BECOMING AN ENDORSING HOSPITAL
Do you have employees not covered by a group health, life or long-term disability plan?
Do you have employees losing their benefits at retirement?
With the growing costs of medical expenses and the need to protect their income, many employees who are not covered under a traditional hospital group benefit plan lack cost-effective options for health, dental, life and long term disability insurance.
The Solution
The Health Care Providers Group Insurance Plan (HCP) is a unique program of true group benefits specifically designed for part-time, casual, temporary, contract hospital employees and hospital retirees. Launched in 1997, the plan has now grown to include over 145 hospital sites.
With feedback from HR managers, we considered how employees move around in the hospital and how their hours may differ, or their employment status may change and created 3 unique benefits packages.
Signature Package
Includes Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability Accidental Death, Disease and Dismemberment. A great complimentary offer to those with existing health and dental coverage! Eligible to employees under age 65 working 18 hours or more per week.
Supreme Package
Offers the same core benefits as Signature plus Extended Health Care and Optional Dental! This is a good fit for those who do not have any coverage elsewhere. Eligible to employees under age 65 working 18 hours or more per week.
Standard Package
Offers the same Extended Health Care and Optional Dental that is offered in the Supreme Package. This package is designed for future retirees, those over age 65 or under the age of 65 working less than 18 hours per week
Unlike virtually any other group plan, HCP is available to individual employees and their families on a voluntary basis. It is a great option that will provide a full offering or compliment your existing offering to your staff.
How Does it Work?
Because of the uniqueness of the HCP plan, it is administered entirely by the HCP team, so all we ask is that Human Resources share the availability of the program to eligible employees. There is no cost to the hospital to endorse the HCP program as the program is fully paid by the employee.
How Do Your Employees Benefit from Your Endorsement?
While employees at any hospital may join the plan, employees of endorsing hospitals receive a more robust level of coverage, guaranteed.
HCP & Our Partners
HCP is owned and operated by HMA The BENEFITS People, which was established in 1984.
The HCP Team is supported by a strong group of client focused individuals, including our plan partners who play an integral role in the HCP plan. Extended health care and dental plans provided and underwritten by GreenShield Canada Insurance™ and life insurance, long term disability and accidental death, disease, and dismemberment provided and underwritten by The Cooperators.
What Our Endorsing Hospitals Are Saying
HCP has been offering coverage options to our part-time and retiree staff since 2016.
HCP provides all the information necessary to make the process quick and painless. It’s an easy, low maintenance, no cost option to provide to staff.
The team at HCP is always willing to assist us and our staff with any questions we may have and we value their continued focus on supporting our front line health care workers. They truly care about us.
HR departments are constantly looking to improve offerings to their part-time casual staff, but are limited in both finances and time, that's why I believe that every hospital should endorse the HCP program.
It's free, and HCP does the work.
Anna, HR Manager
Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital
Natasha, Human Resources
Brockville General Hospital
Darrell, VP of HR (Retired)
Royal Victoria Hospital
What does it mean to be an Endorsing Hospital?
Becoming an endorsing hospital gives you the opportunity to offer a 60-day open window to your employees.
A 60-day open window offers better guaranteed coverage reserved for endorsing hospital groups.
60 day open windows are offered the first 60 days within the initial implementation period, 60 days from date of hire for new employees, 60 days from loss of existing coverage (through spouse, at retirement, attainment of term age for full time benefits or transfer from full-time employment).
Support from a team of service professionals, there to assist you and your employees at any time.
Option for our team to attend wellness events, employee fairs, information sessions or other special occasions at your hospital.
Availability of a wide variety of marketing and promotional material to help support you in your endeavour to communicate the plan to your employees.
Becoming an Endorsing Hospital is Easy
Determine Initial 60 Day Open Window Time Frame – Pick a 60 day time frame (initial implementation period) starting on the first of a month that works for your hospital. Your hospital endorsement date is equal to that start date. During the initial 60- day open window, all eligible active employees would be guaranteed the core Life, LTD, ADD&D (depending on employment status and hours) and the complete or complete plus health plan with no medical questions.
Who’s Eligible to Apply during the initial open window? – Part time, Causal, Temporary and Contract employees. The initial open window is not extended to retirees unless the hospital has a group of retirees that they are still in contact with and that they can provide a list to HCP ahead of the open enrollment. Employees must be actively at work (not on disability or maternity leave) to be eligible.
Communication is Key! – The key to a successful implementation is communicating the open window to all eligible employees. HCP provides all marketing material to the hospital.
Open Window Employee Letter – To be sent out digitally by the hospital to all eligible employees. Employee letters will include links to a unique web page created for the initial hospital open window.
Webinars – HCP will host several employee sessions during the initial open window period.
Reminders – To be sent out digitally by the hospital to all eligible employees during the open window period.
Enrollment Packages – We will provide digital versions of the enrollment package to share with employees.
HCP One Sheet – We will provide you with both digital and print copies of the HCP One Sheet to share with employees.
Pay Stub Message – Include a message about the open window on employees pay stub. We can provide the language.
Laminated Posters – Can provide posters that are specific to the open enrollment.
My Hospital is Now Endorsing
Communication is still key! - Once your hospital is endorsing, you continue to communicate the availability of the HCP program to eligible employees because 60 day open windows don’t end at implementation! It is also offered to employees within 60 days from date of hire for new employees, 60 days from loss of existing group coverage (through a spouse, at retirement, attainment of term age for full time benefits or transfer from full time employment).
It is crucial that HR informs eligible employees when they could be eligible for an open window by mentioning HCP in the offer, transfer or retiree letters. HCP will provide you with suggested wording.
Form Completion – We require documentation to confirm if an employee is in an open window. When the employee submits an enrollment they can provide a copy of their offer, transfer, benefit loss or retiree letter which will include the date of the change or you may have an employee reach out to you from time to time asking you to complete a 60 day offer form on their behalf. It is a very simple short form and we will provide you with both digital and print copies.
You may also be asked to complete an employers statement should an employee ever submit a long term disability claim.
Marketing Material – HCP will continue to provide you with marketing material to help get the word out about the program. If you run out, please let us know.
What if an employee enrolled on the plan needs to cancel or make a change to the HCP coverage? - Employees or retirees that enroll in the plan are responsible for updating HCP of any changes to their employment status or circumstances including, change of address, name, family composition, banking information or any significant change.
