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1. About
2. Equitable Generations at a glance
3. 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 Arthritis
   		Erelzi	Ankylosing Spondylitis Psoriatic Arthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis
   infliximab	Remicade	Inflectra Renflexis	Ankylosing Spondylitis Plaque Psoriasis Psoriatic Arthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis Crohn’s Disease Ulcerative Colitis
   insulin 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 Renflexis	Crohn’s Disease Ulcerative Colitis

   We 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.

4. Equitable Life Group Benefits Bulletin – November 2021 In this issue:
   • Deadline to opt out of New Brunswick biosimilar program*
   • Web Reports Quick Reference Guide now available for plan administrators*
   • Reminder: Review manual allocations for HCSAs and/or TSAs*
   • Help your clients take advantage of our convenient digital options*
   *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients

   Reminder: Deadline to opt out of New Brunswick biosimilar program*

   Earlier this year, we announced via eNews that on Feb. 1, 2022, we are ending coverage for some originator biologic drugs in New Brunswick in response to the province’s Biosimilar Initiative.* These changes will help protect your clients’ plans from additional drug costs while still providing access to equally safe and effective biosimilars.
    
   Do my clients need to take any action?
   No action is required if employers want to have the originator biologics excluded from their plan. Plan members taking these targeted originator biologics will be contacted directly to allow them ample time to transition to the biosimilar. Any cost savings associated with the change will be factored in at renewal.
    
   All groups, except myFlex clients, who wish to opt out of this change and maintain coverage of these originator biologics for existing claimants in New Brunswick can submit a policy amendment. Amendments must be submitted no later than Nov. 30, 2021.
    
   Advisors with myFlex Benefits clients who wish to maintain coverage of these originator biologics for New Brunswick plan members should speak to their myFlex Sales Manager to confirm their eligibility to opt out of this change.
    
   Groups that opt out of this change are also opting out of any future changes to our New Brunswick biosimilar initiative. This means that their drug plans will continue to cover any additional originator biologics for which we subsequently end coverage as part of the biosimilar program.
    
   Questions?
   If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please contact your Equitable Life Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
    
   * The list of affected drugs or conditions is dynamic and may change.

   Web Reports Quick Reference Guide now available for plan administrators

   A Web Reports Quick Reference Guide is now available for plan administrators on EquitableHealth.ca. This new guide offers a listing of our newest reports available on the plan administrator web. It also provides instructions for plan administrators outlining how to pull the report using the plan administrator portal.
    
   The guide is available under the Quick Links section on both the advisor and plan administrator portals on EquitableHealth.ca.

   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”
   If your clients have Plan Administrator reporting access on EquitableHealth.ca, they can determine which plan members have a zero allocation by running the “HCSA Totals by Plan Member” report online by doing the following:
   • 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”
   To provide us with the amounts to be updated, please have your client contact our Group Benefits Administration Team at GroupBenefitsAdmin@equitable.ca.

   Help your clients take advantage of our 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. Over 71% of plan administrators are managing their plan online and 78% of plan members are already using our digital tools.
    
   For plan administrators:
   • Online Plan Member Enrolment tool – allows all groups to add new plan members without the need for paper forms
   • Plan Administrator Portal (EquitableHealth.ca) – plan administrators can easily manage their plan anytime and anywhere
   • Digital Welcome Kits – personalized welcome kits are delivered to plan members via email
   • Easy automated payments – plan administrators can avoid missed payments by setting up pre-authorized debit or electronic funds transfer
   For plan members:
   • Plan Member Portal (EquitableHealth.ca) – plan members get secure, 24/7 access to their claims history, coverage details and health and wellness resources
   • Electronic Claim Payments and Notifications – plan members can get claim updates sooner in their email inbox and payments right into their bank account
   • EZClaim Mobile App – submitting claims from a mobile device is fast, easy and secure
   • Digital Benefits Cards – plan members no longer have to dig through their wallet – they can download their benefits card on their mobile device
   We can help
   We’ve created a brochure and a video guide to help plan members access and use their digital resources. For further assistance, plan members can visit www.equitable.ca/go/digital. They can also contact our Web Services team at 1.800.265.4556 ext. 283 or groupbenefitsadmin@equitable.ca.
5. 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*
   *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients

   Update: Alberta biosimilar coverage changes*
   Four originator biologics added to Alberta Biosimilar Initiative

   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:
   • 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 18^th birthdays.
   • Patients who have experienced two or more therapeutic failures while being treated with a biologic drug for the same chronic disease.
   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.
   
   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*

   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%

   *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.
    

   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”
   If your clients have Plan Administrator reporting access on EquitableHealth.ca, they can determine which plan members have a zero allocation by running the “HCSA Totals by Plan Member” report online by doing the following:
   • 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”
   To provide us with the amounts to be updated, please have your client contact our Group Benefits Administration Team at GroupBenefitsAdmin@equitable.ca.

   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.
    
