EquiNet Equitable Life's advisor site

Site Search

825 results for MAKEMUR.com son locked up need him home today payment hidden onion go stay hidden anonymous

  1. Updates to Savings & Retirement applications and point of sale materials

    Equitable Life has updated the following Savings & Retirement point of sale materials.

     

    Form #

    Form Name

    Description

    2086

    Pivotal Select FHSA Application

    New application to support the First Home Savings Account (FHSA) registration option

    1403

    Pivotal Select Contract & Information Folder

    Updates have been made to support the new First Home Savings Account (FHSA) registration option

    796

    Guaranteed Interest Account TFSA Application

    Updates have been made throughout the application to make it simpler and more straightforward. Additionally, a new “Privacy Consent” section has been added.

    799

    Guaranteed Interest Account Registered / Non-Registered

     
    The new documents are available to download from EquiNet®. Paper documents are also available to order from Equitable’s Supply Team here.

    To allow advisors time to transition to the new applications, we will continue to accept the following versions until further notice:

    If you have any questions, contact your Regional Investment Sales Manager or Advisors Services Team Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET at 1.866.884.7427, or email savingsretirement@equitable.ca.

     

    ® and ™ denotes a registered trademark of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada.

     Posted September 11, 2023
  2. Are Canadians more FHSA-savvy in 2025? Recent insights have shown that a significant number of Canadians are unfamiliar with the First Home Savings Account (FHSA). However, the landscape is gradually evolving. While many are still getting acquainted with the features and benefits of this savings tool, financial advisors and industry experts note that awareness is steadily increasing. The knowledge gap is beginning to close. The largest group of contributors were Canadians aged 25 to 34, accounting for over 57% of all FHSA users1. This suggests that Generation Z and younger millennials are leading the charge in embracing the FHSA.

    Why is this age group so quick to adopt? The FHSA offers a unique blend of benefits. These include contributions that are tax-deductible like an RRSP and withdrawals for a first home purchase are tax-free like a TFSA. Financial author David Chilton even called it “the greatest deal in the history of Canadian savings.”1

    Despite the strong uptake among younger, higher-earning Canadians, there’s still work to be done. Many older Canadians and those with lower incomes remain unaware of the FHSA’s benefits and unsure how it fits into their financial plans. This presents a clear opportunity for advisors to continue educating—especially through digital channels and personalized advice.

    The FHSA is proving to be more than just a niche product—it’s becoming a cornerstone of first-time homebuyers’ strategy. With continued outreach and education, more Canadians will be empowered to take advantage of this valuable savings tool.

    Want to learn more? Speak to your Director, Investment Sales.

    1 Source: https://www.canadianmortgagetrends.com/2025/04/fhsa-sees-strong-uptake-among-young-high-earning-canadians-in-its-first-year/

    Date posted: October 2 2025
  3. [pdf] UL Transfers & Allocations How To
  4. 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.

  5. December 2023 eNews

    Insights on EZBenefits from our Executive Vice-President, Group Insurance


    When it comes to advising small business owners, it can be tough to find the right group benefits solution. Offering a competitive benefits plan is more important than ever to help small business owners attract and retain talent. They need an affordable solution that’s easy to implement, renew and maintain.

    That’s why we launched EZBenefits for small business earlier this year. It’s a unique group benefits solution designed with you and your small business clients in mind. 

    Marc Avaria, Executive Vice-President, Group Insurance, explains:

    Find out more

    Visit info.equitable.ca/EZBenefits for more details or to request a quote. If you have questions, contact your Equitable Group Account Executive.


    Supporting plan members through cold and flu season with Dialogue Virtual Healthcare*

    Now that cold and flu season is here, many Canadians will start calling in sick or missing work to visit their doctor – if they can get an appointment. Now’s the time to remind your clients that Equitable offers Dialogue Virtual Healthcare. It can be added to any Equitable plan for an additional cost.

    Eligible plan members and dependants receive fast, on-demand access to virtual primary medical care—24/7, 365 days a year. Available for a variety of non-urgent health concerns, Dialogue Virtual Healthcare can make it easier to navigate cold and flu season by providing:
    • Access to the largest, most experienced bilingual medical team in Canada,
    • In-app prescription renewals and refills,
    • Personalized follow-ups after each consultation, and
    • An all-in-one patient journey to address health issues. This reduces long waits and means less time away for doctor appointments.

