Site Search
570 results for enter portal MAKEMUR.COM contact judge to dismiss case for money Missouri
-
Update on our service levels during the COVID-19 pandemic
Supporting your clients and their plan members is more important than ever during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
So, we’re providing an update on our service levels.
We acted quickly to ensure there were no disruptions in service – most of our staff were working remotely from home and fully functional within a few days. We’ve reallocated resources from functions where volumes are down, such as dental claims, to those experiencing higher volumes. We also created a separate queue for COVID-19-related STD claims.
As a result, we’ve been able to maintain the industry-leading service levels you have come to expect from us, and our turnaround times continue to be well within our targets.
Here’s a summary of what you and your clients can currently expect in terms of average turnaround times:
Service category Average Turnaround Time
(as of April 26th)Customer Care Centre wait times 89% of calls answered within 20 seconds Responses to emails to our Service Team Within 24 hours Health claims 2 days Dental claims 2 days Life claims 1 day STD claims 4 days LTD claims 4 days Plan member updates 2 days New customer implementations 16 days COVID-19-related plan amendments 4 days Other plan amendments 8 days Quotes 2 days ahead of deadline We will closely monitor the situation and continue to adapt to ensure we maintain our service levels. And we will do our best to resolve any service issues that arise as quickly as possible.
Please feel free to contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager and let us know how we’re doing.
-
Mental health support for all plan members
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many Canadians are dealing with increased stress and anxiety. Now, more than ever, plan members need easy to access resources to help them cope with these uncertain times.
Through our partnership with Homewood Health®, the Canadian leader in mental health and addiction services, all of our clients and their plan members have access to tools designed to provide guidance and support, including i-Volve, Homewood’s Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy tool.
Proven therapy, at your own pace
Included with Homewood Online resources in every Equitable Life® plan, i-Volve can help plan members identify, challenge and overcome anxious thoughts, behaviours and emotions. It encourages incremental changes in behaviour and is proven to be an effective therapeutic approach for dealing with mild to moderate anxiety or depression. Plan members work at their own pace through a series of web-based exercises, ultimately helping to change the ways in which they think, feel and react in various situations.
Free for all Equitable Life plan members
All Equitable Life clients and their plan members have access to i-Volve. It’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, wherever you choose to access it.
Contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager to learn more about Homewood Health and i-Volve Online CBT. -
An update on Travel Assist coverage
The last several months have been very difficult for plan members. We recognize how important it is for them to get back to a sense of normalcy, including making summer travel plans.
As countries start to reopen their borders, plan members with Travel Assist emergency medical benefits may have questions about whether they will be covered while travelling.
For plan members who want to travel outside of Canada, here’s what they need to know.
Out-of-country travel
Plan members travelling to countries that are popular vacation destinations and have reopened their borders will be covered for eligible expenses, including those related to COVID-19.
Please note: While a country may be open for travel, plan members should contact Allianz before departing to confirm that they are covered for travel to their specific destination.
Plan members travelling to countries for which the Government of Canada has issued a Level 4 travel advisory (“Avoid all travel”) will not be covered.
Please note that every country has different travel restrictions. Travelers could be denied entry to another country, even though their travel may be considered essential. Or they may be forced to self-isolate when they arrive at their destination. Canadians travelling to another country should consult that country’s travel restrictions and guidelines before departure and re-entry into Canada.
Communicating with plan members
Below is a link to a plan member version of this communication. Please encourage your clients to share this with their plan members who have Travel Assist coverage on their benefits plan. It’s important for them to know their coverage details before they make their travel plans. We have also posted this update on the plan member website at EquitableHealth.ca.
An update on Travel Assist coverage PDF
If you have questions, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
-
Tools to manage mental health
As we all continue to manage the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to remind your clients of the valuable supports available to help their plan members cope through this challenging time.
Free trusted information and COVID-19 resources
Our partner FeelingBetterNow® is responding to the pandemic by providing trusted public resources that offer mental health support. They are available to anyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and include:
- What to do if you’re anxious or worried about COVID-19;
- Resources for parents and caregivers; and
- National and Provincial Public Health resources.
Access COVID-19 resources from FeelingBetterNow.
FeelingBetterNow Mental Health Assessment
In addition to these public resources, Equitable Life clients with FeelingBetterNow as part of their group benefits plan have access to online mental health resources. FeelingBetterNow can help plan members identify their risk for mental health concerns and work with their doctor on diagnosis and treatment. It’s an anonymous tool developed by mental health experts which provides:
- Emotional and mental health assessments;
- Practical, evidence-based tools employees and their doctor can use to assess, treat, and follow-up on emotional and mental health concerns; and
- Convenient online access to information and effective resources.
FeelingBetterNow is easy to use and completely anonymous. It takes less than 20 minutes to complete the assessment and view your results.
Learn more about FeelingBetterNow, then contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager to discuss how your clients can add this service to their plan.
-
Grow your guarantee using resets from Equitable Life
Did you know that many of Equitable Life®’s segregated funds contracts, including Pivotal Select™ Estate Class and Protection Class, allow for an annual reset of the death benefit guarantee? Now could be a great time to remind clients to lock-in any gains with a death benefit reset; and increase their Death Benefit guarantee to 100% of the current market value. The ability to lock-in market growth using resets is one of the differences between segregated funds and mutual funds.
To complete a reset, submit the applicable investment direction form. If you have Limited Trading Authorization on file, you can sign the request on your client’s behalf*. The Investment Direction Forms are posted on EquiNet®, or can be found here (by product):
- Pivotal Select (form # 693SEL)
- Personal Investment Portfolio, Pivotal Solutions II or Pivotal Solutions DSC (form # 693ANN)
Be sure to check out the “Growing your Guarantee with Resets” marketing piece which can be shared with your clients. For questions about resets, contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager today.
