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Equitable Life Group Benefits Bulletin – December 2021
In this issue:
- Supporting plan members affected by the flooding in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland*
- Update: Changing certificate numbers on EquitableHealth.ca*
- Help plan members take advantage of convenient digital options*
- Ontario optometrists and government to restart negotiations*
- QDIPC updates terms and conditions for 2022*
Supporting plan members affected by the flooding in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland*
The recent flooding in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland is having a devastating impact on the province’s residents.
Here are some of the ways we can help support your clients’ plan members who are affected by the flooding.
Prescription refills
Until Dec. 31, our pharmacy benefit manager, TELUS Health, will allow early refills for plan members who have been evacuated and/or lost their medication due to the flooding.
Replacement of medical or dental equipment and appliances
If plan members in Nova Scotia or Newfoundland need to replace any eligible medical or dental equipment or appliances (e.g. prescription eyeglasses, dentures, etc.) due to the flooding, they can call us at 1.800.265.4556 before incurring additional expenses to see how we can support them.
Disability or other benfit cheques
If plan members affected by the flooding are receiving disability benefits or other benefit reimbursements by cheque, they can visit www.equitable.ca/go/digital for easy instructions on how to sign up for direct deposit. It’s easy and takes just a few minutes. They can call us at 1.800.265.4556 if they need help. We can also arrange for a different mailing address or replacement cheques if necessary.
Mental Health Support
A natural disaster can also take a serious toll on people’s mental health. All of our plan members have access to the Homeweb online portal and mobile app, including numerous articles, tools and resources designed to provide guidance and support in difficult times. Homewood has put together some suggestions on how to help employees affected by a natural disaster.
For your clients with an Employee and Family Assistance Program, remind them that their plan members have 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.
If a client wishes to add the EFAP to their plan, we can do this quickly – often in just a few days. Simply contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
Plan Administrator support
We realize that the flooding may also be having an impact on the regular business operations of your clients in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. If any of your clients are unable to carry out day-to-day plan administration, they can call us at 1.800.265.4556 to see how we can support them.
We know this is a challenging time for many of your clients and their plan members. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide additional updates as appropriate.
Update: Changing certificate numbers on EquitableHealth.ca*
Effective Dec. 10th, plan administrators will no longer be able to update or change plan members’ certificate numbers on EquitableHealth.ca. This change will ensure we can manage these changes more effectively to provide a smoother plan member experience.
If your clients need to update a plan member’s certificate number, please have them reach out to Group Benefits Administration for assistance at groupbenefitsadmin@equitable.ca.
Help plan members take advantage of convenient digital options*
We have several digital options available to make it easier for your clients to do business with us and for their plan members to access and use their benefits plan.
To help build awareness among plan members, we’ve created two posters that your clients can post on their intranet sites or in their office. The posters provide easy instructions on how to activate our secure, digital options.
Please click on the links below to download the posters.
EquitableHealth.ca posters: EZClaim mobile app posters:
EquitableHealth.ca English EZClaim mobile app English poster
EquitableHealth.ca French poster EZClaim mobile app French poster
Ontario optometrists and government to restart negotiations*
The Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) announced it has paused its job action and will restart negotiations with the Ontario Ministry of Health on funding for optometry services.
In September, Ontario optometrists began withholding services from patients covered by OHIP, including children, senior citizens and other patients with certain medical conditions, after negotiations with the Ministry of Health over compensation broke down.
Residents of Ontario between the ages of 20 to 64 who aren’t eligible for coverage of eye services under OHIP were not affected by the job action. They were able to continue to receive eye exams from their optometrist and submit eligible claims to their benefits plan.
QDIPC updates terms and conditions for 2022*
Every year, the Quebec Drug Insurance Pooling Corporation (QDIPC) reviews the terms and conditions for the high-cost pooling system in the province. Based on its latest review, QDIPC is revising its pooling levels and fees for 2022 to reflect trends in the volume of claims submitted to the pool, particularly catastrophic claims.
Size of group (# of certificates) Threshold per certificate 2022 Annual factor (without dependents Annual factor (with dependents) Fewer than 25 $8,000 $276.00 $771.00 25 – 49 $16,500 $188.00 $527.00 50 – 124 $32,500 $97.00 $328.00 125 – 249 $55,000 $66.00 $223.00 250 – 499 $80,000 $51.00 $173.00 500 – 999 $105,000 $39.00 $153.00 1,000 – 3,999 $130,000 $34.00 $133.00 4,000 – 5,999 $300,000 $18.00 $71.00 6,000 and over Free market – Groups not subject to Quebec Industry Pooling
We will apply the new pooling levels and fees to future renewal calculations that involve Quebec plan members. -
Two options for supporting plan members during the pandemic
We know these are difficult times. In addition to concerns about their health and the health of their family, working Canadians are worried about their jobs and their finances. Fortunately, through our partnership with Homewood Health®, we have two options for employers to support their employees through this crisis.
Below is an overview to refer to when you're meeting with your clients. Or you can download this PDF version.
Homewood Online (Homeweb)
All Equitable Life® clients and their plan members have access to Homeweb, a personalized online mental health and wellness portal. Accessible via the web or mobile app, Homeweb includes an online library of interactive tools, assessments, e-courses and resources to support plan members through the pandemic.
Homewood Health Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
Employers can provide additional support by adding the Homewood Health EFAP. In addition to full access to Homeweb, it offers confidential short-term counselling through a national network of mental health professionals, plus other resources and tools.
To make it easier to understand the options, here’s a detailed summary of what’s included with each:
Service Description Homeweb EFAP Homeweb.ca A secure and personalized online portal that includes hundreds of articles and resources, including e-books, toolkits, self-assessments, podcasts and more. 

