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  1. Making it easier to claim for Loss of Independent Existence for EquiLiving Critical Illness insuranc We have recently changed the definition of Loss of Independent Existence (LOIE). As a result, the Critical Illness claim criteria has also changed. Before, EquiLiving® Critical Illness insurance coverage was issued with a definition of LOIE that required clients to have the total inability to do 3 of 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Now, clients will only need to give us proof of the total inability to do 2 of 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) to submit a claim for LOIE. 

    This change makes it easier for clients to claim for this covered critical illness. This change is retroactive to February 2022.

    Clients will be sent a notice from us with a personalized endorsement from Equitable Life. This applies to their policy and forms part of their contract. We will approve claims for LOIE as outlined in the endorsement.

    LOIE is one of the 26 conditions named as a covered critical illness in an EquiLiving policy or Critical Illness insurance rider on an Equitable Life insurance policy. With a loss of independent existence, some activities of daily living can no longer be done on one’s own. This can happen because of a disease or an injury. 

    Want to learn more? See the marketing piece: Understanding the Covered Conditions (1248).  

    For more information, reach out to your local wholesaler.


    ® denotes a trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
  2. Supporting plan members affected by the British Columbia and Northwest Territories wildfires

    Wildfires across Canada are disrupting the lives of many Canadians. During this difficult time, Equitable Life is providing additional support to help affected clients and plan members.

    Prescription refills

    Plan members who have been evacuated and/or lost their medication due to the wildfires will be able to make early refills until September 17, 2023, through TELUS Health, our pharmacy benefit manager.

    Replacement of medical or dental equipment and appliances

    Plan members who need to replace eligible medical or dental equipment or appliances due to the wildfires should first call 1.800.265.4556 to confirm coverage.

    Disability or other benefit cheques

    Plan members receiving disability benefits or other benefit reimbursements via cheques can visit www.equitable.ca/go/digital for instructions on how to sign up for direct deposit. It just takes a few minutes. Plan members can also call us at 1.800.265.4556 if they need help, a replacement cheque or assistance arranging a different mailing address.

    Mental health support

    Unpredictable, large-scale natural disasters can cause people to experience intense reactions, putting a lot of pressure on their mental health. Having coping mechanisms to deal with the current crisis can be a huge help. Any Equitable Life plan member who needs mental health support can visit Homeweb.ca/equitable to access online resources or contact Homewood at 1.888.707.2115.  

    For plan sponsors who have purchased Homewood Health’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), their plan members also have access to confidential counselling services. The EFAP provides plan members with 24/7 access to confidential counselling through a national network of mental health professionals. Whether it’s face-to-face, by phone, email, chat or video, plan members will receive the most appropriate, most timely support for the issue they’re dealing with. 
     

    Plan Administrator support

    We realize that the fires are having a profound impact on regular business operations in B.C. and N.W.T. If you have clients that are unable to carry out day-to-day plan administration, they can call us at 1.800.265.4556. They can also contact their Customer Relationship Specialist for support.
     
    This is a challenging time for advisors, plan sponsors and plan members. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide additional updates as appropriate. 

    Questions?

    If you need more information, contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.

  3. DBRS Morningstar Confirms Ratings on Equitable Life at A (high), Stable Trends DBRS Limited (DBRS Morningstar) confirmed the Financial Strength Rating and Issuer Rating of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada at A (high). All trends are Stable.1

    Visit the DBRS website to read the full media release. www.dbrsmorningstar.com


    1 https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/419296/dbrs-morningstar-confirms-ratings-on-the-equitable-life-insurance-company-of-canada-at-a-high-stable-trends
  4. First Home Savings Account Webcast

    Join us for the Equitable Life® First Home Savings Account (FHSA) webcast to learn:

    • • Who is eligible

    • • Contribution limits

    • • Making withdrawals

    • • How FHSA compares to an RSP and TFSA

    • • Practical applications

     
    Help make a client’s dream of homeownership a reality.  

    Learn more

     

    Posted September 14, 2023

    Continuing Education Credits
    This webinar has been accredited for 1.00 Life continuing education (CE) credit with the Insurance Council of Manitoba and Alberta Insurance Council for all provinces excluding Quebec. To be eligible for CE credits, you must register individually, watch the webcast in full and complete a short quiz. This webcast is available in English only.

    ® denote a registered trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada
     
  5. Clients could win $8,000 with an Equitable Life FHSA!


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    The Equitable Life® First Home Savings Account (FHSA) is available!  


