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  1. Helping clients build financial literacy in a changing disclosure landscape
  2. [pdf] GIA versus GIC
  3. EZstart
  4. [pdf] Equitable GIF Fund Facts
  5. Critical Illness - More Covered Conditions
  6. October 2019 Advisor eNews

    Coverage of Remicade, Enbrel and Lantus in BC

    As we announced in August, BC PharmaCare recently introduced a new Biosimilars Initiative that ends coverage of three biologic drugs, including Remicade, Enbrel, and Lantus. These drugs will no longer be eligible in British Columbia for most conditions for which lower-cost biosimilar versions are available. Patients in the province with these conditions will be required to switch to biosimilar versions of these drugs by Nov. 25, 2019 in order to maintain their coverage under BC PharmaCare. Patients taking Remicade for Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis will not be required to switch to a biosimilar until March 6, 2020.
     
    Biologics are drugs that are engineered using living organisms, such as yeast and bacteria. Biosimilars are highly similar to the originator drugs they are based on and most have been shown to have no clinically meaningful differences in safety or efficacy.
     
    To ensure this provincial change doesn’t result in your clients’ plans paying additional drug costs, we have aligned our drug eligibility for these three biologic drugs with that of BC PharmaCare.
     
    As previously announced, effective Nov. 25, 2019, Remicade and Enbrel will no longer be eligible for BC plan members with conditions for which lower-cost biosimilar versions of the drugs are available. These plan members will be required to switch to the biosimilar versions of these drugs in order to maintain eligibility on the Equitable Life drug plan. We have communicated with Plan Administrators about this change, and we have informed affected claimants of the need to switch medications.  
     
    As well, effective Feb. 3, 2020, the drug ingredient cost for Lantus will no longer be eligible for BC plan members; only the dispensing fee may be eligible under their Equitable Life plan. Plan members taking Lantus will be required to switch to Basaglar, the lower-cost biosimilar version of the drug, in order to maintain coverage under their Equitable Life plan. We will be communicating with Lantus claimants in the coming weeks to allow them 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.

    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.

  7. Equitable Life Coronavirus Update – March 13, 2020

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

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

    Coronavirus travel coverage*

    For groups with Travel Assist coverage

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

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

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

    Where to find the latest information

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

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

    Advise plan members to call before they travel

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

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

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

    Early prescription refills and drug shortages*

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

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

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

    Drug shortages

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

    *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients

  8. Manage your business virtually with Equitable Life

    As an advisor, we know that physical distancing and self-isolation are proving to challenge the business as usual practise. The good news is that Equitable Life® is here to help. Our self-serve and online tools and resources for Savings and Retirement advisors can assist in maintaining a certain degree of daily activity.

    Online Banking
    Help your clients during this time of isolation and self-distancing by letting them know about banking online. Online banking is an easy and convenient way for your clients to make additional contributions to non-registered savings plans, Tax-Free Savings Accounts or even last-minute contributions to a Retirement Savings Plan.

    Deposits will be made according to the instructions on file. Advisors will receive the regular commissions for any deposits made. Please note that all deposits must originate from the policy owner's bank account.

    For more information on using online banking including financial institutions currently registered for direct deposit with Equitable Life, click here.

    EZcomplete for non face to face
    We know that business still needs to happen, even in times of uncertainty. EZcomplete® can help with that. With our non face-to-face functionality, EZcomplete allows you to remotely connect with your clients. Once the online application is complete, EZcomplete sends your client a passcode that gives secure access to review documents and allows your client to provide an electronic signature. You only need to provide your client’s email address.

    EZcomplete makes the process of completing non face-to-face applications more convenient and doing business with Equitable Life EZ. For more information on EZcomplete, click here.
     
    Limited Trading Authorization
    Need to make some fund adjustments for your client? Limited Trading Authorization (LTA) is built into the Pivotal SelectTM and Guaranteed Interest Account applications to simplify the process of submitting client requests. Alternatively, the Limited Trading Authorization Form # 14 can be completed. Discretionary trading is not permitted. The advisor must have documented the client’s instructions in the client file. To learn more, click here.
     
    Client Access
    Does your client need to make changes to a pre-authorized deposit or beneficiary information, address or banking information? Does your client have a Client Access® account? Client Access is Equitable’s secure online client site that connects clients to tools and policy information. To create a new Equitable Client Access account, your client will need to reference the policy number(s). By registering for Equitable Client Access, policyholders and annuitants can make changes and view information such as:

    Details of investment holdings including:

    • Up-to-date market value of investments;

    • Guaranteed Interest Account (GIA) maturity dates and values;

    • Premium amounts, death and maturity guarantees and beneficiary information; and

    • Recent account activity.

    Details of Payout Annuities including:

    • Next payment date;

    • Annual income and payment guarantee details; and

    • Beneficiary and Annuitant information.

    There is also a secure inbox where copies of statements and other correspondence are available. To learn more, click here. 
     

