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New secure encryption process for outstanding Equitable S&R business requirements
The Equitable® Savings and Retirement Operations team is improving how they send secure email messages to advisors. These emails are sent when there are outstanding requirements for an application or missing information for requests.
Previously, advisors had to manually password protect or unlock PDF documents. This caused delays and difficulties for recipients. The new encryption process will remove that confusion and make it easier for advisors to send and receive secure, encrypted messages.
Advisors will now receive secure, encrypted emails from the QA annuity operations mailbox. These emails will use an encrypt option to protect personal client information, such as attachments or requests for personal documents. Recipients will get an email with a subject line saying they have a secure private message. They will need to sign in to view the message or choose to get a one-time passcode (OTP).
Please ensure to check the SPAM folder for the OTP option as it will expire in 15 minutes. Enter the OTP in the secure message
portal.
Emails are sent in both English and French, with automatic translation based on browser settings. Recipients must click the view button to access the message in the secure web portal where they can see the encrypted attachment.
Make sure to click Reply in the top right corner of the encrypted message to keep communications within the secure portal.
For more information or assistance, please contact your Director, Investment Sales.
Date posted: May 22, 2025 -
January 2023 eNews
Responding to Saskatchewan’s biosimilar switch initiative*
We are changing coverage for some biologic drugs in Saskatchewan 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 new government policy while providing access to equally safe and effective lower-cost biosimilars.
Saskatchewan’s provincial biosimilar initiative
Announced in October 2022, the Saskatchewan Biosimilars Initiative ends coverage of ten biologic drugs beginning on April 30, 2023.
Patients in the province who are using these drugs will be required to switch to biosimilar versions of these drugs by April 30, 2023, in order to maintain their Saskatchewan Drug Plan coverage.
Equitable Life’s response
To ensure this provincial change doesn’t result in your clients’ plans paying additional and avoidable drug costs, we are changing coverage in Saskatchewan for most biologic drugs included in the provincial initiative.
Beginning April 30, 2023, plan members in the province 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 February 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.
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 Saskatchewan includes more biologic drugs in its biosimilar initiative, as new biosimilars come onto the market, and as we make changes in drug eligibility.
Ontario announces 2023 biosimilar switch program*
The government of Ontario recently announced the launch of a biosimilar initiative to switch patients from eight originator biologic drugs to biosimilar versions of the drugs.
Patients in Ontario using affected originator biologic drugs will have until December 29, 2023 to switch to a biosimilar version of their medications in order to maintain coverage under the province’s public drug plans.
We are actively monitoring and investigating the impact of this new policy on private drug plans in Ontario. We plan to implement changes to coverage of biologic drugs in the province in 2023 to help prevent this change from resulting in additional costs for our clients’ drug plans. We will provide more details in the coming months.
If you have any questions, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
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 2023.***Dental fee guide increases over 2022***
***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.
Equitable Life ranks high with Canadian group advisors*
Equitable Life ranked second nationally and first in Ontario among major insurers in a recent survey of Canadian group benefits advisors.
NMG Consulting, a leading global consulting firm, conducted in-depth interviews with 130 leading group consultants, brokers and third-party administrators across the country between May and August 2022 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 Life ranked either first or second in four of the six main categories:
Advisors in Ontario, in particular, scored Equitable Life very favourably. We ranked #1 overall in the province, finishing first in four of the six overall categories, including: Relationship Management, Operational Management, Underwriting and Claims Management and Technology.
“The fact that advisors regard us so highly in so many categories is a testament to our mutual status and our ability to focus exclusively on our clients and advisors,” said Marc Avaria, Senior Vice President of Group. “We are truly working together to build strong, enduring and aligned partnerships.”
“While we are happy with these results, we won’t rest on our laurels,” added Avaria. “We will continue to dedicate ourselves to providing our clients and advisors with a better benefits experience.”
Here are more of the highlights from this year’s results:
Nationally, we ranked first in all 10 subcategories in Operational Management, including:- Overall service to intermediaries,
- Overall service to plan sponsors,
- New quote process,
- Plan implementation,
- Renewal process,
- Information shared at renewal,
- Accuracy and timeliness of reporting and billing,
- Administration quality and responsiveness,
- Taking ownership and
- Management information quality and availability.
