433 results for benefits of seg fund

1. Supporting clients at claim time with KIND Did you know that our KIND™ program is available for new sales of Equitable Generations™ universal life and Equimax^_® participating whole life?
   
   In September 2022, we introduced our KIND program with our Equitable Generations launch and in February 2023 we announced the addition of KIND to new sales of Equimax.
   
   Our KIND program includes:
   ●  Compassionate Advance* - access up to 50% of your coverage to a maximum amount of $100,000 if the insured becomes terminally ill¹
   ●  Bereavement Counselling - benefit for beneficiaries up to $1,000 total¹
   ●  Snap Advance*- providing immediate access (if needed) of a portion of the death benefit up to $25,000 or the cash value of the policy, whichever is less when a death claim is submitted¹
   ●  Living Benefit - tax-free access to the policy cash value in the event of severe disability¹ We offer benefits to clients and their heirs with our KIND program. This is an example of our commitment to our clients.
   
   We offer benefits to clients and their heirs with our KIND program. This is an example of our commitment to our clients.
   
   
   To learn more about KIND with Equitable Generation or Equimax, read our our KIND Caring Claim Support Package or contact your local wholesaler.
   
   
   View our KIND video on YouTube or Vimeo! 
    
    
   ^® and ^TM denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
   * Snap Advance and Compassionate Advance are non-contractual and may be altered or terminated by Equitable Life at any time without notice
   ¹ Subject to meeting the eligibility requirements.
    
2. Announcing our new Travel Assist provider We are pleased to announce that we are partnering with Trident Global Assistance as our new Travel Assist provider, effective June 1, 2023.
    
   Based in Etobicoke, Ontario, Trident provides travel assistance for thousands of Group Benefits plan members. Trident has an experienced leadership team with decades of combined industry expertise. They have both the operational know-how and global networks to provide your clients and their plan members with 24/7 support for their travel health assistance needs.
    
   No action is required from plan sponsors or plan members. For clients with Travel Assist included in their plan, the transition to Trident will be seamless. The phone numbers for Travel Assist will remain the same and there is no requirement to download a new benefits card.
    
   As we previously announced, Allianz Global Assistance, our current Travel Assist provider, is exiting the Canadian group travel administration market. Allianz will continue to accept and support claims and inquiries received before June 1, 2023. All claims and inquiries received June 1 or later will be supported by Trident.
    
   In the meantime, we are working closely with Allianz and Trident to help ensure a smooth and seamless transition for our clients and their plan members.
    
   If you have any questions about the transition to Trident as our new Travel Assist provider, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
3. 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. 

4. Secure your GIA with Equitable today! In uncertain times, a Guaranteed Interest Account (GIA) is a safe and stable investment opportunity. Now is a great time to consider a GIA with Equitable^®.
   
   Equitable offers:
   •    market leading interest rates¹, with higher rates for larger deposits;
   •    many account types, including the First Home Savings Account; and
   •    options to invest up to age 95².
   
   “GIAs offer a number of benefits for investors, especially in times of market volatility.” said Cam Crosbie, Executive Vice President, Savings & Retirement. Equitable. “In uncertain times, let your investments be certain. Choose GIAs for guaranteed peace of mind and predictable returns, along with estate planning benefits, and potential creditor protection.”
   
   GIAs are simple fixed-income investments that add value to a portfolio. Equitable GIAs provide competitive interest rates and protection from market volatility. For more information visit EquiNet^® and don’t forget to register for our interest rate change alert email.
   
   For more information or assistance, please contact your Director, Investment Sales.
   
   1 Equitable has made every effort to ensure accuracy of competitive information. Accuracy is not guaranteed. 
   2 Some available term lengths may be limited starting at age 90.
   
   Date posted: May 14, 2025
5. Equitable’s DSIR leads the way
   Equitable^® offers a 6.40% dividend scale interest rate (DSIR) – the best in our industry¹. But our DSIR is only one of the many benefits of choosing Equitable!
   
   Why choose Equitable?
   • Equitable proudly leads the way: We are the #1 seller of PAR whole life policies in Canada²!
   • Our top DSIR: Helps clients save for the future and builds lasting value.
   • Our Canadian heritage: Established in 1920, we are 100% Canadian-owned, based in Canada and dedicated exclusively to serving the needs of the Canadian market.
   • Our financial strength & growth momentum: We invest with care, keeping clients’ savings safe and growing over time.
   • Our mutuality: As a mutual, our clients come first – and eligible clients share in our success through dividends³.
   • Our service & support: We offer great service, easy-to-use digital tools, and support at every step, making Equitable a trusted choice for clients and advisors alike.
   
   In client meetings, be sure to share these outstanding benefits with clients. Doing so can demonstrate real value and boost your sales.
   
   Questions? Reach out to your Equitable wholesaler or visit EquiNet. We’re ready to help you succeed.
   
   Resources:
   The Power of Together (Video)
   5 Reasons to choose Equitable (1271)
   Dividend Scale Announcement - 2024/2025
   
   ¹ Source: Latest posted DSIR data on competitor websites – 2025.
   ² Source: LIMRA – Canadian Individual Life Insurance Sales Participant Report - Q4 2024.
   ³ Dividends are not guaranteed and are paid at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors. To learn more about our dividend policy and participating account management policy, please visit www.equitable.ca/en/already-a-client/dividend-information/
    
6. [pdf] A better group benefits experience
7. August 2019 Advisor eNews

   Coming soon:

   Tech updates for plan members

   Technology doesn’t stand still, and neither does your clients' businesses. That’s why we continually invest in technology to make things easier for your clients and their employees.

   Faster claims processing on Equitable EZClaim^® Mobile

   Equitable Life now provides real-time processing of massage therapy, physiotherapy and chiropractor claims submitted via the EZClaim Mobile app.

