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Kickoff 2022 Webcast
Equitable Life's Savings & Retirement team is hosting a digital fireside chat with members from the leadership team. Join us to hear Fabien Jeudy, President and Chief Executive Officer and Cam Crosbie, Vice-President, Savings and Retirement share their perspectives of the industry, their future vision for Equitable Life, and the Savings & Retirement division.
We will also hear from Tawnya Duxbury, Director, Savings & Retirement Operations and Projects as she shares how her operations team has equipped themselves to provide industry leading service.
Last but not least, we have invited guest speaker Larry Distillio, Assistant Vice-President Practice Management, Mackenzie Investments to discuss "Mastering your Mind to Increase your Bottom Line”. * Larry helps advisors learn how to avoid self-sabotaging behaviours such as procrastination, worry and avoidance while minimizing emotional stress. This is a session not to be missed.
Learn More
*We will be seeking Continuing Education credits for Larry Distillio's portion of this webcast. -
Make It EZ2 EZtransact Contest – Twice As Nice!
The Make-It-EZ EZtransactTM contest is back by popular demand! This time we are making it twice as nice with one $200 winner each week, and a Grand Prize winner of $2000 at the end of the contest! Just in time for your busy RSP season, EZtransact, makes managing your client’s policies quick and convenient.
Every EZtransact online transaction submitted between January 24 and April 1, 2022 gives you the chance to WIN! Eligible non-winning Entries will be carried forward to subsequent Draw Dates. So the sooner you start using EZtransact, the more chances you have to win! First draw will be on January 31, 2022.
Click here for to start using EZtransact today.
New to EZtransact? Click here to try our new EZtransact Sandbox practice site.“Make It EZ2” EZtransactTM Contest: No purchase necessary. Contest period January 24, 2022 to April 1, 2022. Eleven prizes to be awarded, for a total value of $4,000 CAD. Ten weekly prize draws, each for one prize of $200 CAD, to be held every Monday from January 31, 2022 to April 4, 2022. One Grand Prize draw, for one prize of $2,000 CAD, to be held on April 4, 2022. Correct answer to mathematical skill testing question required to win. Open to legal residents of Canada of the age of majority. Eligible non-winning Entries will be carried forward to subsequent Entry Periods and will be eligible on subsequent Draw Dates. Maximum one weekly draw prize per person. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible Entries received during the Contest Period. Click here to see full contest rules, including no purchase method of entry.
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Equitable Life Group Benefits Bulletin - Group Advisor Bonus Enhancement
Announcing our Enhanced Group Advisor Bonus Program
We have enhanced our Group Advisor Bonus program to make it more competitive and to help support you in building your business with Equitable Life in 2022. We have updated the structure of the bonus program to make it easier for you to qualify, as well as increased the amounts we pay.
Beginning for sales effective in 2022 we have:- Decreased the minimum premium required to qualify for the Sales Bonus to $35,000 from $150,000.
- Moved away from using Graded Annualized Premium for both the Sales and Persistency Bonus and are using actual Annualized Premium instead, up to a maximum of $500,000 per policy. This simplifies the program and aligns us with the rest of the industry.
- Increased the Sales Bonus payout to up to 5% of Annualized Premium for Traditional Sales and up to 3% of Annualized Premium for myFlex sales.
- Changed the minimum annual premium threshold for the Persistency bonus to $500,000 of capped Annualized Premium from $500,000 of Graded Annualized Premium to make it easier for you to qualify.
These enhancements do not apply to advisors who are not part of our standard Advisor Bonus program and who have special bonus arrangements in place. If you have a special bonus arrangement in place and would like to switch to the standard program, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
Below is a table comparing the current Sales Bonus structure and payout. For full details, please refer to the Group Advisor Compensation and Recognition brochure.
Enhanced Sales Bonus
For the new Sales Bonus, the Payout Band is based on total combined Traditional and myFlex Benefits new annualized premium (capped at $500,000 per policy). The Sales Bonus Rates for both Traditional sales and myFlex sales are shown in the table below:
New Sales Bonus Rates Payout Band Capped Annualized Premium* Sales Bonus Rate
(from first dollar)Traditional Sales myFlex Sales 1 $34,999 and under 0% 0% 2 $35,000 to $99,999 3.5% 1.5% 3 $100,000 and over 5% 3% *Total Traditional and myFlex new business sales combined, capped at $500,000 per policy.