- Company relationship management,
- Ease of doing business,
- Account executive capability,
- Market knowledge,
- Visit/call quality,
- Effective coordination and
- Advice.
- Fairness and timeliness of disability claims (1st)
- Fairness and timeliness of health claims (2nd)
- Fraud management (2nd)
- Competitiveness of pooling charges (2nd)
- Group underwriting flexibility (3rd)
- Health and dental TLR competitiveness (3rd)
- Overall technology – Intermediary (2nd)
- Member experience (2nd)
- [pdf] Equitable GIF FHSA Application
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Enhancing the Transfer Process: Equitable's New Signature Guarantee Service
Equitable® is making transfers even easier with EZcomplete®.
This enhancement will help advisors and clients by reducing the number of rejections from other institutions that need a signature guarantee. Reducing transfer rejections means less time and effort for advisors, and faster transfers from other institutions.
Signature Guarantees
Equitable will now offer signature guarantees on most transfers requested through EZcomplete.
When is a signature guarantee not available?
• For entity owned accounts
• If a Power of Attorney is signing on behalf of an owner
• If the transferring account has an irrevocable beneficiary
Watch the quick Identity Check with Persona video or read through instructions below.
To offer a signature guarantee, Equitable first needs to check the identity of all owners using Persona, a third-party service provider.
The advisor starts by selecting a signature guarantee in EZcomplete. An email link is sent to all proposed owners.
Clients can click the link within the email to Persona's verification process.
They will be prompted to take a picture of their photo ID and a selfie, turning their head slightly left and right by following the prompts.
Their identity can then be confirmed in seconds.
Sending Transfer Forms:
• If all owners' identities are verified, Equitable will send the transfer form with a signature guarantee stamp and the e-signature audit log to the transferring institution.
• If ID verification fails, clients will be prompted to try up to three times. If still unsuccessful, the transfer form and e-signature audit log is sent to the transferring institution without the signature guarantee stamp.
Handling Issues:
• Advisors’ obligations to verify ID is not affected by this process; ID verification is still required.
• If the client times out or loses the email to access Persona, the advisor can resend the link.
• If the client’s name or email changes after ID verification, the advisor will need to redo the ID verification with the updated information to get a signature guarantee.
This update strives to make processes smoother and more efficient for everyone. Just another reason to do business with Equitable. When we work together, success is mutual.
For more information or assistance, please contact your Director, Investment Sales.
Date published: May 7, 2025 -
New Year, New Opportunities—Explore Equitable’s Competitive Term Life Solution
The new year brings new opportunities to help clients feel confident about their financial future. Equitable’s term rates are among the best on LifeGuide in key markets*, combined with our flexibility and support, making us a great choice for clients. Run an illustration now!
Why choose Equitable for term life insurance?
• Great rates – we’ve recently repriced! On average, we reduced our monthly term rates by 5%. Check out our great term rates for yourself. Tip! For best term rates, choose monthly premiums.
• Flexibility to change the term plan** – life is always changing, and so do life insurance needs. Offer clients the flexibility to:
• Exchange term plans: from Term 10 to Term 20 or Term 30/65. They can also exchange from Term 20 to Term 30/65.
• Convert to permanent coverage: Offer clients the security of changing their term plan to any of our permanent plans without underwriting.
• Partial term conversion with term rider carryover: Convert part of the term coverage into permanent protection and carry over the remaining coverage as any term rider plan.
• Extra support when it matters most – our KIND® program offers a suite of benefits for clients and their families. This reflects our deep commitment to standing by them when it matters most.
Build client relationships with trusted protection
This year, and every year, strengthen your client relationships by choosing Equitable for term life protection. With our flexible solutions, innovative features, and unwavering support, you can help clients move forward with confidence.
Start the year off by helping clients meet their insurance needs with a term plan.
Run a quote today!
Contact your Equitable wholesaler today to learn more!