   That means plan members are able to find out the status of their 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, and the type and amount of the expense, when submitting their claims for these services.

   Equitable Life plan members can submit all types of health and dental claims via EZClaim Mobile, including co-ordination of benefits and Health Care Spending Account claims. Currently, 43% of all claims are submitted through the user-friendly app.

   AS part of our ongoing efforts to improve the mobile claims experience for plan members, we've also added biometric login functionality to allow plan members to sign in to the app using their face or fingerprint. And we've redesigned our landing page on the mobile app to make it easier for plan members to navigate the various features of the app.

   We will be announcing this enhancement to plan members on EquitableHealth.ca

   Introducing InpatProtect:

   Health coverage for employees who are new to Canada

   For a new employee starting to work in Canada, looking after basic health needs can be difficult.

   There’s a waiting period for provincial health coverage, and group benefits plans don’t cover the physician, hospital or emergency services that they or their eligible dependents may need during their initial months in the country. They could end up incurring significant unexpected health expenses.

   That’s why Equitable Life has launched InpatProtect^TM. InpatProtect provides temporary coverage to look after the basic health needs of employees and their eligible dependents during their transition to Canada. Your clients can recruit from outside the country knowing that their employees will have some protection in the event of a medical need, including an emergency.

   For up to 90 days, InpatProtect will cover employees and their eligible dependents for basic services that would normally be reimbursed under provincial health plans, such as:

   • Physician services
     • Prescriptions for medications
     • Diagnosis and treatment for illness or injury
   • Hospital services
     • In-patient services
     • Drugs prescribed and delivered as an inpatient in-hospital
     • Out-patient services
   • Emergency services
     • Ambulance services
   • Emergency dental services

   Contact your Group Marketing Manager or myFlex Sales Manager for more information about this new product from Equitable Life.

   De-listed service providers

   As part of our ongoing initiative to have Group Benefits plans only reimburse eligible claims, we conduct reviews of the billing and administrative practices of service providers, including clinics, facilities and medical suppliers.

   As a result of these reviews we may de-list certain providers.  We will no longer accept, or process claims for services and/or supplies obtained from those providers. The plan member can still choose to obtain services or supplies from these providers, but Equitable Life will not provide reimbursement for the claims.

   Review Equitable Life’s de-listed service providers

   The delisted service provider list is also posted on EquitableHealth.ca for plan members to review to determine if their claim(s) are eligible for reimbursement under their Group Benefits plan.

   For more information about protecting group benefits plans from abuse, check out our articles.

    

    

   ¹ Based on Equitable Life health and dental claims submitted between January 2019 – March 2019
   
   Google Home and Google Assistant are registered trademarks of Google LLC.
   ^® denotes a trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada unless otherwise indicated.

8. Equitable Life Group Benefits Bulletin - September 2020

   In this issue:

   Enhancements to Equitable EZClaim Mobile
   New reports available on EquitableHealth.ca

   * Indicates content that will be shared with your clients.

   Enhancements to Equitable EZClaim^® Mobile*

   We’ve updated our Equitable EZClaim mobile app to process vision claims faster, to provide a new option for submitting documents and to increase password security.

   Faster vision claims processing and payment

   Equitable Life now provides faster processing of vision claims submitted via EZClaim Mobile.

   This means plan members can 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 instant processing and faster payment, plan members will be prompted to enter some additional information, including their 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 Equitable EZClaim, including coordination of benefits and Health Care Spending Account claims.

   Submit documents from a mobile device

   We have added our Document Submission tool to EZClaim Mobile so plan members can conveniently submit documents directly from their mobile device. Applications, change forms, statement of health forms and more can all be easily uploaded whenever and wherever they are.

   Improved security with stronger passwords

   To help you, your clients and plan members better protect personal information, we have increased the maximum length of passwords for both EZClaim Online and EZClaim Mobile from 12 to 32 characters. This longer character limit makes it easier to create stronger and more secure passwords.

   There is no change for plan members, plan administrators or advisors. All existing passwords will continue to function. However, if you choose to update your password you will now be able to choose longer passwords or passphrases.

   Why should I change my password?

   Changing your password frequently helps keep your information safe. The longer and more random the password, the more secure it is. To improve security even more, a passphrase is recommended.

   A passphrase is a series of words or other text used like a password. Because it is much longer, a passphrase is more secure. Although the words in the phrase may be meaningful to you and easy to remember, they can be random enough that the full phrase is difficult for someone else to guess. It’s even better if you use numbers or other characters in your passphrase.

   Your passphrase should be:

   • Long enough to be hard to guess;
   • Not a famous quotation;
   • Easy to remember and type; and
   • Not used in multiple places.

   To change your password:

   1. Log in to EquitableHealth.ca
   2. Click on My Information > User Profile
   3. Click Edit
   4. Confirm your information and enter your new password
   5. Click Save

   We will be announcing this enhancement to plan members on EquitableHealth.ca.

   New reports available on EquitableHealth.ca*

   Plan administrators and advisors with reporting access can now download three additional reports any time via the plan administrator and advisor websites on EquitableHealth.ca:

   • Premium and Tax – This report provides a breakdown of premiums and taxes paid per plan member for any specific time period for all applicable benefits.
   • Occupation and Earnings – This report provides current plan member earnings and occupation information and gives plan administrators an efficient way to report updates to us.
   • Employee listing – This report lists all plan members’ information, including name, certificate number, date of birth, province, occupation and salary, as well as benefit coverage currently in place and HCSA allocations.

   These reports can be downloaded in Excel format for easy updating, filtering or sorting.

   For more information, please contact your Client Relationship Specialist.

    

   *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients

9. [pdf] myFlex Options Overview
10. [pdf] Equitable Guaranteed Investment Funds Understanding sales charge options