If you have any questions about the Advisor Bonus enhancements, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
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CapIntel Partners with Canadian Financial Services Leader Equitable Life to Enhance Experience for F
For more than 100 years Equitable Life has worked with advisors to support Canadians with their financial goals. As a mutual company, with no other competing interests, Equitable Life’s duty and priority rests only with clients.
CapIntel’s intuitive platform is helping Equitable Life meet this commitment by enabling wholesalers and financial advisors to build, analyze, and compare portfolios and deliver personalized recommendations.
Learn more. -
2022 brings a new year of retirement savings opportunities
As a new year begins, you will start to reach out to your clients about the upcoming Retirement Savings Plan deadline, March 1, 2022. This year, connect with your clients through social media, video chats, emails or even in-person. Try Equitable’s Case Studies, Prospecting Letters, Video and Equitable Blog on EquiNet® to make the most of your meetings. Designed for each specific target group, these sales strategies can help initiate a conversation about retirement savings goals.
To learn more about Retirement Savings Plans, click here. -
Exciting new product changes are coming your way!
Equitable Life® has exciting product enhancements that will help you offer more choices for clients in 2022.
Changes to our whole life and critical illness insurance products effective February 12, 2022, include:
• NEW! 10 pay premium option with Equimax Estate Builder®
• NEW! EquiLiving® plans and riders enhanced
EZcomplete and paper applications will be updated on February 12, 2022
Transition rules are available.
Watch for more information including the virtual product launch event.
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Equitable Life awarded FundGrade A+ awards for 2021
Equitable Life® is the proud recipient of the Fundata FundGrade A+® in 2021 for Equitable Life Dynamic Power Global Growth Fund and Equitable Life Accumulative Income Fund. These funds are part of our legacy products and no longer available to purchase for new contracts.
Each year, Fundata looks for Canadian investment funds that uphold an outstanding performance rating over the course of the year. Equitable Life invests for the big picture and offers a complete range of investment and annuity products designed to meet the savings, accumulation and income needs of clients. Our strength as a company along with our many investment guarantees can help your clients achieve their financial goals with confidence.
FundGrade A+® is used with permission from Fundata Canada Inc., all rights reserved. The annual FundGrade A+® Awards are presented by Fundata Canada Inc. to recognize the “best of the best” among Canadian investment funds. The FundGrade A+® calculation is supplemental to the monthly FundGrade ratings and is calculated at the end of each calendar year. The FundGrade rating system evaluates funds based on their risk-adjusted performance, measured by Sharpe Ratio, Sortino Ratio, and Information Ratio. The score for each ratio is calculated individually, covering all time periods from 2 to 10 years. The scores are then weighted equally in calculating a monthly FundGrade. The top 10% of funds earn an A Grade; the next 20% of funds earn a B Grade; the next 40% of funds earn a C Grade; the next 20% of funds receive a D Grade; and the lowest 10% of funds receive an E Grade. To be eligible, a fund must have received a FundGrade rating every month in the previous year. The FundGrade A+® uses a GPA-style calculation, where each monthly FundGrade from “A” to “E” receives a score from 4 to 0, respectively. A fund’s average score for the year determines its GPA. Any fund with a GPA of 3.5 or greater is awarded a FundGrade A+® Award. For more information, see www.FundGradeAwards.com. Although Fundata makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained herein, the accuracy is not guaranteed by Fundata.® ”Equitable Life” and “Pivotal Select” are trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
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Equitable Life Group Benefits Bulletin – February 2022
In this issue:
- Update: Alberta biosimilar coverage changes*
- Preferred Biosimilar Program*
- Responding to Quebec’s biosimilar policy*
- Dental fee guide updates*
- Reminder: Review manual allocations for HCSAs and/or TSAs*
- Mental health resources for plan members*
Update: Alberta biosimilar coverage changes*
In 2022, Alberta’s provincial drug plan is adding four originator biologics to its Biosimilar Initiative. It has ended or will end provincial coverage of these drugs for some or all conditions, as follows:
Four originator biologics added to Alberta Biosimilar Initiative- Lovenox: Jan. 10, 2022
- Humalog: Feb. 1, 2022
- NovoRapid: April 1, 2022
- Humira: May 1, 2022
Patients 18 and over who are using these drugs for the affected conditions will be required to switch to biosimilar versions of the drugs to maintain coverage under the province’s government drug plan.
