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  1. Equitable Life Coronavirus Update – March 13, 2020

    As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, it’s important that you, your clients and their plan members have the most up-to-date information. We are providing timely updates on any developments that impact your clients and their plan members or their benefits coverage.

    Please share this information with your clients. You can direct them to EquitableHealth.ca, where we have posted a version of these updates.

    Coronavirus travel coverage*

    For groups with Travel Assist coverage

    The Public Health Agency of Canada has issued several Travel Health Notices advising Canadians to avoid travel to countries and regions where there have been outbreaks of coronavirus (COVID-19).

    A good resource to help your clients and their plan members understand how the spread of the coronavirus may impact their travel plans is the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Coronavirus Travel Advice site. The levels of risk by country and region are regularly updated.

    If your clients’ plan members cannot avoid travelling, Public Health recommends they take steps to prevent illness and seek medical attention if they become sick.

    Where to find the latest information

    The list and level of travel advisories can change at any time. Please check the Government of Canada’s Travel Advisor and Advisory page for the most current information.

    If your clients’ plan members have coronavirus symptoms while travelling, please advise them to contact Travel Assist at the numbers listed below for assistance.

    Advise plan members to call before they travel

    If a plan member is travelling anywhere outside of the province or country and their benefits plan includes Travel Assist, plan administrators should advise them to make sure they’re prepared for a medical emergency by following these steps.

    1. Check the Government of Canada’s Travel Advisor and Advisory page. Note that it is important to click on the country to check whether any specific regions of that country have travel advisories.
    2. If they have questions, they should call Travel Assist before they travel for assistance and benefit information.
    3. Pack their Equitable Life benefits card and provincial health card.
    4. In a medical emergency, call the Travel Assist 24-Hour Hotline:
    • Toll-free Canada/USA: 1.800.321/9998
    • Global call collect: 519.742.3287
    • Allianz Global Assistance ID #9089

    Allianz Global Assistance administers Equitable Life’s Travel Assist benefits. Allianz has an international network of medical facilities, transportation providers, medical correspondents and multilingual administrative agents who aid with medical, legal and most travel-related emergencies 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

    Early prescription refills and drug shortages*

    In response to concerns about COVID-19 TELUS Health, our pharmacy benefits manager, has announced it is maintaining its standard rules for refills of medication. Plan members can refill their medications when at least two-thirds of the last dispensed supply has been used.

    If plan members need more than the maximum supply allowed on their plan, they must pay out-of-pocket for the excess amount. They can then submit a claim to ask for an exception request.

    TELUS is taking this position to help maintain access to medication for all patients. They continue to monitor the situation. We will provide an update if it changes.

    Drug shortages

    TELUS Health monitors for drug shortages and updates their system for any unavailable drugs. This helps to ensure accurate claims payment. If a referenced lowest-cost generic drug is unavailable, claims for drugs in the class will be paid at the next lowest-cost generic alternative available.

    *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients

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  5. EZCOMPLETE TRAINING AND RESOURCES
  6. Celebrating our wins – 2023 Individual Insurance Marketing Recap Equitable® would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and we are looking forward to doing more business together in 2024!

    As we start a brand new year, we would like to share with you some highlights of our 2023 initiatives in Individual Insurance. These projects aimed to make it easier to do business and enrich your experience of working with us.

    Digital & Administration Enhancements
    Our 2023 digital transformation initiatives ensured smoother processes, streamlined operations, and improved user experiences for advisors and clients:
    ● Digital Transactions for Universal Life Plans
    ● Text Notifications Keep You Informed on Your New Business
    ● New Online Policy Loan Form
    ● EZcomplete Enhancement for Critical Illness
    ● New Life & CI Application 





    Product Updates
    Equally pivotal were our efforts in enhancing our individual life insurance solutions to empower you to confidently recommend us to clients:
    ● A Tune-Up for Equimax
    ● The Equimax Evolution Continues
    ● Critical Illness Insurance Update
    ● New Dividend Scale Interest Rate 
     
    To learn more about the above initiatives, kindly reach out to your local wholesaler.
    Thank you for entrusting us with your business in 2023!
    Continue watching for news from Equitable for more great launches and enhancements in 2024!           


    ® or TM denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada
  7. 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.
     
  8. Responding to Ontario’s biosimilar switch initiative

    We are changing coverage for some biologic drugs in Ontario in response to the province’s biosimilar initiative. These changes will help protect your clients’ plans from additional drug costs that may result from this government policy while providing access to equally safe and effective lower-cost biosimilars.

