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EZcomplete now displays Critical Illness insurance premiums
We have exciting news about EquiLiving® Critical Illness EZcomplete® applications. Effective April 22, 2023, EZcomplete will calculate and display critical illness insurance premiums automatically! This will save you time during the application process.
EZcomplete will calculate and show both the yearly and monthly premium amounts as you complete the application – this is similar to other Equitable Life insurance products. This means you do not need to run a separate illustration to determine and input the premium amount into EZcomplete anymore.
To learn more about Critical Illness, the Equitable way, visit our Critical Illness page on EquiNet or contact your local wholesaler.
® and TM denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
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New illustration software now available!
We have updated our illustration software. Please be sure to download the latest version:
2023-3 (August 2023).
- Web-based illustration software on secure EquiNet® (log in required)
- Desktop illustration software
We have new rates for our Equimax® Wealth Accumulator and Estate Builder plans. Please refer to our Transition Rules for all the details on processing your applications.
Need more information?
For information on these changes, please contact your Equitable Life wholesaler.
® denotes a trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada. -
Update: Employment Insurance (EI) Sickness Benefit Extension
As it proposed in its 2022 Budget, the federal government has confirmed it is extending the Employment Insurance (EI) Sickness Benefits period from 15 weeks to 26 weeks later this year. The official implementation date and details have not yet been confirmed by the government and we will share further details once they are available. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know.
We will not require or implement any changes to our disability plan designs based on this extension. However, plan sponsors may wish to amend their short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) plans and policies to align with the new 26-week EI period.Impact to short-term disability (STD) benefits integrated with EI
Plan sponsors with EI-integrated STD may wish to adjust their benefits to line up with the new 26-week extension.
Impact to plans with no STD benefits
For plan sponsors who do not offer STD, they have the option of adjusting their LTD plans to the new 26-week elimination period if members claim EI prior to LTD. This adjustment would help to avoid the plan member receiving disability and EI payments at the same time and potentially being required to return funds due to overpayment.Considerations for plan sponsors
Plan sponsors who amend their STD or LTD policies to align with the new 26-week EI period should note that there may be inadvertent delays to their employees’ return to work. While collecting EI, injured or ill employees do not benefit from our early intervention services or rigorous claims management practices that could help them get back to work sooner. So, by delaying the availability of STD or LTD coverage, the advantages that these programs are intended to provide could also be delayed.Impact to Premium Reduction Program (PRP)
The Premium Reduction Program (PRP) allows employers with eligible short-term disability plans to pay lower EI premiums. The eligibility criteria have not changed at this time. The government plans to review the PRP in 2024.Questions
If you have questions about these changes or what they mean for your clients’ disability plans, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
- [pdf] Equinet FAQ
- EquiNet-FAQ
- [pdf] Dollar Cost Averaging
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Have you heard about Equitable Client Access?
Equitable Client Access® allows clients to self-serve on some of the more popular requests. Thousands of clients have already signed up for Equitable Client Access and are enjoying the benefits of accessing their secure information 24/7.
• Does your client need to change or stop existing Pre-Authorized payment (PAD)? Equitable Client Access can do that.
• Does your client need to change a withdrawal date for a PAD? Equitable Client Access can do that too.
• Address or banking information changes? Equitable Client Access has your clients covered.
• Does your client need to change her beneficiary from Aunt Flora to Uncle Ned? Equitable Client Access can even do that.
Equitable Client Access is a secure online client site that connects clients with policy information, right at their fingertips. In addition to the self-serve features, Equitable Client Access can also provide:
• Insurance coverage and guarantees
• Investment allocation, performance and market values
• Transaction history
• Statements and letters
• Advisor contact information, along with so much more.
If your clients have not signed up for Equitable Client Access, direct them to client.equitable.ca - it only takes a few minutes to set up an account, and connects your clients with their policy information online – anytime!
Have a question about Equitable Client Access? Want to tell your client how to go paperless? Check out our updated FAQ or contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager today.
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February 2020 Advisor eNews
In this issue:
Provincial biosimilar update
Legislative changes for Alberta’s Coverage for Seniors program
Coming soon: enhancements to Equitable EZClaim® Online
Provincial biosimilar update

Alberta Biosimilar Initiative
On December 12, 2019, the Alberta government introduced the launch of the Alberta Biosimilar Initiative. This program will require patients using several originator biologic drugs to switch to a biosimilar, and patients using a non-biologic complex drug (NBCD) to switch to its subsequent entry version before July 1, 2020 in order to maintain coverage.