6. Equitable Life Group Benefits Bulletin – March 2022 In this issue:
   • CLHIA launches industry anti-fraud initiative*
   • Provincial biosimilar update*
   • Quebec decreasing insurance premium tax*
   • Coming soon: A survey to understand how we can better serve your clients’ needs*
   • Remind your clients’ plan members in BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan to register for Pharmacare *
   *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients
    

   CLHIA launches industry anti-fraud initiative*

   In February, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) announced a new anti-fraud initiative that is using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to further identify and reduce benefits fraud.
    
   Equitable Life is excited to be a part of this important initiative. It will enhance our own fraud detection analytics by using AI to connect the dots across a huge pool of anonymized claims data. This will lead to more investigations and actions to mitigate the impact of fraud on your clients’ plans.
    
   The initiative is being led by the CLHIA and member insurers and is supported by technology provider Shift Technologies. It will be further rolled-out and expanded over the next three years.
    
   Benefits fraud affects more than just insurers. The costs of fraud are felt by employers and their employees as well. We are looking forward to being able to better identify and reduce benefits fraud.
    

   Provincial biosimilar update*

   BC expands its biosimilar initiative
   BC Pharmacare recently announced it is adding two rapid-acting insulins to the list of drugs included in its ongoing initiative to switch patients to biosimilar versions of high-cost biologics. Patients taking Humalog or NovoRapid for Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes will be required to switch to a biosimilar version of the drugs by May 29, 2022 to maintain coverage under the public plan.
   
   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” biologic. Biosimilars are also biologics. They are highly similar to the originator biologic drugs they are based on, and Health Canada considers them to be equally safe and effective for approved conditions.
   
   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 Humalog or NovoRapid for plan members in BC. Effective June 1, 2022, claimants currently taking Humalog or NovoRapid will be required to switch to a biosimilar version of the drugs to maintain coverage under their Equitable Life plan and their BC Pharmacare plan.
   
   We will be communicating this change to plan administrators later this week. And we will be communicating with affected claimants in early April to allow ample time to change their prescription and avoid any interruptions in their treatment or their coverage.
   If you have any questions about this change, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
   
   Nova Scotia and Northwest Territories introduce biosimilar initiatives
   The governments of Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories each recently announced they are launching biosimilar initiatives to switch patients from certain originator biologic drugs to biosimilar versions of the drugs.
   
   Patients in Nova Scotia using affected originator biologic drugs will have until February 2023 to switch to a biosimilar version of their medications in order to maintain coverage under the province’s public drug plans. Patients in the Northwest Territories will have until June 20, 2022, to switch.
   
   Equitable Life^® actively monitors and investigates all biosimilar policy changes and the ongoing evolution of biosimilar drugs entering Canada.  We will keep you informed of any impact on private drug plans and how we are responding.
    

   Quebec decreasing insurance premium tax*

   The Quebec Government has announced that it plans to decrease its Insurance Premium Tax rates effective April 1, 2022. The premium tax rates for group life and accident and sickness insurance are expected to decrease from 3.48% to 3.3%. The new tax rates will be applied to premiums for the billing period beginning on or after April 1, 2022.
    

   Coming soon: A survey to understand how we can better serve your clients’ needs*

   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.
    
   In the coming weeks, we will conduct a survey of your clients to help us understand how we can better serve them. On March 28, we will send plan administrators an email with a link to the survey. The survey will remain open until the end of the day on April 11 and 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 may also follow up with plan administrators directly 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 25 prepaid gift cards for $25.
    

   Remind your clients’ plan members in BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan to register for Pharmacare*

   If your clients have plan members in British Columbia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan, the provincial government offers a Pharmacare program to support prescription drug costs.  Plan members in these provinces must register for their provincial Pharmacare program to maintain coverage under their Equitable Life drug plan.
    
   Registration is easy! We will send two registration reminder messages directly to plan members’ pharmacists and post them on their Explanation of Benefits. We’ve also created a step-by-step guide that your clients can share with their plan members.
    
   English version
   French version
    
   For more information about the provincial Pharmacare programs, including how plan members can register, please visit:
    
   For British Columbia residents: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare-for-bc-residents  
    
   For Manitoba residents: https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/pharmacare/apply.html
    
   For Saskatchewan residents: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/health/prescription-drug-plans-and-health-coverage/extended-benefits-and%20drug-plan/drug-cost-assistance#eligibility
    
    
7. January 2024 eNews

   In this issue:

   • Equitable scores high marks with group advisors*
   • REMINDER: Equitable's National Biosimilar Program starts in March*
   • 2024 dental fee guide updates*
   • Homewood Health wins HR Reporter Reader's Choice award for EFAP excellence*
   *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients.
    

   Equitable scores high marks with group advisors*

   Equitable ranked first for operational service among major group insurers in a recent study of Canadian group benefits advisors.  
   
   NMG Consulting, a leading global consulting firm, conducted in-depth interviews with 146 Canadian group benefits brokers, consultants, MGAs and third-party administrators between May and August 2023 for its annual Canadian Group Benefits Study. Based on these interviews, NMG ranked group insurers in six categories, ranging from operational management to technology.
   