    Benefits of Virtual Healthcare for plan sponsors

    When your clients provide Virtual Healthcare for their plan members, they can help:
    • Drive employee engagement;
    • Reduce absenteeism related to in-person medical appointments;
    • Manage chronic health issues;
    • Attract and retain top talent; and
    • Build a healthier workforce.

    Learn how it works

    Adding Dialogue Virtual Healthcare to your clients' plans

    To learn more about adding Virtual Healthcare to your clients’ benefits plans, contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex® Account Executive. You can also share this resource from Dialogue on managing cold and flu season.


    Changes to Short-Term Disability benefits calculations*

    The Canada Employment Insurance Commission and Canada Revenue Agency have announced the 2024 changes to Maximum Insurable Earnings, and premiums for employment insurance. The following changes to Employment Insurance (EI) will take effect January 1, 2024:

    How does this affect your clients?

    To comply with client policy provisions, Equitable will revise Short-Term Disability (STD) benefits with the updated maximums based on the percentage of EI Maximum Weekly Insurance Earnings for policies that meet these conditions:
    • Policies that include a STD benefit that is tied to the EI Maximum Weekly Insurable Earnings, and
    • Policies with a classification of employees that has less than a $668 maximum.
    • The additional premium for any increase from their previous STD amounts and new STD amounts will be shown on your clients’ January 2024 Group Insurance Billings (as applicable). 
    If a client’s STD maximum is currently higher than $668 or based on a flat amount (not based on a percentage or regular earnings), no change will be made to their plan unless otherwise directed.
     
    If your clients wish to provide direction regarding revising their STD maximum, or have questions about the process, they can email Kari Gough, Manager, Group Issue and Special Projects.

    *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients. 
  6. [pdf] TFSA Third Party Contribution
  7. [pdf] We’re serious about saving you money
  8. 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.

  9. Equitable Life Group Benefits Bulletin – February 2022 In this issue: *Indicates content that will be shared with your clients

    Update: Alberta biosimilar coverage changes*
    Four originator biologics added to Alberta Biosimilar Initiative

    In 2022, Alberta’s provincial drug plan is adding four originator biologics to its Biosimilar Initiative. It has ended or will end provincial coverage of these drugs for some or all conditions, as follows:
    • Lovenox: Jan. 10, 2022
    • Humalog: Feb. 1, 2022
    • NovoRapid: April 1, 2022
    • Humira: May 1, 2022

    Patients 18 and over who are using these drugs for the affected conditions will be required to switch to biosimilar versions of the drugs to maintain coverage under the province’s government drug plan.

    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 these originator biologic drugs for plan members in Alberta.

    Effective May 1, 2022, claimants currently taking these drugs will be required to switch to a biosimilar version of the drug to maintain coverage under their Equitable Life plan.

    This is a continuation of the Alberta biosimilar switch program we launched last March, when the province first introduced its Biosimilar Initiative.

    Do my clients need to take any action?
    No action is required by plan sponsors. Plan members taking these targeted originator biologics will be contacted directly to allow them ample time to transition to a biosimilar. Any cost savings associated with the change will be factored in at renewal.

    Groups that opted out of the biologic coverage changes we made last March will automatically be opted out of these coverage changes, as well as any future changes to our Alberta biosimilar switch program. This means that their drug plans will continue to provide coverage to existing claimants for any originator biologics we stop covering as part of our biosimilar program.

    Advisors with clients who wish to opt out of our Alberta biosimilar program, or who previously opted out and want to opt back in, should speak to their Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.

    Communication to plan members
    We will be communicating these coverage changes with affected claimants in early March to allow them ample time to change their prescriptions and avoid any interruptions in their treatment or their coverage. Thus far, the transition to biosimilars, has been smooth and continues to be successful.

    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 also biologics. 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.

    Preferred Biosimilar Program*

    As part of our ongoing efforts to help ensure the sustainability of your clients’ drug plans, we continue to engage in strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical manufacturers. 

    We are pleased to announce a partnership to make Hyrimoz our preferred biosimilar for Humira. This partnership will generate additional savings for plan sponsors.