Biologics are drugs that are engineered using living organisms like yeast and bacteria. The first version of a biologic developed is also known as the “originator” drug. Biosimilars are highly similar to the originator drug they are based on and have been shown to have no clinically meaningful differences in safety or efficacy.
Alberta Health will initially cover both the originator and biosimilar or subsequent entry version of a NBCD drug as patients start the switching process.
The following table outlines the affected originator drugs, their biosimilars or subsequent entry, and the conditions affected by the program.
Biosimilar Drug Originator Biosimilar/Subsequent Entry Indications Affected etanercept Enbrel Brenzys Ankylosing Spondylitis
Rheumatoid ArthritisErelzi Ankylosing Spondylitis
Psoriatic Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritisinfliximab Remicade Inflectra
RenflexisAnkylosing Spondylitis
Plaque Psoriasis
Psoriatic Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Crohn’s Disease
Ulcerative Colitisinsulin glargine Lantus Basaglar Diabetes (Type 1 and 2) Filgrastim Neupogen Grastofil Neutropenia pegfilgrastim Neulasta Lapelga Neutropenia glatiramer* Copaxone Glatect Multiple Sclerosis *Glatiramer is a non-biologic complex drug where the originator is Copaxone and the subsequent entry is Glatect.
Equitable Life is actively investigating the benefit, risk and appropriate plan changes associated with this new policy on private drug plans and will keep you informed.
For more information about the Alberta Biosimilars Initiative, consult the Alberta government website.
British Columbia
In 2019, BC Pharmacare introduced a Biosimilars Policy that impacted coverage of three biologic drugs – Remicade, Enbrel and Lantus. As of November 25, 2019, these drugs were no longer eligible in BC for most conditions for which lower cost biosimilar versions are available. Patients in the province with these conditions were required to switch to biosimilar versions of these drugs in order to maintain their coverage.
The second phase of the BC Biosimilar Policy takes effect March 6, 2020 when Remicade will be delisted for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Patients in the province with these conditions will be required to switch to Inflectra or Renflexis in order to maintain their coverage.
Biosimilar Drug Originator Biosimilar Indications Affected infliximab Remicade Inflectra
RenflexisCrohn’s Disease
Ulcerative ColitisWe have communicated with the affected plan members, informing them of the need to switch medications. If plan members have any questions or concerns, our Customer Care team is here to help and support them through the transition.
If you have any questions about this policy, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
Ontario
In November 2019 Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliot indicated that the government was planning to launch consultations to explore solutions in managing biologics.
Equitable Life will continue to monitor these developments and keep you informed of any impact on private drug plans.
Legislative changes for Alberta’s Coverage for Seniors program

The government of Alberta has announced that as of March 1, 2020, seniors’ family members (such as spouses and dependents) who are younger than 65 will no longer be covered by the provincial Coverage for Seniors program. Albertans 65 years of age and older will continue to be covered under the provincial plan.
Equitable Life plan members and their dependents will continue to be covered under the parameters of their group benefits plan.
For more information, please see the Alberta Seniors Health Benefits website.
Coming soon: enhancements to Equitable EZClaim® Online

Faster vision claims processing and payment
Equitable Life will soon provide real-time processing of vision claims submitted via EZClaim Online.
This means plan members will be able to find out the status of their vision claim almost instantaneously. And, for approved claims, they will receive payment even sooner – often in as little as 24 hours.
In order to allow for instantaneous processing and faster payment, plan members will be prompted to enter some additional information including the practitioner’s name, the date of the expense, the type of expense and amount of the expense when submitting their claims for these services.
Equitable Life plan members can submit all vision claims via EZClaim, including coordination of benefits and Health Care Spending Account claims.
This enhancement will be coming to our EZClaim Mobile app in the coming months.
New printable claims extract
As part of our ongoing efforts to improve customer experience for plan members, we will also offer a claims extract in a printable format within the plan member site. Plan members will be able to select a date range and claimant, then generate and download a detailed list of health and dental claims. This is a helpful way to keep track of claims, especially when reviewing them in preparation for income tax filing.
Once these enhancements are live you will be notified in an eNews, and an announcement will be posted on the plan member section of EquitableHealth.ca.
Elimination of Out-of-Country Travellers Program in Ontario

Effective January 1, 2020, the Ontario government eliminated OHIP coverage for emergency services for Ontarians travelling outside of Canada.
