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GreenShield has advised that their union represented employees have voted in favour of a new, 3-year collective agreement with Green Shield Canada.

The GreenShield contact centre will reopen on Monday, April 22, however, it is anticipated that call volumes may be higher than usual at this time.

GreenShield continues to encourage members to use the fully operational online services, including Web, mobile, providerConnect and all real-time submissions from pharmacies and dental offices. For support checking your coverage online, please visit their self-service page.

GreenShield’s self-serve phone system is available via the call centre number, 1-888-711-1119, to:

• Check eligibility for all the following benefits:
  • Chiropractic treatment
  • Custom foot orthotics
  • Dental recall exam
  • Eye exam
  • Massage therapy
  • Physiotherapy treatment
  • Prescription contacts/glasses
• Get information on:
  • Eligible amount per visit/claim
  • Copay/deductible amounts (if applicable)
  • Maximums for specified benefit
  • Benefit start date
  • Used to date amount

If you have any questions, please email the Benefits Centre at Benefits@united-church.ca

GreenShield's collective agreement with Unifor expired on Friday, March 1, leading to a strike. GreenShield has activated its contingency plan to ensure essential services continue during the strike.

GreenShield remains optimistic that a settlement can be reached through constructive and focused discussions.

Online services, including claim submissions, continue to be available and are not impacted by the Unifor strike, and there will be no interruption to the health and administrative services that GreenShield provides.

 The GreenShield contact centre is closed during the strike, but you will still be able to use GreenShield’s online services or their self-serve phone system depending on your needs. Since 94% of claims are submitted online, online service claims continue to be processed; other online services that most members rely on also remain available with minimal disruption.

GreenShield’s self-serve phone system is available via the call centre number, 1-888-711-1119, to:

• Check eligibility for all the following benefits:
  • Chiropractic treatment
  • Custom foot orthotics
  • Dental recall exam
  • Eye exam
  • Massage therapy
  • Physiotherapy treatment
  • Prescription contacts/glasses
• Get information on:
  • Eligible amount per visit/claim
  • Copay/deductible amounts (if applicable)
  • Maximums for specified benefit
  • Benefit start date
  • Used to date amount

GreenShield encourages members to use the fully operational online services, including Web, mobile, providerConnect and all real-time submissions from pharmacies and dental offices.

If you have any questions, please email the Benefits Centre at Benefits@united-church.ca

These are early days for the federal plan, so stay tuned for any changes. We’ve just recently been advised that people who opted out of an employer’s retiree health and dental benefit plan before December 11, 2023, and cannot opt back in under the plan rules, are eligible for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). Anyone who chooses to opt out after this date will not be eligible.

The following is the eligibility criteria of the Canadian Dental Care Plan that was updated on March 4, 2024 on the Government of Canada website.

Eligibility criteria

To qualify for the CDCP, you must:

• • not have access to dental insurance
    What does not having access to dental insurance mean?
    This means you do not have access to any type of dental insurance or coverage through:
    • your employment benefits or a family member’s employment benefits, including health and wellness accounts
    • a professional or student organization
      Note: If you’re eligible for dental coverage through your employment benefits or through a professional or student organization, you’re not eligible for CDCP. This is true even if:
      • you decide not to take it
      • you have to pay a premium for it
      • you don’t use it
    • your pension benefits or a family member’s pension benefits
      • this includes federal, provincial and territorial government employer pension plans
      • Exception: You may be eligible for the CDCP if you’re retired and:
        • you opted out of pension benefits before December 11, 2023, and
        • you can’t opt back in under the pension rules
    • coverage purchased by you or a family member or through a group plan from an insurance or benefits company
      • if you purchased your current dental insurance policy privately (and not as part of any of the coverage described above), you’re not eligible for the CDCP while that coverage is in effect.
  • have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000
  • be a Canadian resident for tax purposes
  • have filed your tax return in the previous year

You need to meet all the eligibility criteria to qualify for the CDCP.

If you have any questions about eligibility for the Canadian Dental Care Plan, please email benefits@united-church.ca or call the Benefits Centre at 1-855-647-8222.

Good news! As announced in a recent letter from Pension Board Chair, Anne Soh, pension plan members will receive a pension increase effective January 1, 2024.

Pensioners and Deferred Members
Current pensioners and deferred members will receive a 4 percent* increase to their pension amount effective January 1, 2024.

* The Income Tax Act and regulations limit pension increases to the cumulative growth in Consumer Price Index since the pension commenced. For this reason, recently retired pensioners and deferred members who terminated membership recently will see a lesser increase.

Active Members
For active members, the accrual rate will stay at 1.85 percent in 2024 from the base rate of 1.4 percent. In 2025 the accrual rate is scheduled to return to 1.4 percent.

What Does “Accrual Rate” Mean?
The accrual rate is the rate at which you earn your pension. In 2024, you earn your pension at the rate of 1.85 percent of your pensionable earnings.

How Does This Work?
You earn a piece of pension every year that you work and contribute to the plan—like building blocks.

For example, let’s assume that a member’s pensionable earnings stayed constant at $60,000 every year, (for easy figuring). From 2019, that member would earn

At the end of your career, the annual pension amounts earned each year will add up to the total annual pension you will receive every year for the rest of your life. So, the higher amount earned in 2024 will continue to benefit you for the rest of your retired life.

What about Future Increases?
There is no automatic indexing of our plan. The Pension Board and Pension Plan Advisory Committee annually assess the resources available and determine whether there are surplus funds that can be used to increase benefits.

The first letter from the Benefits Centre informing pensioners about the change to the processing of pension payments - from RBC Investor and Treasury Services to LifeWorks.

The second mailing in June was divided into three letters depending on where you are currently residing:

• Canadian resident
• Overseas resident with overseas payments
• Overseas resident with Canadian payment

The second communication from the Benefits Centre was mailed the week of June 15, with more information on T4As for the 2022 year, and about the Web portal - which will be available to all in October 2023 but will be optional. Just a reminder, there is nothing for you, as a pensioner, to do on your end.

Three versions of the letter were mailed - depending on your current location - and they are all posted on the Retirement page, under Communications. If you have not received this communication by the end of the month, please e-mail pension@united-church.ca or phone the Benefits Centre at 1-855-647-8222 to ensure they have the correct address on file.

An initial communication from the Benefits Centre was mailed the week of May 23, informing pensioners of the upcoming change to how pension payments are processed. One important thing to note is that there is nothing for you, as a pensioner, to do on your end. More information about the change will be mailed in June providing contact details.

A copy of the letter is posted on the Retirement page, under Communications. If you have not received this communication by the end of the month, please e-mail pension@united-church.ca or phone the Benefits Centre at 1-855-647-8222 to ensure they have the correct address on file.

A letter from the General Secretary, Michael Blair, was sent to all retirees on November 22, 2021 that outlined recent discussions and decisions about benefits for retirees of the United Church. You can review the General Secretary's letter here.

If you are a retired member of the United Church and did not receive this communication by email or Canada Post, please contact UCCBenefitsNews@united-church.ca to provide your current information so we can update our records.