    Plan members will still have the choice to use Humira biosimilars other than Hyrimoz. However, in the absence of alternative sources of reimbursement, this may increase their out-of-pocket amount.

    The Preferred Biosimilar Program will take effect March 1, 2022 for all new claimants across Canada who start using a Humira biosimilar. It will take effect May 1 for existing claimants in Alberta who switch to a Humira biosimilar, to align with changes to the provincial plan.

    Questions?
    If you have any questions about this change, please contact your Group Account Executive or myFlex Sales Manager.

    Responding to Quebec’s biosimilar policy

    Last year, the Quebec government announced it is phasing out coverage of biologic drugs. Beginning April 13, 2022, patients in Quebec using originator biologics will be required to switch to the corresponding biosimilar covered on the province’s public plan in order to maintain coverage.

    The following populations are excepted from this new policy:
    • Pregnant women, who should be transitioned to biosimilars in the 12 months after childbirth.
    • Pediatric patients, who should be transitioned to biosimilars in the 12 months after their 18th birthdays.
    • Patients who have experienced two or more therapeutic failures while being treated with a biologic drug for the same chronic disease.
    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.

    We are actively investigating the impact of this new policy on private drug plans in Quebec. We plan to implement further enhancements to our biosimilar programs in Quebec later this year to help prevent this change from resulting in additional costs for our clients’ drug plans. We will provide more details in the coming months.

    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 2022.*

    Dental fee guide increases over 2021*
    Province/Territory Average Fee Increase
    Alberta 3.9%
    British Columbia 7.35%
    Manitoba 5.79%
    New Brunswick 5.9%
    Newfoundland and Labrador 5%
    Nova Scotia 7.05%
    Northwest Territories 3%
    Nunavut 3.1%
    Ontario 4.75%
    Prince Edward Island 4.75%
    Quebec 5%
    Saskatchewan 5.99%
    *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.
     

    Reminder: Review manual allocations for HCSAs and/or TSAs*

    If your client’s Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) and/or Taxable Spending Account (TSA) has manual allocations, they need to allocate these amounts to plan members each year. Please review all your plan members’ profiles on EquitableHealth.ca to ensure they have received their allocation(s) for the current benefit year.
     
    If your clients have Plan Administrator update access on EquitableHealth.ca, they can update these amounts online by doing the following:
    • Select “View certificate”
    • Select “Health Care Spending Account” or “Taxable Spending Account”
    • Select “Update Allocation” in Task Center
    • Enter amount in “Revised Allocation Amount”
    • Override Reason – “Plan Administrator Request”
    • Select “Save”
    If your clients have Plan Administrator reporting access on EquitableHealth.ca, they can determine which plan members have a zero allocation by running the “HCSA Totals by Plan Member” report online by doing the following:
    • Select “Reports”
    • Select “New”
    • Select “Next”
    • Select “HCSA” or “TSA Totals by Plan Member”
    • Select “Next”
    • Enter end date of “12/31/2020”
    • Select “Next”
    • Select “Finish”
    • View “Report”
    To provide us with the amounts to be updated, please have your client contact our Group Benefits Administration Team at GroupBenefitsAdmin@equitable.ca.

    Mental health resources for plan members*

    As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, many Canadians are experiencing increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Through our partnership with Homewood Health®, all of our clients and their plan members have access to a number of health and wellness resources designed to provide guidance and support. These resources include a number of webinars which discuss various COVID-19 and mental health-related topics. The webinars are pre-recorded so plan members can stream them at their convenience.
     
    Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Mental Health
    English webinar
    French webinar
     
    COVID-19: Loneliness & Isolation Fatigue - Self-Care Strategies 
    English webinar
    French webinar
     
    COVID-19: Dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder
    English webinar
    French webinar
     
    Reducing Anxiety & Managing the Transition Back to the Classroom - for Teachers
    English webinar
    French webinar
     
    COVID-19: Specialized Mental Health Support for Health Care Professionals
    English webinar
    French webinar
     
    COVID-19: Supporting Children’s Mental Health
    English webinar
    French webinar
     
    Additional resources, including articles, tools, videos and podcasts, are available at Homeweb.ca/Equitable. Please encourage your clients to share these resources with their plan members.