Previously, the Out-of-Country Travelers Program provided some reimbursement for services required to treat conditions that are acute, unexpected, arose outside Canada and require immediate treatment. The program covered between $200 and $400 per day for inpatient services and $50 per day for outpatient and doctor services.
For groups who have out-of-country coverage from Allianz, this change will not impact the cost to your plan members, or the process plan members follow in the event of an emergency while travelling.
Plan members should still call Allianz in the event of an out of country emergency. Allianz will deal with their claim as usual and will now pay for the portion of the claim previously paid by OHIP. Plan members will not have any additional out-of-pocket costs.
We will be sharing this information with plan members as a news item on our plan member website, equitablehealth.ca.
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Market Commentary April 2026

Key Takeaways
• Markets started 2026 constructively, with positive returns in both stock and bond markets in the first two months of the year. However, the war on Iran by the U.S. and Israel drove significant changes to markets in March. The biggest driver was the spike in oil prices. Oil prices increased over 70% during the quarter to over US$100 per barrel as 20% of global oil production became trapped in the Middle East when Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz.
• Canadian equities returned 3.9% in the first quarter, outperforming U.S. equities which lost -4.3%. The Canadian market benefitted from its 40% exposure to strong performing Energy, Materials and Utilities sectors, which each gained over 10% in Q1. Conversely, the U.S. market has much less exposure to those strong performing sectors and therefore fell as geopolitical tensions weighed on performance of most other sectors.
• Canadian bonds posted modest gains as early-quarter strength was largely offset by March weakness. Rising commodity prices reignited inflation fears and prompted speculation for central bank interest rate hikes. Credit spreads widened as concerns regarding defaults and liquidity in the private credit market intensified.
• The Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve held policy rates unchanged during the first quarter. Both central banks maintained a wait-and-see approach amid slowing labour markets, persistent inflation risks, and heightened global uncertainty.
Economic and Market UpdateEconomic Summary: The U.S. economy continued to grow at a steady pace in the first quarter. Inflation remained above the Federal Reserve’s target. The labour market showed signs of cooling as hiring slowed, but the unemployment rate remained stable. However, higher energy prices and risks to global supply chains added near term inflation pressures and weighed on the global outlook. The Federal Reserve held its policy interest rate unchanged during the quarter, maintaining the target range at 3.50% to 3.75%. Chair Powell highlighted ongoing uncertainty and reiterated that the Federal Reserve is well positioned to adjust policy as economic conditions evolve.
In Canada, economic growth remained subdued in the first quarter as excess supply persisted, and the labour market softened. Inflation stayed close to the 2.0% target, though rising global energy prices increased short term inflation risks. Trade uncertainty continued to weigh on confidence and business activity. The Bank of Canada held its policy interest rate steady at 2.25% throughout the quarter. The Governing Council noted it stands ready to respond if the economic outlook shifts materially.
Bond Markets: The Canada Aggregate Bond Index returned 0.23% in the first quarter. A strong start to the year in January and February (+2.25%) was mostly offset by a weak March (-1.97%), as higher oil prices from the war in Iran led to higher interest rates on Canadian bonds (bond prices fall as interest rates go up). The increase in interest rates was most predominant in shorter term bonds, with higher oil prices driving inflation fears. These inflation fears reframed the market’s interest rate cut expectations for 2026: a 40% chance of an interest cut by the Bank of Canada has now shifted to a 70% chance of not just one, but two 25 basis point increases to the Bank of Canada overnight rate in 2026. In addition, the war in Iran has resulted in a higher risk premium for corporate bonds: credit spreads (i.e. the extra yield on corporate bonds versus government bonds to compensate for their extra risk) moved higher in March after reaching record low levels in January and February. These higher credit spreads resulted in corporate bonds modestly underperforming the overall index, albeit still with positive returns. Despite the modest risk off tone, investors remain buyers of corporate bonds as evidenced by investors’ enthusiasm to support the primary issuance market. Corporate bond supply continues to set new records, with an impressive $50 billion in new issuance in the quarter, a record start to the year and 23% higher than the same period in 2025.