    Offered on Pivotal Select™ Investment Class (75/75) and Pivotal Select Estate Class (75/100), this is a great opportunity to help clients achieve their dream of home ownership. 


    Clients who open a FHSA between September 11 and December 31, 2023, have a chance to win $8,000 towards their 2024 FHSA contribution.  And the advisor wins $2,000!   


    Help make a client’s dream of homeownership a reality, starting today!   


    To open a FHSA for clients, log into EZcomplete, our highly rated online application tool. It is easy to use, convenient, and fast.  


    For more information on FHSA, including an FAQ and client materials, visit EquiNet or contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager.  

     


    ® and ™ denotes a trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada. 

    Equitable Life FHSA Contest: No purchase necessary. Contest period September 11 to December 31, 2023.  Enter by making a deposit to an Equitable Life FHSA during the contest period or by submitting a no-purchase entry. One prize for a total value of $8,000 CAD to be drawn on January 16, 2024, will be awarded. The servicing advisor for the policy to which the selected entrant made the deposit is also an eligible winner will receive a $2,000 CAD prize. For example, if an Equitable Life client is a winner of the $8,000 prize, the client’s servicing advisor wins a $2,000 prize.  Open to legal residents of Canada of the age of majority. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible Entries received during the Contest Period.  For full contest rules, including no-purchase method of entry, see full contest rules. 

    Posted September 11, 2023

  6. Updates to Savings & Retirement applications and point of sale materials

    Equitable Life has updated the following Savings & Retirement point of sale materials.

     

    Form #

    Form Name

    Description

    2086

    Pivotal Select FHSA Application

    New application to support the First Home Savings Account (FHSA) registration option

    1403

    Pivotal Select Contract & Information Folder

    Updates have been made to support the new First Home Savings Account (FHSA) registration option

    796

    Guaranteed Interest Account TFSA Application

    Updates have been made throughout the application to make it simpler and more straightforward. Additionally, a new “Privacy Consent” section has been added.

    799

    Guaranteed Interest Account Registered / Non-Registered

     
    The new documents are available to download from EquiNet®. Paper documents are also available to order from Equitable’s Supply Team here.

    To allow advisors time to transition to the new applications, we will continue to accept the following versions until further notice:

    If you have any questions, contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager or Advisors Services Team Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET at 1.866.884.7427, or email savingsretirement@equitable.ca.

     

    ® and ™ denotes a registered trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.

     Posted September 11, 2023
  7. Easier group enrolment and more group benefits updates

    Make enrolment easier for your clients with online plan member enrolment (OPME)

    Enrolling new plan members can be overwhelming – for both you, your clients and their employees. It’s time-consuming to manually load new members and challenging to ensure they complete the necessary paperwork before the enrolment deadline.

    Our Online Plan Member Enrolment (OPME) tool is available at no extra cost for all your Equitable Life clients and offers a more secure and efficient alternative to traditional paper enrolment. Using their computer or mobile device, employees can enrol in their benefits plan in just minutes.
     
    The user-friendly tool allows plan members to easily enter all their enrolment information, including:
    • Dependent details
    • Banking information for direct deposit of claim payments
    • Details for coordination of benefits
    • Beneficiary designation 
    The online enrolment tool can be used by both new groups and existing clients enrolling new plan members. The tool reduces errors and rework that can occur due to spelling mistakes or missing information on paper forms. 

    The days of chasing plan members for their paper enrolment forms are gone. Once plan administrators enter a few employee details, our system automatically sends an email to each plan member, inviting them to enrol in their benefits program. And there will be no need for your clients to send reminders or follow up with employees about their benefits enrolment. It’s all done automatically. 

    Support with using OPME

    To learn more about the benefits of using OPME, check out our Online Plan Member Enrolment Flyer. We also encourage you to share more information with your clients: We also have helpful reference guides for plan members, to help them use the tool:  To learn more about accessing OPME, your clients can contact their Equitable Life Client Relationship Specialist or myFlex Benefits Team for support.

    Help your clients spend less time administering group benefits. Contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager to learn more about our online plan member enrolment.
     

    Coming soon: A survey to help us serve your clients better*

    We are committed to providing your clients and their plan members with industry-leading service. We’ve introduced several enhancements over the past year to make it easier to do business with us. And we’re continually looking for ways to improve.
     