Homeweb Mobile App One of Canada’s newest EFAP mobile apps that allows users to access every one of Homewood’s online tools and resources wherever they are. 

i-Volve Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Tool An online self-directed treatment tool that helps coach plan members to identify, challenge and overcome anxious thoughts, behaviours and emotions. 

Online Health Risk Assessment An online tool that helps plan members identify and address their health and wellness risks and barriers. 

Short-Term Counselling Short-term counselling provided face-to-face, by phone, email, chat or video through a national network of counsellors and clinical professionals. 
Life Smart Coaching A suite of telephonic and online services including coaching and resources to help employees manage their life balance, finances, health and career. Online resources only. 
Trauma response Prompt, compassionate and effective response to traumatic events, consisting of one three-hour block with one counsellor at one location per year. 
Legal Resources One-on-one consultation with a lawyer for guidance on issues such as family law, civil litigation, real estate and immigration. Online resources only. 
Key Person Advice Line (KPAL) Designed for HR, managers and supervisors, this service provides Online Management Resources and Workplace Situation Professional Support. 
Resource Locator Online childcare and eldercare resources locators. 

For more information, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
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Equitable explains individual life and critical illness insurance with client-focused videos!
In today’s busy world, clients need guidance to help them pick the right solutions for their needs. They need quick, easy-to-understand information. With so many options out there, it can get overwhelming to make the right choice.
The same goes for individual life and critical illness insurance. Which type of insurance is right for the client? Advisors can help provide that support and guidance. But perhaps, to get that conversation started, you just need to give clients a little nudge.
We get it. That’s why Equitable has produced a series of client-focused videos to help advisors start those conversations.
Check out our explainer videos below and share them with clients today!
● Equimax® participating whole life for children
● Dividends
● EquiLiving® critical illness insurance
● Term life insurance
● Equitable Generations™ universal life insurance
Want to learn more?
Contact your Equitable Wholesaler – we’re here to help!
® or ™ denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
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2026 Dividend scale announcement, plus new Performance and perspective par fund report
Good news! Equitable’s Board of Directors has approved maintaining our current dividend scale, including the dividend scale interest rate of 6.40%, effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.*
These factors are also staying the same:
• The interest rate* used to decide the dividend scale is unchanged at 6.40%.
• The interest rate for policies with dividends on deposit stays at 3.50%.
• The interest rate for most policy loans continues to be 6.50%. **
A stable dividend scale reflects strong, long‑term management of the participating fund.
Find out what’s new with Equitable Individual Insurance and hear the 2026 Dividend Scale announcement
(*French and Chinese events will be partially in English, with sub-titles on screen)..jpg)
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New! Performance and perspective participating fund report
You now have a powerful new resource, Performance and perspective, to support your client conversations about Equitable’s participating fund. It’s designed to give you a transparent view of 2025 participating fund performance to help you explain long‑term value simply, and position Equimax® participating whole life as a long‑term solution, not just a product.
View the Performance and perspective report: English, French, Chinese
Reasons to use Performance and perspective
• It strengthens your conversations and builds client confidence by showing the participating fund asset mix, historical performance and long‑term approach all in one place.
• It helps you explain with clear visuals how the participating account is managed, not just how it performed.
Why this matters to clients
• They get transparency into where their money is invested.
• They can see how participating solutions are managed over time, not year to year.