Stock Markets: The first quarter of 2026 marked a period of heightened investor caution with geopolitical tensions rising. Equity markets remained under pressure in March, as dip buyers remained cautious. Early market volatility was driven by several geopolitical developments, including Japan’s snap election, events in Venezuela, and U.S. interest in Greenland. Private credit markets also came under pressure as liquidity tightened and default risks increased, particularly in semi-liquid lending structures. The war on Iran raised concerns around demand destruction and inflation, pushing oil prices above US$100 per barrel for the first time since 2022. Gold continued to rise strongly early in the quarter. However, it later recorded its sharpest decline in years, driven by central bank selling. Despite this pullback, gold finished the quarter up 8% and continues to be viewed as a key safe-haven asset.
U.S. Equities: U.S. equities entered the first quarter with strong momentum, supported by robust earnings growth from technology companies. While earnings results confirmed this strength, investor sentiment weakened, particularly toward Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies. Rapid progress in AI agents developed by firms such as Anthropic and Google highlighted how quickly generative AI could automate core SaaS functions. As a result, software stocks sold off sharply in February, triggering a broader rotation away from largecap growth. Furthermore, tighter financial conditions and rising geopolitical tensions reduced risk tolerance and drove sharp sector rotation. The Energy sector led market performance, while Technology lagged and Financials underperformed due to stress in credit markets.
Canadian Equities: The Canadian stock market was supported by its high exposure to commodities. That structural tilt helped Canadian equities outperform U.S. equities as macro narratives shifted toward inflation concerns and supply risks. Performance during the quarter was marked by a sharp whipsaw between gold and oil, reflecting shifting investor sentiment. Investors sold gold aggressively and scrambled to source U.S. dollars as financial conditions tightened. Conversely, oil prices rose sharply on Middle East supply disruptions, lifting Energy stocks to become the strongest-performing sector of the quarter, up 29%.
Bottom line: The first quarter showed how quickly geopolitical shocks can reshape sectors’ performance. Canada outperformed U.S. growth markets due to its higher exposure to commodities, as energy prices rose and inflation concerns returned. The sharp move in gold and oil prices highlighted the market’s sensitivity to macro developments. The war against Iran forced investors to reprice both inflation expectations and Federal Reserve policy expectations. Looking ahead, geopolitical stability, energy prices, and central bank policy are likely to remain key drivers of market performance and sector leadership.
Downloadable Copy
Mark Warywoda, CFA
VP, Public InvestmentsIan Whiteside, CFA, MBA
AVP, Public InvestmentsJohanna Shaw, CFA
Director, Public InvestmentsJin Li
Director, Equity Investments
Wanyi Chen, CFA, FRM
Sr. Quantitative Analyst
Andrew Vermeer, CFA
Senior Analyst, Credit
Elizabeth Ayodele
Analyst, Credit
Edward Ng Cheng Hin
Analyst, Credit
Kate (Huyen) Vinh
Analyst, Equity
Francie Chen
Analyst, Rates
ADVISOR USE ONLY
Except for statements of historical fact, all statements in this document are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent the portfolio manager’s current best judgment as to what may occur in the future. However, forward-looking statements are subject to many risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, and are based on the portfolio manager’s present opinions and views. For this reason, the actual outcome of the events or results predicted may be materially different from what is expressed. Furthermore, the portfolio manager’s views, opinions, or assumptions may subsequently change based on previously unknown information, or for other reasons. Equitable assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this document. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully and to not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Investments may increase or decrease in value and are invested at the risk of the investor. Investment values change frequently, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Professional advice should be sought before an investor embarks on any investment strategy. -
Wrapping up 2025 with our new term rates!
Among the most competitive in the market
Equitable® is wrapping up 2025 with our new term rates effective November 22, 2025. Many Canadians view life insurance as unaffordable, with 34% saying cost is the top reason they go without coverage.1 Our new term rates are designed to help address these concerns. They offer flexible and affordable options to help clients get the protection they need.
1 Investment Executive at Survey finds affordability, lack of trust, barriers to buying life insurance | Investment Executive
What’s New:
Updated premium rates for Term coverage, included on:• Term 10, Term 20 and Term 30/65 plans• Including Term Riders on Critical Illness (CI), Whole Life (WL), Equitable Generations® Universal Life (UL) and Equation Generation® IV Universal Life
View our Transition Rules for all the details on processing your applications.
New term rate highlights*:
*Effective November 22, 2025. Our term rates ranked among the best on LifeGuide when compared against top carriers in key markets.





Check out our new term rates for yourself. Run quotes monthly (versus annually) for our best term rates.
Contact your Equitable wholesaler today to learn more!