    This month, we will conduct a survey of your clients to help us understand how we can better serve them. Plan administrators will receive an email with a link to the survey, which will take between five and 10 minutes to complete. 

    Please encourage your clients to participate. Their feedback will be confidential, and their responses will help us improve our service and ensure we’re meeting their expectations. We will also allow them to provide their name so that we can follow up with them to address any concerns they’ve identified.
     
    We know your clients’ time is valuable. So, each plan administrator who completes the survey will be entered into a random draw for a chance to win one of 3 prepaid gift cards for $200.
     

    Improved mental assessment features for FeelingBetterNow®*

    Mensante has enhanced its FeelingBetterNow® online platform to make it easier for plan members to assess the state of their mental health and talk to their health care provider about treatment options. FeelingBetterNow is part of our Equitable HealthConnector suite of wellness solutions and is available for an additional cost. It can help plan members easily identify if they are at risk for a number of common mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and substance abuse.  

    Upgrades to the platform include:

    • New features to help plan members better gauge their progress in the assessment.
    • A printable Action Plan that plan members can share with their health care provider to initiate conversations about managing their mental health challenges.
    • A new “follow-up” module to help plan members assess the care they’ve received from their health care provider and identify care gaps.
    • An Assessment Outcome Page, which allows plan members to view their diagnostic risks across mental health disorders for a more holistic picture of their health.
    To learn more about how FeelingBetterNow can help your clients’ plan members take charge of their mental health, view our overview or contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager. 
     

    Over-age dependants losing coverage?*

    Your clients’ plan members may have dependants approaching the maximum age for eligibility under their group benefits plan. If so, members should be aware of their options for dependant coverage. 

    Coverage for full-time students and dependants with disabilities

    The dependants of your clients’ plan members may be eligible to continue their coverage under the current plan if: 
    • The dependant is attending a post-secondary school full-time; or
    • The dependant is disabled. 
    In either case, the plan member can complete the Application for Coverage of Dependent Child Over Age 21 (Form #441) and submit it through our online document submission tool. The tool is available under My Resources in the plan member’s Group Benefits account at EquitableHealth.ca.  

    Coverage2go for over-age dependants

    Dependants who aren’t eligible for continued coverage under the plan can apply for Coverage2go®, a month-to-month health and dental plan for individuals losing their group coverage.**

    Coverage2go is affordable, reliable and allows the over-age dependants to choose the level of coverage and protection that suits their personal situation. With no medical questions required as long as they apply within 60 days of losing their coverage, your clients’ plan members can ensure that their over-age dependants have the coverage they need.

    Plan members can receive a quote within minutes. Please direct your clients to Coverage2go on Equitable.ca to learn more.  
     
    **Quebec residents are not eligible for Coverage2go.

    Forfeiture reports for HCSAs and TSAs on EquitableHealth.ca*

    As a reminder, your clients can access forfeiture reports for their Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) and Taxable Spending Account (TSA) usage on EquitableHealth.ca.  

    HCSA summary by plan member

    HCSA summary reports provide an overview of each plan member’s account activity and balances. These reports include the total amounts allocated, the amount claimed to date, the net balance, and the amount of funds that will be forfeited based on claims paid to date. Please note that plan members’ claim submissions will remain confidential and will not be viewable by the employer on this summary.

    Your clients can provide each plan member with their HCSA summary, if they wish.  

    HCSA account forfeiture by plan member

    HCSA forfeiture reports detail the amount that each member will forfeit if they do not use it. The amount is based on claims that have been paid to date within the benefit year period.  

    HCSA account totals by plan member

    Your clients may wish to access the HCSA account totals reports, which reflect the information in each plan member’s HCSA summary report. For terminated employees, the Funds Available field will display as zero, regardless of the balance in the account when terminated. 

    At least three months before the end of the benefits period, your clients should remind their members to use their allocated HCSA and TSA amounts.

    If your clients need help accessing these reports, they can reach out to their Regional Office Service team for assistance.

    * Indicates content that will be shared with your clients.



     
  8. How to talk to clients about CI when they don’t want to
    Does this sound familiar? 

    You’re having a chat with your client about Critical Illness insurance. They suddenly interject: “Critical illness insurance isn’t for me.”

    “Why is that?” you ask. 

    “Because….
    -  Critical Illness insurance is expensive!
    -  I don’t understand what it covers exactly.
    -  I have money to cover me if I get sick, so I don’t need this.
    -  I’m healthy enough.
    -  It’s not life insurance, so I don’t need it right now. 
    -  I already have disability coverage through my work.”

