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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.
From Insight to Inclusion: Engaging Women Investors with Confidence Ready to help future‑proof your practice?
Create an experience that truly resonates with women investors.

Join our February Master Class, “From Insight to Inclusion: Engaging Women Investors with Confidence.” Learn how to design strategies that help attract, retain and deepen advisory relationships with women – today and for the long term. We will explore why women are essential to building and sustaining a successful advisory business. We will also share practical steps to help you engage them effectively.

We’ll cover:
- Why women remain an underserved client group,
- Why inclusion is critical to your business growth, and
- How to develop strategies that help attract and retain women as value clients.
Why attend?
- Turn research into real conversations that can build trust.
- Create a clear plan that speaks to women investors.
- Build a repeatable process for prospecting, onboarding and reviews – one that includes women in a meaningful way.
Join Joseph Trozzo, Vice President, National Investment Sales at Equitable, for an insightful conversation with Susan Silma – lawyer, former regulator, client‑experience strategist and regular columnist for Investment Executive.
Don’t miss this opportunity.

Learn more

Continuing Education Credits
This webcast has been submitted for continuing education (CE) approval for all provinces excluding Quebec via the Insurance Council of Manitoba and Alberta Insurance Council. Upon approval, you will be sent an email notification to come back to the webcast presentation console to download your personalized certificate from the tool bar. To be eligible for CE credits, you must register individually, watch the webcast in full, and complete a short quiz. It is the advisor's responsibility to ensure Continuing Education credits being offered are accepted by their licensing body. Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) credits are valid in Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. Insurance Council of Manitoba (ICM) credits are valid in Manitoba only.

This webcast is available in English only.
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Extending premium relief for Dental and Extended Health Care benefits
We know this continues to be a challenging time for Canadian employers and we remain committed to looking for ways to help your clients manage while still supporting their employees.

Although many health practitioners have re-opened as pandemic restrictions are lifted, plan member use of dental benefits and some health benefits still remains lower than normal in June.

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 June, as follows:
- A 25% reduction on Dental premiums; and
- A 5% reduction on Extended Health Care premiums.
These reductions are effective for June 2020 and will appear as a credit on the July bill, or against the next available billing. We will assess the situation monthly and will 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 July (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 June 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 have remained 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.

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. You can also refer to our online COVID-19 Group Benefits FAQ.
Insights from a pandemic: Drug trends during COVID-19
We were expecting drug costs to rise this year due to the increase in “specialty” drugs, the shift to more expensive treatments for common conditions, and the introduction of new, costly medications. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused drug costs to rise even more than expected. While this was partly due to increased claims for certain drug categories, the most significant factor was the increase in dispensing fees as the provinces imposed 30-day refill limits.

Costs and claimants surge, drop, then climb again

Initially, as COVID-19 started to spread, we saw an overall spike in the volume and paid amounts for drug claims in March as plan members rushed to stock up on their medications. On our block, the average amount paid per certificate increased 16% in March, compared with the previous year.

This spike was followed by a drop in April after most provinces put 30-day refill limits in place. This led to a decrease in both average paid amounts and quantity per claim as people were limited to smaller refills. But the dispensing fee portion of drug cost tripled for many plan members who had to refill their prescriptions every month instead of every 90 days.

The April plunge was short-lived. Drug claims started to climb again in May as some provinces removed their 30-day refill limits. We’ve seen a continued increase so far in June as all remaining provinces have lifted their 30-day limits.

Claims for “specialty” drugs increase

There were some notable exceptions to this trend. For example, both claimants and paid amounts for high-cost “specialty” drugs increased in March, April and May. Thirty-day refills are the norm for these drugs, so they weren’t impacted by the re-fill limits.

Claims for asthma drugs had the largest surge of any common disease category in March but had no subsequent drop in April. Not surprisingly, claims for mental health drugs increased throughout the pandemic, including a 33% increase in the number of claimants in May.

Going forward, we should see the average quantity per prescription stabilize in future months and return to normal, provided pharmacies return most patients to refills of more than 30 days.