*Effective November 22, 2025. Our monthly term rates are ranked among the best on LifeGuide when compared against top carriers in key markets.
** Administrative rules and age limits apply to exchanges and conversions. Please see the policy for details. The policy governs in all cases.
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This year’s RSP deadline is March 2, 2026
RRSP deposits to be considered for the 2025 tax year must be:
• Dated March 2, 2026, or before
• Must be submitted to Head Office in good order by March 6, 2026, by 4:00 p.m. ET
RRSP applications to be considered for 2025 contribution year must be submitted in good order by:
• March 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET
RRSP B2B Loans:
• RRSP loan deposits must be received from B2B by March 13, 2026, by 4:00 p.m. ET
Note: Transactions submitted after these dates will not receive a 2025 contribution receipt
Please note that all requirements must be received in Head Office by the above dates to guarantee settlement for year end.
Have you started talking to your clients about their Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) contributions yet? Equitable® has a range of RRSP solutions that can help meet their needs, including:- Daily/Guaranteed Interest Account
- Equitable Guaranteed Investment Funds™, available in:
- o Investment Class (75/75)
- o Estate Class (75/100)
- o Protection Class (100/100)
Most clients genuinely want to save for retirement, but intentions alone aren’t enough—they need a plan. As their trusted advisor, you can help them understand why making their RRSP a priority is an important step toward long‑term financial security.
To support those conversations
Most clients genuinely want to save for retirement, but intentions alone aren’t enough—they need a plan. As their trusted advisor, you can help them understand why making their RRSP a priority is an important step toward long‑term financial security.
To support those conversations, we’ve pulled together helpful tools and marketing materials that show how an Equitable RRSP can make a meaningful difference in reaching their retirement goals. Resources include:- Investment calculators
- A retirement savings plan is just a relevant now as it was over 60 years ago
- Borrowing money to save money
From January 1 to March 2, 2026, when clients open or add money to an Equitable TFSA or RRSP, they’ll automatically be entered into Equitable’s Snowball Your Savings contest. Two lucky clients will win — and their advisors get to celebrate too! -
Update: Improved Employee Assistance from Homewood Health
As we announced in June, we are expanding our relationship with Homewood Health to help you meet the mental health and wellness needs of your employees and their families. Beginning Oct. 1, 2019, Homewood will be the new provider of both our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) and our online health and wellness services.
Following the transition to Homewood, plan members will benefit from added features:
- Signing in to Homewood Health online allows the platform to customize content unique to your interests.
- All plan members will have access to a Health Risk Assessment to help identify health and wellness barriers.
- i-Volve, Homewood's online cognitive behavioural therapy program is available for all plan members to help them manage anxiety and depression.
Learn more about Homewood Health and how they will be providing your plan members with exceptional EFAP and online health and wellness resources.
What does the transition to Homewood mean for you and your plan members?
We will be working with you in the coming months to facilitate the transition and support your employees. Most importantly, there will be no disruption of service delivery to employees who are currently in short-term counselling with our current EFAP provider.
The transition timeline
Groups without an EFAP
Online health and wellness resources will be available through EquitableHealth.ca just as they are now. Here's what you can expect in the coming months.
September
- We will send plan administrators an email with more details about the resources available to assist in the transition, including:
- How to register for Homewood Health online
- A video orientation for plan members
October
- October 1st – plan members can access the Homewood online resources! They simply need to visit homeweb.ca/Equitable to sign up and create their unique login.
The transition timeline
Groups with an EFAP
We’ve created a helpful infographic that outlines the steps involved in the transition to the Homewood Health EFAP over the coming months. Please save or print it for easy reference. Below are some of the highlights.
August
- We will send plan administrators an email with official notice that the enrolment certificate for our current EAP provider, LifeWorks, will terminate on Sept. 30, 2019, and that Homewood Health Inc. will be our new Employee Assistance Program provider as of Oct. 1.
September
- Homewood will send you a welcome email, including how to access the EFAP, who to contact for support and where to find resources to help share the news with plan members.
- Homewood will follow up directly to answer any questions you may have.