    If you’ve heard any of these responses, and didn’t know how to respond, we can help. 


    Our Path to Success program covers all these objections and more with simple-to-follow PDFs and videos. You’ll learn conversation strategies and tips on how to navigate the sale. Most importantly, you’ll know exactly what to say the next time a client objects to Critical Illness insurance. 

    Want to learn more? Check out our CI Path to Success modules here!

    Need CE credits? Take our Path to Success program here. 
  9. Introducing Equitable EZBenefits: A better group benefits solution for your small business clients If you serve small business owners, chances are they’re looking for a group benefits solution that’s affordable, sustainable and easy to manage. That’s why we introduced Equitable EZBenefits™. It’s a unique group benefits solution designed with you and your small business clients in mind.
     
    Options to fit every need
    Available to organizations with between 2 and 25 employees, EZBenefits offers a range of plan design options to match different needs and budgets. * Whether your client owns start-up or a growing company, we’ve got them covered. Plan options include a mix of Life, Health and Dental coverage. ** Clients can also add Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage or a Health Care Spending Account (HCSA).
     
    Embedded services to support health and wellness
    To provide employees with added support for both their physical and mental wellbeing, all our plan design options include:
    • Anytime, online access to medical professionals through our Virtual Healthcare solution from Dialogue,
    • Access to professional counselors – via the telephone, the web or in-person – through our Employee and Family Assistance Program from Homewood Health®, and
    • Online resources to help manage health, financial and family challenges through Homeweb, Homewood Health’s online wellness portal.
    Extra HR support for your clients
    EZBenefits also comes with built-in HR support through Equitable Life’s partnership with HRdownloads® This takes the heavy lifting out of common human resource tasks with HR support tools and services, including:
    • HR Technology: An award-winning cloud-based human resource information system to provide help from onboarding to offboarding and everything in between.
    • HR Content: Access to a library of over 3,000 HR documents, templates, compliance resources and articles, with 25 free document downloads.
    • HR Training: A free Workplace Diversity and Inclusion online training course.
    • HR Support: One free Live HR Advice call with a seasoned HR expert.
    A streamlined process to optimize your time
    We know that advising small business clients can be challenging. We’ve created a streamlined benefits process that provides rapid quotes, hassle-free plan implementation, simplified renewals and that is easy to administer. That way, you can spend more time advising your clients and building your business – and less time with administrative back and forth.
     
    Pricing stability for long-term stability
    When it comes to attracting and retaining talent, we know your small business clients are competing with larger organizations that have big budgets and lots of resources. That’s why we’ve designed EZBenefits to provide long-term pricing stability for health and dental benefits.
     
    Find out more
    Watch this video to learn how EZBenefits can help you and your clients. You can also visit info.equitable.ca/ezbenefits for more details or to request a quote. If you have questions, contact your Equitable Life Group Account Executive. If you don't have an Equitable Life Group Account Executive, email us at EZBenefits@equitable.ca.
     

    * Not available in Quebec.
    ** Dental coverage is not included with the Bronze plan design option.
  10. Join us for an Equitable Life Master Class webcast featuring Daryl Diamond, Dynamic Funds

    Building Your Business in the Retirement Income Market featuring Daryl Diamond, Chief Retirement Income Strategist, Dynamic Funds 

    You’re invited to our next Equitable Life Master Class webcast offering compelling topics and unique ideas from leading experts to help you manage and grow your business. 

    Daryl Diamond is an author, educator and sought-after speaker on how clients can achieve the greatest security and satisfaction during the retirement years. 


    In this Master Class, Daryl Diamond will discuss how the last four years have been extremely challenging for retirees, pre-retirees and for the advisors who service them. He will focus on key aspects of retirement income planning from the perspective of: 

    • delivering and sustaining tax-efficient income, 

    • managing high inflation, 

    • investing in volatile markets, and 

    • navigating high interest rates. 


    Learn more


    Posted October 11, 2023

    Continuing Education Credits 

    This webinar has been submitted for continuing education (CE) approval with the Insurance Council of Manitoba and Alberta Insurance Council for all provinces excluding Quebec. Upon approval, you will be sent an email notification to come back to the webinar presentation console to download your personalized certificate from the tool bar. To be eligible for CE credits, you must register individually, watch the webcast in full and complete a short quiz. This webcast is available in English only. 



    ® denote a registered trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada