DATE:May 15, 2014
TO:All members insured under the Saskatchewan School Boards Employee Benefits Plan.
FROM:Jeff McNaughton, Director Employee Benefits Plan
RE:2014 – 2015 Employee Benefit Rate Renewal Information
The Saskatchewan School Boards Association Employee Benefits Plan's group insurance program offers a full range of Life, Disability, Health, Dental and Employee Family Assistance benefits to the non-teaching employees, their families, and the trustees of member school boards across Saskatchewan. The benefits plan is sponsored through the Saskatchewan School Boards Association, which acts as the third-party administrator and policyholder.
Our Health, Vision and Dental plan is self-insured through an Administrative Services Arrangement (ASO) in partnership with Manulife Financial. Our Life, LTD and Accident coverages are insured with Manulife.
The rate changes this year are influenced by multiple factors. Life and Accident coverages require an increase due to increases in claims over the past year. As well, the employee-paid LTD benefits require increases, due to rising incidence and duration of LTD claims over the past two years. Even so, this year’s rates are still substantially lower than prior to 2010 due to the 30% decrease in 2010, the 12.5% decrease in 2012 and the 14.2 % decrease last year.
This year the EBP department conducted a structural review of our administrative fees, which led to a more appropriate allocation amongst the benefits, and which is reflected in the change in benefit premium rates.
All rate changes are effective September 1, 2014.
Self-Insured Benefits (Administrative Services Only)
Extended Health Coverage 0 % change
Vision Coverage (Plan A, Plan B) 0 % change
Dental Coverage 13 % decrease
There are no plan enhancements scheduled for 2014.
Manulife - Insured Benefits:
Group Life 6 % rate increase
Dependent Life Insurance 6 % rate increase
Group Optional Life Insurance 0 %rate change
Group Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)
0 % rate change
Optional Critical Illness 0 % rate change
Disability Benefits: Weekly Indemnity and Long Term Disability
Weekly Indemnity0 % rate change
Long Term Disability Taxable4 % rate decrease
Long Term Disability Non-Taxable17 % rate increase
Employee Family Assistance Program (Resilience)
EFAP 0% rate change
All premiums for the 2014– 2015 policy year will continue to be collected on a 10 month basis.
Please call me at (306) 569-0750 ext 129 with any questions you may have.
Jeff McNaughton
Director, Employee Benefits Plan
Saskatchewan School Boards Association.
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