- Homewood will begin offering orientation and training sessions for both plan administrators and plan members. These will be running throughout the fall so you can attend at your convenience.
October
- October 1st – plan members can access the Homewood EFAP and online resources! They simply need to visit homeweb.ca/Equitable to sign up and create their unique login.
- Orientation and training sessions will continue to be available for both plan administrators and plan members throughout October.
Learn More
The resources listed below answer common questions about Homewood and our EFAP transition:
If you have a question that is not addressed here, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
- [pdf] Equitable Generations Universal Life Savings and Investment Options
- [pdf] Additional/Updated Client Information
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Easy and convenient digital options for your clients and their members
During this time of physical distancing, people are looking for ways to interact with their providers virtually. We have several convenient digital options available to make it easier for Plan Members and for Plan Administrators. Below is an overview to refer to when you're meeting with your clients. Or you can download this PDF version
For Plan Administrators:
Plan Administrator Portal (EquitableHealth.ca)
Our secure portal allows Plan Administrators to easily manage their plan anytime and anywhere. Instead of printing and mailing forms, Plan Administrators can make real-time updates at their convenience. The site also makes it easy to view or upload forms and other important documents, retrieve billing information, estimate monthly premium costs, and view announcements, tips and reminders. Plan Administrators can visit www.equitablehealth.ca to activate their account.
Online Plan Member Enrolment
Our Online Plan Member Enrolment tool simplifies the onboarding process for both Plan Administrators and Plan Members and offers a more secure and efficient alternative to traditional paper enrolment. The user-friendly interface allows Plan Members to easily enrol in their benefits plan in just minutes from their computer or mobile device. That saves work for Plan Administrators by eliminating the need to manage paper forms. And since Plan Members receive automatic reminders, it reduces late applicants and eliminates the need to chase down Plan Members for their paperwork. (This option is currently only available for new clients. It will soon be available for existing clients to add new hires.)
Digital Welcome Kits
Instead of paper kits that can easily get lost or quickly become outdated, Plan Members receive personalized welcome kits via an interactive email, including instructions on how to activate their online group benefits account, download their digital benefits card, submit claims from their computer or mobile device, review their coverage details, and explore their health and wellness resources.
Easy automated payments
Automated payments are a convenient way to avoid missed payments, suspended claims and disruption. Plan Administrators simply need to complete thepre-authorized debit formand send to GroupCollection@equitable.ca. Or contact Group Collections about online banking and electronic funds transfer (EFT).
We can help
For assistance, Plan Administrators can contact their Client Relationship Specialist or our Web Services team at 1.800.265.4556 ext. 283 or groupbenefitsadmin@equitable.ca.
For Plan Members:
Plan Member Portal (EquitableHealth.ca)
By logging into EquitableHealth.ca, Plan Members have secure 24/7 access to their personalized Group Benefits account where they can submit claims, view their claims status and history, and review their coverage details from their computer or mobile device. They can also visit Equitable HealthConnector®, our suite of services to help employees stay healthy and productive. They can simply visit www.equitablehealth.ca to activate their Group Benefits account.
Electronic Claim Payments and Notifications
Once Plan Members have activated their Group Benefits account on EquitableHealth.ca, they can easily get set up to receive their claim payments via direct deposit, and their claim notifications via email. Once logged in they simply click “My Information” and enter the required information.
EZClaim Mobile App
Submitting claims is fast, easy and secure with the Equitable EZClaim® mobile app. Plan Members can submit health and dental claims and receive payments directly to their bank account via direct deposit. Most claims are processed within three business days; some are processed in as little as 24 hours. They simply download the EZClaim app for their iPhone®, or Android™ device, fill out the interactive health or dental claim form, attach their receipt and submit.
Digital Benefits Cards
Instead of digging through their wallets, Plan Members can download a digital version of their benefits card on their mobile device via the Equitable EZClaim® Mobile app to easily provide coverage details to health providers.
We can help
We’ve created a video guide to help Plan Members access and use their digital resources. For further assistance, Plan Members can contact our Web Services team at 1.800.265.4556 ext. 283 or groupbenefitsadmin@equitable.ca.