    Need help with any of these resources? Contact our Advisor Services team Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET at 1.866.884.7427 or email savingsretirement@equitable.ca, or your local Regional Investment Sales Manager.

  9. Extending premium relief for Dental and Extended Health Care benefits

    We know this is a challenging time for Canadian employers and we continue to look for ways to help your clients manage while still supporting their employees.

    As many health practitioners continue to keep their offices closed due to the pandemic restrictions, plan member use of dental benefits and some health benefits remains lower than normal.

    So, we are pleased to announce that we are extending premium relief for all Traditional and myFlex insured non-refund customers for Health and Dental benefits for the month of May, as follows:

    • A 50% reduction on Dental premiums in all provinces except Saskatchewan, where a 25% reduction will apply due to the re-opening of dental clinics in early-May; and
    • A 20% reduction on vision and extended healthcare rates (excluding prescription drugs) in all provinces, which equates to an 8% reduction on Health premiums.

    These reductions are effective for May 2020 and will appear as a credit against the next available billing. We will assess the situation monthly and expect to continue with monthly refunds for as long as the current crisis period continues. The size of the credit may change over time as dentists and other health practitioners gradually reopen their offices. We will confirm premium credits for June (if any) at a later date. Credits for subsequent months will be communicated on a month-by-month basis.

    In order to be eligible for the monthly credit calculation and payout, a policy must be in force on the first of the month and remain in force thereafter. The monthly credit calculation is based on employees in force on the May bill. If employees experienced layoffs during the month, that would not affect eligibility for a premium credit as long as the benefit itself is not terminated.

    We expect that claims experience and premiums will return to normal once the current pandemic restrictions are lifted.

    In the meantime, plan members will continue to have full access to their benefits coverage throughout the pandemic. In many cases, dental offices remain open for emergency services, and a variety of healthcare providers are available virtually.

    Commissions

    We know the pandemic has put financial strain on your business as well, so we will continue to pay full compensation. Although your overall commission will be unaffected by these premium reduction adjustments, you may see a temporary reduction in your commission payments if you are on a pay-as-earned basis. We will begin to process the commission top-up payments in mid-June and will reflect both April and May premium credits.

    Communication

    We will be communicating this premium relief program to your clients later this week.

    Questions?

    If you have any questions, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager. In the meantime, we have provided some Questions and Answers below. You can also refer to our online COVID-19 Group Benefits FAQ.

  10. Equitable Life Group Benefits COVID-19 Update

    The test of a great partner is one who stands tall when you and your clients need to rely on them most. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we thought you might find it helpful to have a summary of where we are during this crisis.

    You can download this PDF version to refer to when meeting with your clients.

    We are here with you and for you

    We’ve taken several steps to support you, your clients and their plan members during this crisis, including:

    • Providing premium refunds for insured, non-refund Health and Dental benefits;
    • Waiving the waiting period for short-term disability claimants who tested positive for COVID-19;
    • Extending out-of-country travel coverage for plan members who were unable to return to Canada;
    • Providing increased flexibility for premium payments; and
    • Keeping you and your clients informed with timely Q&As and announcements, webinars, and insights into the impact of COVID-19 on benefits plans.

    As well, to commemorate our 100th Anniversary this year, we donated $4.5 million to purchase and install a new MRI for Grand River Hospital. And we donated $50,000 – $10,000 each – to five charities in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. For more information about our celebrations, check out our website at www.equitable100.ca.

    We have adjusted our business to become digital

    Our business is near 100% digital, so the vast majority of our employees are now working remotely from home and are fully functional.  Since the pandemic began, our IT and operations teams have digitally enhanced more than 20 different processes and services to make it easier for us to integrate with our distribution partners in this new reality.

    We pride ourselves on our customer service

    In 2019, our dedication to customer service was recognized with outstanding survey results.

    • In a 2019 survey of customers from 15 life insurance companies,1 Equitable Life ranked #1 on the Net Promoter Score, a measure used across industries to gauge the loyalty of a firm's customer relationships; and
    • A survey of Group consultants, brokers and third-party administrators 2 ranked Equitable Life in the top two insurers across all categories.

    For 2020, we continue to deliver service at the same level with no disruptions during this crisis. Our Customer Care Centre remains open to support plan members and can be reached at 1.800.265.4556. And our Client Relationship Specialists are available for Plan Administrator questions and support.

    We are financially strong and stable

    We remain financially strong and continue to focus on meeting the needs of Canadians. At the end of the first quarter, our Life Insurance Capital Adequacy Test (LICAT) ratio is at 152.5%, well above our goal and the regulatory requirement.

    As the global situation continues to evolve, rest assured that Equitable Life is unwavering in our commitments to you and the communities we serve. We are here with you and for you. Please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager if you have questions or need assistance.

     

     

    1  LIMRA CxP Customer Experience Benchmarking Program, Life Insurance In-Force Experience 2019

    2 NMG Consulting’s Canadian Group Benefits Survey 2019