How we are responding to protect our clients
To help prevent this change from resulting in additional costs for our clients’ drug plans while still providing plan members with access to safe and effective medications, we will no longer cover these originator biologic drugs for plan members in Alberta.
Effective May 1, 2022, claimants currently taking these drugs will be required to switch to a biosimilar version of the drug to maintain coverage under their Equitable Life plan.
This is a continuation of the Alberta biosimilar switch program we launched last March, when the province first introduced its Biosimilar Initiative.
Do my clients need to take any action?
No action is required by plan sponsors. Plan members taking these targeted originator biologics will be contacted directly to allow them ample time to transition to a biosimilar. Any cost savings associated with the change will be factored in at renewal.
Groups that opted out of the biologic coverage changes we made last March will automatically be opted out of these coverage changes, as well as any future changes to our Alberta biosimilar switch program. This means that their drug plans will continue to provide coverage to existing claimants for any originator biologics we stop covering as part of our biosimilar program.
Advisors with clients who wish to opt out of our Alberta biosimilar program, or who previously opted out and want to opt back in, should speak to their Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
Communication to plan members
We will be communicating these coverage changes with affected claimants in early March to allow them ample time to change their prescriptions and avoid any interruptions in their treatment or their coverage. Thus far, the transition to biosimilars, has been smooth and continues to be successful.
What is the difference between biologics and biosimilars?
Biologics are drugs that are engineered using living organisms like yeast and bacteria. The first version of a biologic developed is known as the “originator” biologic. Biosimilars are also biologics. Biosimilars are highly similar to the drugs they are based on and Health Canada considers them to be equally safe and effective for approved conditions.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this change, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.Preferred Biosimilar Program*
As part of our ongoing efforts to help ensure the sustainability of your clients’ drug plans, we continue to engage in strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical manufacturers.
We are pleased to announce a partnership to make Hyrimoz our preferred biosimilar for Humira. This partnership will generate additional savings for plan sponsors.
Plan members will still have the choice to use Humira biosimilars other than Hyrimoz. However, in the absence of alternative sources of reimbursement, this may increase their out-of-pocket amount.
The Preferred Biosimilar Program will take effect March 1, 2022 for all new claimants across Canada who start using a Humira biosimilar. It will take effect May 1 for existing claimants in Alberta who switch to a Humira biosimilar, to align with changes to the provincial plan.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this change, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.Responding to Quebec’s biosimilar policy
Last year, the Quebec government announced it is phasing out coverage of biologic drugs. Beginning April 13, 2022, patients in Quebec using originator biologics will be required to switch to the corresponding biosimilar covered on the province’s public plan in order to maintain coverage.
The following populations are excepted from this new policy:- Pregnant women, who should be transitioned to biosimilars in the 12 months after childbirth.
- Pediatric patients, who should be transitioned to biosimilars in the 12 months after their 18th birthdays.
- Patients who have experienced two or more therapeutic failures while being treated with a biologic drug for the same chronic disease.
We are actively investigating the impact of this new policy on private drug plans in Quebec. We plan to implement further enhancements to our biosimilar programs in Quebec later this year to help prevent this change from resulting in additional costs for our clients’ drug plans. We will provide more details in the coming months.Dental fee guide updates
Each year, Provincial and Territorial Dental Associations publish fee guides. Equitable Life uses these guides to help determine the reimbursement limits for dental procedures. For your reference, below is the list of the average dental fee increases for general practitioners that will be used by Equitable Life for 2022.*
Dental fee guide increases over 2021*
*Data for all provinces and territories was not available at the time of publication. This chart will be updated on EquitableHealth.ca as more information becomes available.Province/Territory Average Fee Increase Alberta 3.9% British Columbia 7.35% Manitoba 5.79% New Brunswick 5.9% Newfoundland and Labrador 5% Nova Scotia 7.05% Northwest Territories 3% Nunavut 3.1% Ontario 4.75% Prince Edward Island 4.75% Quebec 5% Saskatchewan 5.99%
Reminder: Review manual allocations for HCSAs and/or TSAs*
If your client’s Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) and/or Taxable Spending Account (TSA) has manual allocations, they need to allocate these amounts to plan members each year. Please review all your plan members’ profiles on EquitableHealth.ca to ensure they have received their allocation(s) for the current benefit year.
If your clients have Plan Administrator update access on EquitableHealth.ca, they can update these amounts online by doing the following:- Select “View certificate”
- Select “Health Care Spending Account” or “Taxable Spending Account”
- Select “Update Allocation” in Task Center
- Enter amount in “Revised Allocation Amount”
- Override Reason – “Plan Administrator Request”
- Select “Save”
- Select “Reports”
- Select “New”
- Select “Next”
- Select “HCSA” or “TSA Totals by Plan Member”
- Select “Next”
- Enter end date of “12/31/2020”
- Select “Next”
- Select “Finish”
- View “Report”
Mental health resources for plan members*
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, many Canadians are experiencing increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Through our partnership with Homewood Health®, all of our clients and their plan members have access to a number of health and wellness resources designed to provide guidance and support. These resources include a number of webinars which discuss various COVID-19 and mental health-related topics. The webinars are pre-recorded so plan members can stream them at their convenience.
Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Mental Health
English webinar
French webinar
COVID-19: Loneliness & Isolation Fatigue - Self-Care Strategies
English webinar
French webinar
COVID-19: Dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder
English webinar
French webinar
Reducing Anxiety & Managing the Transition Back to the Classroom - for Teachers
English webinar
French webinar
COVID-19: Specialized Mental Health Support for Health Care Professionals
English webinar
French webinar
COVID-19: Supporting Children’s Mental Health
English webinar
French webinar
Additional resources, including articles, tools, videos and podcasts, are available at Homeweb.ca/Equitable. Please encourage your clients to share these resources with their plan members.
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Individual Insurance product enhancements
Equitable Life has exciting product enhancements that will help you offer more options to clients.
- Full Product Launch Video (approx. 20 minutes).
Watch our Virtual Product Launch NOW. Grab a coffee and get ready for this exciting news! Hear from our leaders and learn about our exciting product enhancements.
- Introduction video (View on Vimeo) / Product launch page
Highlights of the product changes effective February 12, 2022, include:NEW! 10 pay premium option with Equimax Estate Builder®
- The new EquiLiving® 20 pay rider options will be available on Equimax® plans
- 20 pay options with coverage to age 75 or coverage for life
NEW! EquiLiving plans and riders enhanced with:
- Support from Cloud DX to help monitor a client’s well-being from treatment to recovery.
- Added Acquired Brain Injury as a covered critical condition
- 30-day survival period removed for all non-cardiovascular covered conditions
- No age restriction to claim for Loss of Independent Existence (LOIE)
- EquiLiving Benefit now pays the higher of the EquiLiving Benefit or the Return of Premium Rider Benefit (not including Return of Premium on Death)
- And so much more …
New Illustration software available on February 11, 2022
The updated illustration software will be available for download after 9 a.m. ET on Friday, February 11, 2022, and will include all the Equimax and EquiLiving enhancements.
See the Equitable Sales Illustrations Update for information on how to download the software or check for updates.
Please review updates to the commission schedule A for these new enhancements.
Learn more- Transition rules are available
- Watch our virtual launch event video now! (Approx. 20 minutes),
- Watch our product launch intro video here. Watch on Vimeo
- Visit our launch event page with product change details and more
- Marketing Materials
Please contact your Regional Sales Manager for more information. -
Ride the wave this RSP season with Equitable Life
You can't stop the RSP wave. But you can ride it. Ride the wave this RSP season with tools that make it easy to complete applications and deposits online - only from Equitable Life.
Learn more.