Archive for the ‘Benefits’ Category

Benefit Premium Rate Changes in 2012

Posted by: | December 21, 2011 | no comments

The following benefit premium rates for UBC employees will be changing effective Jan. 1, 2012:

  • Medical Services Plan (MSP)
  • Employee and Spousal Optional Life
  • Disability Benefit Plan for the “Other” Subgroup
  • Disability Benefit Plan for Management & Professional Staff
  • Income Replacement Plan for Faculty
  • Extended Health and Dental Care for Sessional Faculty Under 50% Time

Medical Services Plan (MSP)

Premium rates for the provincial Medical Services Plan (MSP) are increasing, effective Jan. 1, 2012. UBC Employees who pay their MSP premiums through payroll deduction will see the increased cost on their Dec. 31, 2011 paycheque.

The new premiums will increase by $3.50 per month for individuals and $7 per month for couples and families. The new rates are:

  • Single:  $64
  • Couple (family of two):  $116
  • Family (family of three or more):  $128

The UBC employer and employee cost-sharing percentages for calculating MSP premium deductions will remain unchanged.  For example, employees who pay 75% of the MSP monthly premium will continue to pay 75% of the new premium rate. Please note that MSP deductions are taken one month in advance, so employees who pay the full or partial cost will see the increased deduction on their Dec. 31, 2011, paycheques.

For a detailed list of the adjusted monthly rates by employee group and premium cost-sharing arrangement, please visit the UBC Human Resources Benefits Premium Rates page.

Employee and Spousal Optional Life

Effective Jan. 1, 2012, the UBC Employee and Spousal Optional Life premium rates will decrease by approximately 5%.  Employees who are enrolled for Optional Life will the lower premium on their Dec. 31, 2011, paycheque (premiums are taken one month in advance).  For more information, please review the UBC Human Resources Memo that was sent to employees affected by the change.

Disability Benefit Plan for the “Other” Subgroup

Effective Jan. 1, 2012, the Disability Benefit Plan premium rate for the “Other” subgroup will increase to 0.867% of monthly earnings.  For more information, please review the UBC Human Resources Memo that was sent to employees affected by the change.

Disability Benefit Plan for Management & Professional Staff

Effective Jan. 1, 2012, the Disability Benefit Plan premium rate for Management & Professional Staff will decrease to 1.346% of monthly earnings.  For more information, please review the UBC Human Resources Memo that was sent to Management & Professional Staff affected by the change.

Income Replacement Plan for Faculty

Effective Jan. 1, 2012, the Income Replacement Plan for Faculty moves to the fully-insured arrangement.  There is also a new formula to calculate the monthly disability benefit for new claimants and a decrease to the premium rate to 0.65% of monthly earnings.  For more information, please review the UBC Human Resources Memo that was sent to Faculty Members, Academic Executives and Staff High Earners affected by the change.

Extended Health and Dental Care for Sessional Faculty With Appointments Under 50% Time

Effective Jan. 1, 2012, the Extended Health and Dental Care premium rate for Sessional Faculty Under 50% will increase by 2% for Extended Health and 5% for Dental Care.  For more information, please review the UBC Human Resources Memo that was sent to Sessional Faculty affected by the change.

If you have any questions or concerns about these changes, please contact benefitsinfo@hr.ubc.ca.

Filed under: Benefits, Staff and Faculty, UBC Okanagan, UBC Vancouver | Tags: ,

Submit 2010 extended health benefit claims by the end of 2011

Posted by: | December 20, 2011 | no comments

All outstanding 2010 extended health claims must be received by Sun Life no later than Dec. 31/2011 to receive reimbursement.

Submit a claim

Paper

Use the fillable PDF version of the extended health care claim form for your employee group, and attach your receipts.  Make a copy of your claim for your records, then send the original to Sun Life at the address on the form.

Online

To submit a claim online, login to the Sun Life Members website using your Access ID and select “My Claims” to submit an e-claim. If you don’t have an Access ID, contact Sun Life at 1-800-361-6212 to sign up.

Filed under: Benefits, Health and Well-Being | Tags: , ,

EFAP Support Services Over the Holidays

Posted by: | December 19, 2011

The holiday season can be a great time of year, but it can also hold stress for some people. UBC Faculty and Staff (and your dependents) can talk to a counselor through the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) if you are having a difficult time this holiday season.

UBC’s EFAP provider, Homewood Human Solutions, offers confidential short-term counseling on many issues. You can call Human Solutions if you need to talk with someone about:

  • Relationship problems
  • Parenting and caregiver concerns
  • Work-related issues
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Depression
  • Alcohol and drug dependencies
  • Bereavement
  • Financial advisory services
  • Nutritional counseling

Call Human Solutions at 1.800.663.1142 to talk with someone.

As part of your enrollment in the EFAP plan, your eligible dependents can also access EFAP services. Visit the Employee and Family Assistance Program page on the HR Benefits website and click on your employee group to learn more about EFAP services, enrollment information, and details on the eligibility of your dependents.

Filed under: Benefits, Health and Well-Being, Staff and Faculty, UBC Okanagan, UBC University-Wide, UBC Vancouver | Tags: , , ,

Guide to Taking Maternity, Parental or Adoptive Leave at UBC

Posted by: | October 18, 2011 | no comments

Expecting an addition to your family? We have a step-by-step guide to taking a maternity, parental or adoptive leave at UBC available on our website.

The step-by-step instructions will guide you through the following processes:

  • notifying your Department of your leave;
  • requesting a Record of Employment;
  • applying for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits available from Service Canada;
  • applying for UBC Supplemental Employment Benefit (SEB) top-up;
  • maintaining your benefits while on leave; and
  • enrolling your newborn on the UBC benefits plans.

For further information, please visit the Leaves section of the UBC Human Resources website and click on the maternity, parental or adoptive leaves section for your particular employment group.

If you have any questions, or you have feedback on the guide itself, please contact HR Benefits Analyst Stephanie Mah at stephanie.mah@ubc.ca.

Filed under: Benefits, Faculty, Health and Well-Being, Staff, UBC Okanagan, UBC Vancouver | Tags: ,

New Sun Life Mobile App

Posted by: | September 14, 2011 | no comments

Sun Life, UBC’s benefits provider, has launched a new mobile app for iPhone and Blackberry.

With the app, you can

  • submit and track medical, dental and vision claims;
  • use your smartphone as your drug and travel cards;
  • check plan balances; and
  • use interactive tools to see how you can increase your savings.

Find out how to download the apps at http://www.sunlife.ca/mobile/.

Want to know more about UBC Benefits? Visit our Benefits site.

Filed under: Benefits, Health and Well-Being, Staff and Faculty, UBC Okanagan, UBC University-Wide | Tags: , ,

Benefits Coverage When Taking UBC Courses

Posted by: | August 31, 2011 | no comments

UBC students (who pay AMS fees) are automatically enrolled in the UBC AMS/GSS Student Health Plan. If UBC faculty and staff are taking undergraduate or graduate courses with their tuition waivers, you can opt-out of the Student Health Plan by showing proof of coverage of your UBC Benefits. Similarly, if your dependent children are enrolled at UBC, they may be eligible to opt-out of the student health plan by showing proof of coverage through a parent’s benefits plan.

UBC Faculty or Staff with a child attending UBC

Eligible dependent children (up to the age of 25 and who are in full-time attendance in their program) who are covered under a parent’s UBC Extended Health and Dental Care plans may opt out of the UBC AMS/GSS Student Health plan if they provide confirmation of this coverage.  To request a confirmation letter on behalf of your child, staff and faculty need to contact their Benefits Representative in Financial Services (see below).  Once received, your dependent can request to opt-out of the plan by visiting www.ihaveaplan.ca.

