Regarding the funds in my individual health & welfare account, can I claim these monies?

Does our benefit plan have a Weekly Disability Benefit?

Does our benefit plan have a Long Term Disability Benefit?

Should I purchase additional travel insurance when I am traveling?

Does our Benefit Plan cover orthotics?

What type of massage therapy is covered?

What is the dental fee guide?

I live in British Columbia and understand that some of our benefits are subject to 'user fees'. How does this affect my claims with the I.A.T.S.E., Local 667/669 Health & Welfare Benefit Plan?

Why did I receive two drug cards in my name and none with my children(s) name on them?

Does our dental plan cover white fillings and white crowns?

How Does Co-Insurance work?

Regarding the funds in my individual health & welfare account, can I claim these monies?
Your Health & Welfare Benefits are provided through contributions which signatory productions make on your behalf when you work under an I.A.T.S.E. Local 667 or Local 669 contract. These contributions are remitted directly to the Local Union offices and are not taxable income to you. As a result in compliance with Revenue Canada and the Income Tax Act, these funds are maintained in a Trust Fund solely to purchase qualifying benefits and cannot be distributed beyond the scope of those benefits outlined in the Trust Document and in compliance with the Income Tax Act.

Does our benefit plan have a Weekly Disability Benefit?
A modest Weekly Disability Benefit will be available to qualifying members effective October 1, 2000.

Does benefit plan have a Long Term Disability Benefit?

Local 667 and Local 669 have negotiated a group discount with Paul Revere Insurance for Long Term Disability available to Local 667 & Local 669 members on a voluntary individual basis. This program is not part of the I.A.T.S.E., Local 667/669 Health & Welfare Benefits. For further information you can contact:

Eastern Canada
Brian Burlacoff or Mark Coutts 
Clarica
416-366-8771
mark.coutts@clarica.com
brian.burlacoff@clarica.com
www.clarica.com

Western Canada
Allan Leader
Signet Financial Group Ltd.
604-682-9505

Should I purchase additional travel insurance when I am traveling?
If you qualify for Benefit Levels 02, 03, or 04, your Benefit Plan provides protection against the cost of emergency medical care for a maximum of 90 days. You can contact Manulife or either Local 667 or Local 669 office for complete details about your out of country emergency care benefit. Details of the program are also provided on this web site or in your Member Benefit Booklet. Please reference Out of Country Emergency Care Expenses and Travel Assistance Services for Out of Province or Country.
Your health care benefit through the I.A.T.S.E., Local 667/669 Health & Welfare Benefit Plan provides financial protection against the cost of emergency medical care only, incurred while travelling outside your home province for up to a maximum of 90 days. However, depending upon the state of your health and the nature and length of your travel, there may be times when you may need additional coverage. Should this be the case, you can purchase individual travel insurance through several independent suppliers and/or associations at your own expense. Some credit cards, bank accounts, automobile associations etc. to which you may belong, may also provide travel insurance.
Call your local provincial health plan office and make arrangements to receive continued coverage if you are travelling beyond the allowable provincial requirement. Ask them for a current brochure on the expenses they will pay if you are in another province or out of country

If you are in another province for an extended period - usually 90 days - contact the provincial health plan office to have your coverage transferred.

Does our Benefit Plan cover orthotics?
If you qualify for Benefit Levels 02, 03, or 04, you may claim orthotics. Please note, your orthotics must be prescribed by a licensed podiatrist, chiropodist, chiropractor, or physician; limited to a maximum of $300 per individual per Plan Year. In addition your orthotics or orthopedic shoes must be purchased through a supplier who has a specialty in orthopaedic footware, as they are a custom fitted and manufactured item. There are foot clinics who can provide this type of service
Please contact Manulife prior to purchasing your orthotics to ensure your prescription and the place where it is filled meets the necessary requirements.

What type of massage therapy is covered?
Not all types of massage are covered as per Revenue Canada requirements. Massage therapy must be performed by a Registered Massage Therapist. Please ensure your therapist is an RMT prior to submitting claims. If in doubt, please contact the Manulife Financial Claims Office.

What is the dental fee guide?
With the exception of Alberta, each provincial Dental Association annually establish a Dental Fee Guide which is used as a basis for determining dental costs. Our plan ensures that the most current Dental Fee Guide which is available becomes the basis for our claims payments. The Alberta Dental Association (ADA) published its last dental fee guide in 1997. The insurance industry and the ADA have worked together to develop a new Insurance Industry Reimbursement Guide that reflects current reasonable and customary fees.

I live in British Columbia and understand that some of our benefits are subject to 'user fees'. How does this affect my claims with the I.A.T.S.E., Local 667/669 Health & Welfare Benefit Plan?
The I.A.T.S.E., Local 667/669 Benefit Plan must conform to policies established by Revenue Canada and the legislation governing in each Province. In the case of British Columbia, user fees for some paramedical practitioners are in effect. Currently this means, our plan can only pay for the user fee portion of your paramedical expense. For example, if you visit a chiropractor, for the first 12 visits, you can only claim the $10 per visit user fee. Once you have exceeded the first 12 visits, qualifying members can claim the full amount to the maximum as outlined in the schedule of benefits for qualifying paramedical practitioners.

Why did I receive two drug cards in my name and none with my  children(s) name on them?
You and your eligible dependents are enrolled in the drug card program under your name, as you are the member of the plan. When your dependents require a prescription to be filled by a pharmacist, the pharmacy will have all the information they need to process your dependent's claim, providing you have properly enrolled them at the I.A.T.S.E., Local 667/669 Health & Welfare Office.

Does our dental plan cover white fillings and white crowns?
The Dental Care Benefit will only cover white fillings on the front teeth. The molars (upper and lower) will be paid up to the cost of amalgam. You will be responsible for the difference in price between the white filling and the amalgam cost plus the co-insurance amount which is applicable to your benefit level. The same rules will apply to white crowns, however, please make sure your dental office sends in a predetermination form to Manulife prior to commencing any dental procedure. In the event you do not have a predetermination form completed and sent to Manulife, the expenses reimbursed may be much lower than you expected or not reimbursed at all. Based on the predetermination form, Manulife will advise you what will be eligible for payment from your Dental Care Benefit. Please note, major dental coverage is only available to Benefit Levels 05 & 06 at 60% co-insurance.

How Does Co-Insurance work?
The co-insurance is the percentage portion of your claim payable by the insurance company. For example:
a) If you are enrolled in Benefit Level 02, your co-insurance on dental expenses is 50% and you can claim to a maximum of $1000 annually. If you submit a dental bill for $1000. then the payable will be $500. providing your dental expenses qualify. If you submit a dental bill for $2000., the amount payable will be $1000. providing your dental expenses qualify.
b) If you are enrolled in Benefit Level 03, your co-insurance on dental expenses is 70% and you can claim to a maximum of $1000 annually. If you submit a dental bill for $1000. then the payable will be $700. providing your dental expenses qualify. If you submit a dental bill for $2000., the amount payable will be $1000. providing your dental expenses qualify.