The full impact of COVID-19 remains to be determined. We will continue to provide timely updates on any developments that impact our clients and their plan members or their benefits coverage. In the meantime, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager if you have questions.
Equitable Life awarded seven Fundata FundGrade A+ awards

Equitable Life® has won seven Fundata FundGrade A+® awards for 2020. The first four funds are currently available on Equitable Life’s Pivotal Select™ fund lineup.
The remaining three awarded funds are part of Equitable’s legacy products. These funds are available to existing Equitable Life contracts only.
- Equitable Life Dynamic Power Global Growth Fund
- Equitable Life Accumulative Income Fund
- Equitable Life Common Stock Fund
The annual awards are presented by Fundata Canada Inc. to investment funds that have shown consistent, outstanding, risk-adjusted performance throughout the previous calendar year.

Equitable Life invests for the big picture and offers a complete range of investment and annuity products designed to meet the savings, accumulation and income needs of clients. Our strength as a company along with our many investment guarantees can help your clients achieve their financial goals with confidence.

FundGrade A+® is used with permission from Fundata Canada Inc., all rights reserved. The annual FundGrade A+® Awards are presented by Fundata Canada Inc. to recognize the “best of the best” among Canadian investment funds. The FundGrade A+® calculation is supplemental to the monthly FundGrade ratings and is calculated at the end of each calendar year. The FundGrade rating system evaluates funds based on their risk-adjusted performance, measured by Sharpe Ratio, Sortino Ratio, and Information Ratio. The score for each ratio is calculated individually, covering all time periods from 2 to 10 years. The scores are then weighted equally in calculating a monthly FundGrade. The top 10% of funds earn an A Grade; the next 20% of funds earn a B Grade; the next 40% of funds earn a C Grade; the next 20% of funds receive a D Grade; and the lowest 10% of funds receive an E Grade. To be eligible, a fund must have received a FundGrade rating every month in the previous year. The FundGrade A+® uses a GPA-style calculation, where each monthly FundGrade from “A” to “E” receives a score from 4 to 0, respectively. A fund’s average score for the year determines its GPA. Any fund with a GPA of 3.5 or greater is awarded a FundGrade A+® Award. For more information, see www.FundGradeAwards.com. Although Fundata makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained herein, the accuracy is not guaranteed by Fundata.® ”Equitable Life” and “Pivotal Select” are trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
Equitable Life awarded FundGrade A+ awards for 2021
Equitable Life^® is the proud recipient of the Fundata FundGrade A+^® in 2021 for Equitable Life Dynamic Power Global Growth Fund and Equitable Life Accumulative Income Fund. These funds are part of our legacy products and no longer available to purchase for new contracts.

Each year, Fundata looks for Canadian investment funds that uphold an outstanding performance rating over the course of the year. Equitable Life invests for the big picture and offers a complete range of investment and annuity products designed to meet the savings, accumulation and income needs of clients. Our strength as a company along with our many investment guarantees can help your clients achieve their financial goals with confidence.

FundGrade A+® is used with permission from Fundata Canada Inc., all rights reserved. The annual FundGrade A+® Awards are presented by Fundata Canada Inc. to recognize the “best of the best” among Canadian investment funds. The FundGrade A+® calculation is supplemental to the monthly FundGrade ratings and is calculated at the end of each calendar year. The FundGrade rating system evaluates funds based on their risk-adjusted performance, measured by Sharpe Ratio, Sortino Ratio, and Information Ratio. The score for each ratio is calculated individually, covering all time periods from 2 to 10 years. The scores are then weighted equally in calculating a monthly FundGrade. The top 10% of funds earn an A Grade; the next 20% of funds earn a B Grade; the next 40% of funds earn a C Grade; the next 20% of funds receive a D Grade; and the lowest 10% of funds receive an E Grade. To be eligible, a fund must have received a FundGrade rating every month in the previous year. The FundGrade A+® uses a GPA-style calculation, where each monthly FundGrade from “A” to “E” receives a score from 4 to 0, respectively. A fund’s average score for the year determines its GPA. Any fund with a GPA of 3.5 or greater is awarded a FundGrade A+® Award. For more information, see www.FundGradeAwards.com. Although Fundata makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained herein, the accuracy is not guaranteed by Fundata.® ”Equitable Life” and “Pivotal Select” are trademarks of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
Clients can win up to $5,000 in the RSP Grow Your Future Contest!