    Ontario’s provincial biosimilar initiative
    Announced in December 2022, Ontario’s biosimilar switch program ends coverage of eight biologic drugs for Ontario residents covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB). The transition to biosimilar versions of these drugs began on March 31, 2023. ODB recipients using these drugs will be required to switch to biosimilar versions of these drugs by December 29, 2023, to maintain their provincial coverage

    Equitable Life’s response
    To ensure this provincial change doesn’t result in your clients paying additional and avoidable drug costs, we are changing coverage in Ontario for most biologic drugs included in the provincial initiative.

    Beginning October 1, 2023, plan members in Ontario will no longer be eligible for most originator biologic drugs if they have a condition for which Health Canada has approved a lower cost biosimilar version of the drug.** These plan members will be required to switch to a biosimilar version of the drug to maintain coverage under their Equitable Life plan. 

    Communicating this change to plan members
    We will inform any affected plan members in early August of the need to switch their medications so that they have ample time to change their prescriptions and avoid any interruptions in treatment or coverage. 

    Will this change impact my clients’ rates?
    Any cost savings associated with the change will be factored in at renewal.

    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 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.

    ** The list of affected drugs is dynamic and will change as Ontario includes more biologic drugs in its biosimilar initiative, as new biosimilars come onto the market, and as we make changes in drug eligibility.
  9. Dialogue Virtual Healthcare now available to add to Equitable Life benefits plans

    We’re pleased to announce we are partnering with Dialogue, Canada’s leading virtual health provider, to offer unlimited and on-demand virtual access to primary healthcare practitioners.
     
    Virtual Healthcare is the latest addition to our HealthConnector suite of health and wellness services. It is available to add to all Equitable Life benefits plans for an additional cost as of July 1, 2023.

    Features of Dialogue Virtual Healthcare
    Available 24/7, 365 days a year, Dialogue Virtual Healthcare provides access to unlimited non-urgent medical care for a wide range of health concerns. Plan members get fast access to the largest, most experienced and bilingual medical team in Canada for non-urgent medical issues. They also benefit from in-app prescription renewals and refills, personalized follow-ups after every consultation, and concierge-level navigation support for all referrals to in-person specialists when needed.

    Dialogue’s industry-leading platform provides an all-in-one patient journey to address health issues, reducing long wait times and time away for doctor appointments. Plan members and their families can access Dialogue Virtual Healthcare through the secure web portal or mobile app. The Dialogue medical team includes doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses. Plan members can use the service even if they’re already receiving care from a family doctor.


    Benefits of Virtual Healthcare

    For your clients
    By providing access to Virtual Healthcare, plan sponsors can help to:

    • Drive employee engagement;

    • Reduce absenteeism related to in-person medical appointments;

    • Manage chronic health issues;

    • Attract and retain top talent; and

    • Build a healthier workforce.

    For their plan members
    By providing easier access to primary healthcare practitioners, Virtual Healthcare can offer extra health and wellness support for plan members. It also supports members that may experience barriers to accessing in-person healthcare, such as:

    • Living in a remote location;

    • Work or family obligations during standard medical clinic hours;

    • Mobility challenges related to a disability; and

    • Transportation challenges.

    Learn more about bringing Dialogue Virtual Healthcare to your clients
    Click the link to learn more about Dialogue Virtual Healthcare : Welcome to Dialogue!

    Questions?
    To learn more about how your clients can add Virtual Healthcare to their benefits plan, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
  10. New publication: CLHIA consumer guide for critical illness In February, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) published a new consumer guide for critical illness. This guide covers what clients need to know about critical illness.

    Some of the topics include:
    ● What critical illness insurance covers in Canada
    ● If critical illness insurance is the right choice for a client
    ● What critical illness insurance policies may or may not include
    ● Plan types and offerings
    ● And more!

    Equitable is committed to helping clients make informed decisions about their insurance needs. You can find links to the CLHIA critical illness consumer guide on equitable.ca and through EquiNet > Individual Insurance > Critical Illness. You can also find a link to the CLHIA agent guide for critical illness on EquiNet.

    Share this with clients in addition to the great resources below!

    Critical illness insurance with Equitable video: View on Vimeo.

    Critical illness prospective letter template – simply fill it out and send off to your clients!

    Want to earn CE credits? Check out our Critical Illness Path to Success program.

    Need more information?
    Your Equitable Wholesaler is here to help!



    ® and TM denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.