common administration date for spending accounts so eligibility for the hour bank will be based on paid hours over a standard period of time, and all deposits will be made at the beginning of the plan year.  If you have at least 1680 paid hours under 873 contracts for the 12 month period from July 1 to June 30 you will qualify for the upcoming plan year.  The fact that 84% of the membership still qualifies for the health spending visa card, suggests that we are moving in the right direction.

Q I have not used the full amount in my spending account this year and do not have a full bank (1,680 hours), what will happen to my unused credits?

A Any unused credits in your spending account rolls over for one year. Unused credits that have been rolled over from a previous year, would normally expire at the end of August 2020. This year, if you had any rolled over credits (from the previous plan year – Sept. 2018/19) that were set to expire as of August 31, 2020, Canada Life will extend the date for you to use those previously expiring credits, until December 31, 2021, due to the COVID pandemic

Q I am planning on taking maternity leave this year. What happens to my hour bank balance?

A While you are off on your maternity or parental leave your hour bank will be frozen, ie no monthly withdrawals of 140 hours. Approved, Short Term disability claims will also receive a freeze 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 J&D Benefits to initiate these accommodations.

Q I am on Distressed Leave.  How does this change affect me?

A Members in the hour bank who go on distressed dues will receive a subsidized rate of monthly withdrawals. J&D Benefits can provide you with further details on this.

Q How can I check my coverage and beneficiary information?

A Once you have received notification from J&D Benefits on Monday, August 24th, 2020 that the member portal is officially open, follow the link in the email to register your account.  You will need an email address and must create a password.  Once you have verified your account and set up, the J & D Benefits website will be open 24/7 throughout the year for you to check your bank balance, make changes to beneficiaries and to make other administrative requests.  (www.jdbenefits.com)