• They gain confidence in long‑term planning decisions, supported by facts.
Need more information?
• Dividend Information Page
• 2026 Advisor Dividend Scale Notice
• 2026 Client Dividend Scale Notice
*Dividends are not guaranteed and are paid at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors.
**Applies to new and existing policy loans and automatic premium loans, specifically Equimax® policies with 9-digit policy numbers beginning with 3 or 8. Older policies may have different loan rates as they reflect the prime interest rate.
- Chinese Markets
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Backdating of insurance applications – New rule now in effect
Great news! We are making it even easier for you to do business with Equitable Life®. We now allow backdating of life insurance applications by up to 364 days. Previously, the maximum backdating period was six (6) months.
Backdating can result in lower total premiums for the client over the life of a policy based on their younger age at time of application. But clients must pay all the premiums due for the backdated period up front. Thus, backdating is only beneficial when the total premium savings over the life of the policy are greater than the premium due for the backdated period.
To request backdating beyond six (6) months (up to 364 days)
No special approval is needed. Simply add a note to the Advisor Sheet requesting backdating or contact us at any time prior to policy issue. This step is only necessary when backdating beyond six (6) months as the application will automatically prompt to save age within the 6-month period.
Note: The maximum backdating period for critical illness (CI) applications remains unchanged at three (3) months.
Questions? Please contact your Equitable Life Regional Sales Manager for more information.
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Elevate your business with industry best practices and needs-based selling
Keeping your business aligned with industry best practices is vital for your success. It not only supports the fair treatment of clients – it also helps you meet certain market conduct requirements and Equitable’s expectations for needs-based selling.
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) has a program that checks how well advisors follow the Insurance Act and its conduct rules. FSRA looks at how well advisors follow industry best practices and fair treatment of clients guidance (see CLHIA’s guidance document, “The Approach”). Their focus is on key areas such as giving sound advice, managing conflicts of interest, and putting clients’ needs first. FSRA selects advisors’ client files and looks for documentation that indicates needs-based selling.
In December 2024, FSRA released its latest Market Conduct Supervision Report. It highlights the need for advisors to follow certain rules and industry best practices. The report found five key areas where improvement is needed:
1. Missing notes from client meetings and calls
2. Inadequate advisor disclosure
3. Missing sales illustrations for different product options
4. Missing insurance needs analysis
5. Missing policy delivery receipts
By following industry best practices and keeping thorough records, you show your commitment to providing clients with the solutions they need. For example, taking notes during client meetings helps you track all discussions that support your recommendations. Having an insurance needs analysis shows you are providing clients with suitable advice to buy the solutions that best meet their needs.
Resources: Equitable® has resources that can help improve your business practices and help you treat clients fairly. We encourage you to check these out:
1. PPT: “Ensuring a Compliant, Needs-based Insurance Sale”. The steps to follow in needs-based selling and the records to keep.
Get CE credits! We offer the above as a self-study course that qualifies for 1 Continuing Education (CE) credit. Access it here: https://equitable-life-education.teachable.com/. (Use your contracted email to log in).
2. Client File Reference: The records to keep when selling investments, life insurance, or critical illness insurance, including key documents insurers and regulators look for during compliance audits.
3. Investor Profile Questionnaires: These will help you document your sales recommendations for:
● Universal Life (UL) sales: 1190.pdf, and
● Pivotal Select (Segregated Fund) sales: 1165.pdf
Questions? Contact your Equitable wholesaler. They are ready to support your success! - [pdf] Managing a Retirement Savings Plan tax refund
- [pdf] Edelivery policy change FAQ