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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)
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Calming client fears about inflation and market volatility
Watch any news report or read any social media feed and you will see stories about inflation and market volatility. Inflation is one of the reasons that investing in equities is important - they can help to provide long-term returns that offset the effects of inflation. Help your clients stay on track during periods of market volatility and elevated inflation by following a few key investment strategies.
Time diversification through dollar-cost averaging
Volatile markets can provide opportunities. While your client may be skeptical, remind them about the benefits of dollar-cost averaging. Dollar-cost averaging adds time diversification, meaning your client buys into the market at different points in time. Regular investing can even allow your client to see growth during times of volatility. To learn more, click here.
It is time in the markets, not timing the markets that works long-term
Investing for the long-term allows your client to ride the waves of the investment market. The S&P/TSX Composite Index, for example, has had a compound annual return of approximately 7.8% over the past 25 years.[1] These returns account for the most recent financial crisis and the dot-com bubble. Previous market declines have offered buying opportunities for clients who have funds to invest. To learn more, click here.
Keep your clients invested with segregated funds
Segregated funds, like Equitable Life’s® Pivotal Select™, offer additional benefits beyond those offered by mutual funds and Exchange Traded Funds. Segregated fund guarantees (maturity and death) can protect your clients’ money during periods of market stress. A segregated fund guarantee will provide your client with the better of the guaranteed amount or the market value at the maturity date or date of death. A Pivotal Select segregated fund guarantee can give your client the confidence to stay invested during market uncertainty. To learn more about using Equitable Life’s segregated funds to keep your client invested, click here.
To learn more about the advantages of investing with Equitable Life, click here.
® Denotes a trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
[1] Annualized S&P/TSX Composite total return from January 3, 1995, to February 28, 2020. - Policy Loan
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Celebrating our most popular Pivotal Select funds
In August 2022, Equitable® launched 12 new segregated funds in Pivotal Select’s Investment Class (75/75). We wanted to bring some new innovative solutions to the product, including six sustainable investment funds. To say the launch of these funds was successful would be an understatement.
The funds are quickly becoming some of the most popular funds in Pivotal Select™, and their performance in 2023 was impressive. Equitable wants to celebrate these funds and encourage clients to consider them for their portfolios.
As of February 29, 2024, nine out of the 12 funds received a 1st quartile ranking for their 1-year return and two more were 2nd quartile. The table below shows the new funds that ranked in the top two quartiles for their 1-year returns.
Access additional fund performance information
If you haven’t looked at these funds yet, now is the time. Speak to clients about their investment options and see if these funds fit within their investment portfolio.
Talk to your Director, Investment Sales today for more information.Disclaimer
Any amount that is allocated to a segregated fund is invested at the risk of the contractholder and may increase or decrease in value. Segregated fund values change frequently, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors do not purchase an interest in underlying securities or funds, but rather, an individual variable insurance contract issued by The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada. There are risks involved with investing in segregated funds. Please read the Contract and Information Folder before investing for a description of risks relevant to each segregated fund and for a complete description of product features and guarantees. Copies of the Contract and Information Folder are available on equitable.ca.
Management Expense Ratios (MERs) are based on figures as of February 29, 2024, and are unaudited. MERs may vary at any time. The MER is the combination of the management fee, insurance fee, operating expenses, HST, and any other applicable non-income tax for the fund and for the underlying fund. For clients with larger contract values, a Management Fee Reduction may be available through the Preferred Pricing Program. For details, please see the Pivotal Select Contract and Information Folder.
® and TM denote trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
Posted April 18, 2024
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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.
- [pdf] myFlex Options Overview
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Changes to the PMPRB
Earlier this month, the Government of Canada announced the final amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations. These changes will impact how the Patented Medicine Review Board (PMPRB) sets the ceiling price for patented drugs and evaluates if the price of a drug reflects the value it has for patients. The intent of these updates is to enable the PMPRB to more effectively protect Canadians from excessive patented drug prices.
These changes do not come into effect until July 1, 2020. Finalizing the guidelines and consultation with stakeholders will occur leading up to this date. It is yet to be determined which drugs will be included in the final guidelines. It is anticipated the guidelines will initially focus on drugs launched shortly prior to and after July 1, 2020.
Equitable Life supports the modernization of the PMPRB and the ongoing need to evolve drug plan management tools in order to support the health of Canadians and drug plan affordability for public and private payers.
If you have any questions, please contact your Group Account Executive.