RSP season is here and Equitable Life^® is giving clients and their advisors a chance to win BIG with the Grow Your Future Contest.

This contest is for advisors and clients working together to build wealth that lasts through the ups and downs.

Two ways to win:

1. Between January 1 and March 1, 2023, if the client makes a deposit into an Equitable Life RSP policy

2. Between January 1 and 31, 2023, if the client makes a deposit into an Equitable Life RSP policy*

Full contest details.

Grow the future this RSP season!

Equitable Life is committed to offering clients product, service, and choices that best suit their needs. We are pleased to offer multiple sales charge options, three distinct guarantee classes, and a diverse selection of investment funds.

Speak to your Regional Investment Sales Manager to learn more.

*Draws occur weekly from January 9 – February 6, 2023.

® denotes a registered trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.
Equitable Life® 2023 RRSP Season Contest: No purchase necessary. Contest period January 1, 2023 to March 1, 2023. Enter by making a deposit to an Equitable Life RRSP during the contest period or by submitting a no-purchase entry. Forty-four prizes to be awarded, for a total value of $10,200 CAD. Twenty-one $100 prizes, to be drawn on January 9, 2023, January 16, 2023, January 23, 2023, January 30, 2023 and February 6, 2023. One Grand Prize draw, for a prize of $5,000 CAD, to be held on March 2, 2023. The servicing advisor for the policy to which the selected entrant made the deposit is also an eligible winner: (i) for $100 prizes, the servicing advisor will also receive a $100 prize; and (ii) for the $5,000 grand prize, the servicing advisor will receive a $1,000 prize. For example, if an Equitable Life client is a winner of a $100 prize, the client’s servicing advisor also wins a $100 prize; if an Equitable Life client is a winner of the $5,000 grand prize, the client’s servicing advisor wins a $1,000 prize. Open to legal residents of Canada of the age of majority. Eligible non-winning Entries will continue to be eligible on subsequent Draw Dates. Maximum one $100 prize per person and one $5,000 or $1,000 prize per person. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible Entries received during the Contest Period. For full contest rules, including no-purchase method of entry, see full contest rules.

Posted December 1, 2022
GIA Coming to the Equitable FHSA Many clients have already taken advantage of Equitable’s First Home Savings Account (FHSA), available on Pivotal Select™ Investment Class (75/75) and Pivotal Select Estate Class (75/100).

And now, we’ve got some more great news. We’re working to expand the Equitable® FHSA to include our Guaranteed Interest Account (GIA). But clients don’t need to wait to start earning tax-free income in a FHSA.

If clients want to open a FHSA now but may be interested in an Equitable GIA, simply choose the No-Load Equitable Money Market Fund Select investment option while we work on including the GIA on FHSA. The current yield to maturity is 5.41% gross.¹

We will let you know when the GIA is available in FHSA in the coming months. Once it is available, advisors can speak to clients about the GIA options available in the FHSA and select what best suits their needs.

Don’t forget, clients who make a contribution to their FHSA, RRSP or TFSA between January 1 and February 29, 2024, could win $5,000 and you could win $1,000 in Equitable’s New Year’s Resolution, New Year’s Contribution Contest.²

For more information, please contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager.

1 As of January 16, 2024, 4.06% net after deducting the management expense ratio. Yield to Maturity: the market value weighted-average yield to maturity includes the coupon payments and any capital gain or loss that the investor will realize by holding the bonds to maturity.

2 Equitable’s New Year’s Resolution, New Year’s Contribution Contest: No purchase necessary. Contest period January 1, 2024, to February 29, 2024.  Enter by making a deposit to an Equitable FHSA, TFSA or RRSP during the contest period or by submitting a no-purchase entry. One prize for a total value of $5,000 CAD to be drawn on March 8, 2024, will be awarded. The servicing advisor for the policy to which the selected entrant made the deposit is also an eligible winner and will receive a $1,000 CAD prize. For example, if an Equitable client is a winner of the $5,000 prize, the client’s servicing advisor wins a $1,000 prize.  Open to legal residents of Canada of the age of majority. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible Entries received during the Contest Period.  For full contest rules, including no-purchase method of entry, see the full contest rules.
Posted January 17, 2024