*Advisors are required to keep notes of their conversation with their client for audit purposes when completing transactions using Limited Trading Authorization. World Financial Group (WFG) advisors are not permitted to use Limited Trading Authorization as per their agreement with WFG.
® and TM denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada
-
New segregated fund sales charge option from Equitable Life of Canada
On December 7, 2020 Equitable Life® will add a new No Load CB5 (NL-CB5) sales option with a 60-month chargeback schedule to the Pivotal Select™ segregated funds lineup. This new sales charge option complements the recently launched No Load CB (NL-CB) option which has a 36-month chargeback schedule.
This new sales option for Pivotal Select gives you and your clients five sales charge options to choose from: Low Load (LL), No Load (NL), No Load CB (NL-CB), No Load CB5 (NL-CB5) and Deferred Sales Charge (DSC). The addition of NL-CB5 provides an option for those advisors who want to increase the upfront portion of their commission. The benefit to clients is no Deferred Sales Charge to contend with. If your client chooses to withdraw funds within 5 years after purchase, there is a chargeback of commission to you.
By offering five sales charge options, the choice between three distinct guarantee classes (Investment Class (75/75), Estate Class (75/100) and Protection Class (100/100)), and a diverse selection of investment funds, the Pivotal Select contract provides the flexibility to build an investment solution that meets the needs of your clients.
Need to meet with your client online? Our EZcomplete® application makes it easy to process your non-face-to-face applications and do business with Equitable Life. EZcomplete gives you the option to conduct your non face-to-face business easily and quickly, enabling your clients to provide their signature remotely on their own device.
For more information about Equitable’s NL-CB5 or any of Equitable’s products, contact your local Regional Investment Sales Manager or our Advisor Services team at 1.866.881.7427 Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET or email savingsretirement@equitable.ca.
To learn more, click here.
-
Reminder: Deadline to opt out of Alberta biosimilar coverage changes
In November 2020, we announced via eNews that on March 15, 2021, we are changing coverage for some biologic drugs in Alberta in response to the province’s Biosimilar Initiative. These changes will help protect your client’s plans from additional drug costs while still providing access to equally safe and effective biosimilars.
Do my clients need to take any action?
Traditional groups who wish to opt out of this change and maintain coverage of these originator biologics for Alberta plan members can submit a policy amendment. Amendments must be submitted no later than January 15, 2021.
Advisors with myFlex Benefits clients who wish to maintain coverage of these originator biologics for Alberta plan members should speak to their myFlex Sales Manager to confirm their eligibility to opt out of this change.
Otherwise, no action is required on their part. Plan members taking these biologics will be contacted directly to allow them ample time to change their prescription. Any cost savings associated with the change will be factored in at renewal.
Questions?
We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help you understand Alberta’s Biosimilar Initiative. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please contact your Equitable Life Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.
-
Equitable Life added the Mackenzie Global Strategic Income Fund to Pivotal Select
On June 7, 2021, Equitable Life® launched five additional funds to the Pivotal Select™ segregated funds lineup. Included in the launch is the Mackenzie Global Strategic Income Fund. Designed to deliver growth and income to investors, the underlying fund objective seeks income with the potential for long-term capital growth by investing primarily in fixed-income and/or income-oriented equity securities of issuers anywhere in the world.
At Equitable Life, we pride ourselves on offering quality products. This means always reviewing our investment fund lineup. This fund, along with the other new funds are available on all Pivotal Select load types and guarantee classes, providing you and your clients with even more choice and flexibility.
To learn more about Mackenzie Global Strategic Income Fund, join us on Tuesday, June 22 at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT to hear Eric Glover, AVP Investment Director and Hadiza Djataou, VP Investment Director, from Mackenzie Investments, highlight the balanced solution that this fund can bring to your client’s investment portfolio.
Click here to register!
Want to learn more about our new funds? Contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager today.
® and ™ denotes a registered trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
-
Make room for more EDO room
Effective June 26, 2021, a term rider added to an Equimax Estate Builder® or Equimax Wealth Accumulator® policy may allow for an increase to the maximum Excelerator Deposit Option (EDO) payment limit.
Highlights:
● This enhancement will apply to adult single life Equimax Estate Builder and Wealth Accumulator policies where the Owner Signature Date on the application for insurance is June 26, 2021 or after.
● For the term rider to increase the EDO payment limit, it must be issued at the same time as the Equimax coverage.
● Term rider EDO payment limit assumes the term rider is held at least 10 years.
● The illustration system and EZcomplete application will calculate the maximum EDO payment including any increase from a term rider.
● Policies already issued do not qualify.
Full details about the changes can be found in the transition rules.
Who can benefit from this product enhancement?
Your clients who have a temporary insurance need and add a term rider to their Equimax plan may be able to take advantage of the additional exempt room and higher EDO payment limits to build the policy values. Make Equimax® your first choice for your clients’ whole life insurance needs.
New Illustration software is now available
The updated illustration software will be available for download after 9 a.m. ET on Friday, June 25, 2021.
Want more information?
● Learn more about the changes and transition rules
● Contact your Regional Sales Manager for more information on these changes and other sales ideas
® denotes a registered trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada. -
Changes to coverage of Humira in BC
BC Pharmacare recently announced it is adding Humira to the list of drugs included in its ongoing initiative to switch patients to biosimilar versions of high-cost biologics. Patients taking Humira for most conditions will be required to switch to a biosimilar version of the drug by Oct. 7, 2021 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 Humira for plan members in BC. Effective Oct. 7, 2021, claimants currently taking Humira will be required to switch to a biosimilar version of the drug to maintain coverage under their Equitable Life plan.
We will be communicating this change to plan administrators later this week. And we will be communicating with affected claimants in early August 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.