UBC Vancouver Campus:
Last name beginning A-L: Suzanne Chan: 604-827-3212
Last name beginning M-Z: Selma D’Silva: 604-822-8701
UBC Okanagan Campus: Wade Noseworthy, 250-807-8625

UBC Faculty or Staff Taking Credit Courses at UBC

Staff and Faculty who are taking undergraduate or graduate courses may opt out of the UBC Student Health Plan.  To opt-out of the UBC AMS/GSS Student Health Plan, staff and faculty must provide confirmation of their coverage under the UBC Extended Health Plan. The quickest way is to visit www.sunlife.ca/member and print their Sun Life coverage card. To make a request to opt-out of the plan, visit www.ihaveaplan.ca.

Filed under: Benefits, Faculty, Professional Development, Staff, UBC Okanagan, UBC University-Wide, UBC Vancouver | Tags: , , , ,

MSP Premium Rates Increasing in 2011

Posted by: | December 6, 2010 | no comments

Premium rates for the provincial Medical Services Plan (MSP) are increasing, effective Jan. 1, 2011. UBC Employees who pay their MSP premiums through payroll deduction will see the increased cost on their Dec. 31, 2010 paycheque.

The new premiums will increase by $3.50 per month for individuals and $7 per month for couples and families. The new rates are:

  • Single:  $60.50
  • Couple (family of two):  $109.00
  • Family (family of three or more):  $121.00

The UBC employer and employee cost-sharing percentages for calculating MSP premium deductions will remain unchanged.  For example, employees who pay 75% of the MSP monthly premium will continue to pay 75% of the new premium rate. Please note that MSP deductions are taken one month in advance, so you will see the increased deduction on the Dec. 31, 2010 paycheques for employees who pay the full or partial cost.

For a detailed list of the adjusted monthly rates by employee group and premium cost-sharing arrangement, please visit the UBC Human Resources Benefits Premium Rates page.

Filed under: Benefits, Staff and Faculty, University of British Columbia | Tags: , ,

New Benefits FYI: Fall 2010 edition

Posted by: | October 28, 2010 | no comments

Read Benefits FYI today!

The Fall 2010 issue of Benefits FYI is here! Check out this edition, which features stories on:

  • New Sun Life sign-in page for plan members
  • The UBC Health Challenge
  • Benefits at the UBC Thrive Wellness Fair

Read Benefits FYI: Fall 2010 online.

Filed under: Benefits, Faculty, Staff, Staff and Faculty, University of British Columbia | Tags:

BEST: Workplace Language Program

Posted by: | September 13, 2010 | no comments

Dates:

Tuesday Sessions:  Every Tuesday from September 21- December 7

Thursday Sessions: Every Thursday from September 23- Dec 9

Time: 2-5pm

Cost: Free to UBC Staff and Faculty

Location: Library Processing Centre, Room B 132

BEST is an English program based on a philosophy that learners become more literate by writing and editing their own texts in a supportive environment. Learners share around the worktable what they have written, so that they can also practice speaking and listening skills.

The program will be of interest to employees wanting to learn to write memos, messages or stories with ease, or improve their writing and communication skills to achieve their personal and career goals, whether English is their first or second language.

Learners attend class once a week, for 12 weeks. Each session is 3 hours. Please choose one of either the Tuesday or Thursday session. Classes are small, with a maximum of 15 participants per class and up to three instructors, so learners may have one-on-one support.

Click here to register

Filed under: Benefits, Human Resources, Organizational Development and Learning, Professional Development, Staff and Faculty, UBC Vancouver

New Benefits FYI: Summer 2010 edition

Posted by: | August 20, 2010 | no comments

The Summer 2010 issue of Benefits FYI has been released! Check out our latest edition, which features stories on:

  • The New Benefits Website
  • Sun Life Closes Edmonton Office
  • Going Green Update
  • New Requirements for Orthopaedic Shoes and Orthotics

Read Benefits FYI: Summer 2010

Filed under: Benefits, Faculty, Staff, Staff and Faculty, University of British Columbia | Tags: ,

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