   Nationally, Equitable ranked among the top three in five of the six main categories, including number one for Operational Management:
    
    

   Category	Ranking
   Operational management	1st
   Initiatives (including seminars & training)	2nd
   Technology	3rd
   Underwriting & claims management	3rd
   Relationship management	3rd

   
   “Advisors regard us highly in many categories. That’s a testament to our mutual status and ability to focus exclusively on our clients and advisor partnerships,” said Marc Avaria, Executive Vice President, Group Insurance Division. “We are truly working together to build strong, enduring and aligned partnerships with our clients and advisors.”
    
   “We’re delighted with these results and are committed to continuously advancing our delivery of a better benefits experience for our clients and advisors,” added Avaria. 

   More highlights from the latest NMG survey

   Nationally, we ranked first in seven subcategories in Operational Management, including:
   • Overall service to intermediaries,
   • Overall service to plan sponsors,
   • New quote process,
   • Plan implementation,
   • Renewal process,
   • Accuracy and timeliness of reporting and billing, and
   • Administration quality and responsiveness
   In Underwriting and Claims Management, we finished in the top three for flexibility of underwriting (2nd).
   
   And we were rated strongly in Technology, finishing in the top three for:
   • Overall technology for Intermediary (2nd)
   • Member experience (3rd)
   • Quality of technology for the plan sponsor (2nd)
   • Quality of mobile application (2nd)
    

   REMINDER: Equitable's National Biosimilar Program starts in March*

   In October 2023 we announced the upcoming launch of our national biosimilar program. Starting March 1, 2024, we are expanding our biosimilar switch initiatives to provide a single, nationwide** program.  

   Why we’re making the switch 

   Over the past few years, most provinces have introduced policies to delist some originator biologic drugs. They require most patients to switch to biosimilar versions of those drugs to be eligible for coverage under their public drug plans. Soon, it is expected that all provincial drug plans will cover only biosimilars. 

   Equitable’s National Biosimilar Program simplifies drug plan coverage by replacing our provincial programs. It also protects clients from additional drug costs while offering access to lower-cost biosimilars deemed equally safe and effective by Health Canada.  

   How will this affect clients' drug plans?

   Because we have already introduced biosimilar switch initiatives in most provinces, the impact of this change will be minimal. It will primarily affect plan members in provinces or territories where we haven’t already required the switch to biosimilars. It will also affect plan members who are taking biosimilars that were not originally included in the switch initiative for their province.     

   Regardless of where they live, plan members across Canada 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. Plan members already taking the originator biologic will be required to switch to a biosimilar version of the drug to maintain coverage under their Equitable plan. We will support their transition with education, personalized communication, and resources.  

   Advance notice for plan members

   We contacted affected claimants in early December to give them enough time to change their prescriptions and avoid any interruptions in their treatment or their coverage.     

   If you have any questions about this change, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Account Executive.     
    ** Excludes plan members in Quebec who participate in a separate provincial program. 
    

   2024 dental fee guide updates*

   Each year, Provincial and Territorial Dental Associations publish fee guides. Equitable uses these guides to help determine the reimbursement limits for dental procedures.
   
   For your reference, you may wish to refer to the 2024 list of the average dental fee increases for general practitioners.
    

   Homewood Health wins HR Reporter Reader's Choice award for EFAP excellence*

   Equitable is proud to congratulate our Employee and Family Assistance Plan (EFAP) partner, Homewood Health®, for winning the Canadian HR Reporter 2023 Reader’s Choice Award in Employee Assistance Plan services. Homewood’s EFAP provides confidential support for a range of health, family, money, and work issues through face-to-face, phone, email, chat, or video counselling. The award recognizes their high standards in counselling and mental health support services. 

   The annual Reader’s Choice Awards identify organizations that provide outstanding expertise and services for HR professionals and employers across Canada. Those organizations provide valuable information on useful, innovative HR and employee benefits products and programs, in categories such as recruitment, mental health services, employee engagement programs, and more. 

   Sharing Homewood Health with your clients 

   Since 2019, we have worked with Homewood to provide mental health services for Equitable benefits plan members. 

   Your clients can access Homewood Health’s award-winning EFAP for an additional fee by adding it to their benefits plan. Services are available 24/7, 365 days a year. 

   All Equitable clients also have free access to Homewood Health Online in their benefits plan. Homewood Online provides a variety of helpful wellness resources, including: 

   • Homeweb, an online and mobile health and wellness portal, 
   • Health Risk Assessment, a group of assessment tools to help plan members identify and overcome health and wellness barriers, and  
   • Online Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) through Sentio to manage symptoms of anxiety and/or depression.  

   Questions

   To learn more about Homewood Health’s services, contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Account Executive. 

8. [pdf] Claimant Statement for Entities
9. [pdf] Claimant’s Statement – Entities
10. [pdf] Daily/Guaranteed Interest Account Advisor Guide