ACER-CART Report  EMR in the

ACER-CART REPORT, JUNE, 2012

By Wayne Hughes, rtaM President

The ACER-CART AGM was held in Ottawa May 31, June 1 and 2. Barb McDole, Vice President and Wayne Hughes, President, attended as representatives from RTAM.

The meeting was well attended by representatives from all 10 provinces. Each province presented reports for their organizations. The written reports of each province are in the ACER-CART binder being circulated with the reading file. Two reports, in particular, have been included in the reading file, namely, the Health and Insurance Committee Report and the Pension and Retirement Income Committee Report. These reports will be placed on our new web site in upcoming months.

The total budget for ACER-CART is extremely small (approximately $40,000). In fact, they are forecasting a deficit budget for the upcoming year. Consequently, an increase in dues was unanimously passed to cut the deficit in half. Up to now the dues have been 25 cents per member and that will be increased to 35 cents or approximately an $800 increase for RTAM.

ACER-CART is recommending that member associations name or elect a person other than its President as the ACER-CART delegate who would serve for at least two or even three years. The President would still attend but only as a non-voting observer. I think this may be an excellent idea which would promote more stability for ACER-CART. The RTAM board will be discussing this approach and may make a recommendation for a By-Law to allow this type of appointment. I believe this approach would also raise the profile of this very worthwhile organization of over 118,400 retired teachers across Canada.

Stay tuned for developments.

CONSUMERS CAUTIONED AbOUT CAR DEAlERS WHO ClAIM POOR CREDIT HISTORY NO bARRIER TO PURCHASE

Customers paying inflated prices; being pressured into buying or leasing vehicles. - Consumer protection office

The Manitoba Consumer Protection Office is urging consumers shopping for a vehicle to be cautious about car sales businesses that offer in-house/ private financing for customers with credit history problems. The office has had complaints from consumers about car loans they received in which the price charged for the car was much higher than its value and the interest rate was also unreasonably high. Car shoppers should understand all terms and conditions of any loan agreement they sign and pay special attention to: • any large fees for things such as preparing the loan documents, • the interest charged, • what will happen if they miss a payment, and • how long it will take them to pay back the loan.

In addition, consumers are also advised to beware of any car seller who places extreme pressure on customers to sign contracts but does not provide the customer with enough time to read and understand the contract terms before signing.

Complaints registered with the Consumer Protection Office indicate that some customers are not being given important information about their contract and they may have liens placed on their homes or other property without realizing this could happen. Some customers thought they owned the vehicle when, in fact, the documents they signed were for a lease.

It appears these business practices are often focused on customers with poor credit histories who lack options for getting a car. When shopping for a car, consumers are reminded that: • You cannot sign away or give up your rights under the Consumer

Protection Act. It is an offence for any business to ask you to do this. If you leave a deposit on a vehicle, make sure you understand the conditions and whether you can get your money back.

Read everything you sign and ask questions about anything you don't understand in the contract.

Don't sign any documents or agree to anything that isn't clear.

If a dealer is pressuring you or if you feel uneasy, find another business to work with. Consumers who believe they may have been pressured or treated unfairly are encouraged to contact the Consumer Protection Office at 204945-3800 or 1-800-782-0067 (toll-free) or email consumers@gov.mb.ca. Helpful tips for consumer protection when buying a vehicle are available on the Consumer Protection Office website at www.gov.mb.ca/cca/ cpo/.

bE CAREFUl WITH TRAvEl HEAlTH INSURANCE

david christianson, reprinted with permission

It’s likely a bit risky for me to suggest now is the time to start planning your winter vacation or your sojourn to warmer climates. Summer is short enough . . . But the mail I have received from Snowbird MediQuote and MediPac Insurance this week have reminded me there are early bird specials available, with deadlines as early as August 15. Maybe the best reason to look at your insurance needs and have a policy approved now is your health can change at any time. If a policy has been secured and at least partly paid based on your current good health, you will have it in place for this year (but confirm this with the insurance company or your broker.) In case you have forgotten why you need travel insurance, an illness or accident while you are outside Canada will easily cost you thousands—and can cost you hundreds of thousands – of dollars in medical costs. Only a small fraction of these services are reimbursed by provincial medical plans. I remember how shocked I was when an official of an insurance company told me they had received a claim from a U.S. hospital for more than $300,000 for a client who had a heart attack and was in intensive care for 10 days before the insurance company could safely get them into an air ambulance home. Your provincial health care will reimburse you for costs incurred only based on provincial rates for the same service. This is only a fraction of the actual costs for American medical services. Provincial coverage is capped at between $150 and $450 a day, while the actual costs in a U.S hospital can run to $10,000 a day, plus extra charges for everything from cotton balls and Band-Aids, on up We still refer to my son’s three-hour visit to a Montana ski hill medical clinic as the $2,000 flu—and he only saw a physician’s assistant. (This included the $80 charge for each $5 bag of saline solution.) A car accident, slip-and-fall, or a mild illness can be painful, financially. A serious illness or accident without travel health insurance coverage could bankrupt you. With that need in mind, let’s look at some details. The first issue may be pre-existing conditions. If you have had an illness or you are being treated for a medical condition, be sure to disclose everything on your insurance application form. You may get the bad news your condition will not be covered, but better to know now than after something happens on a trip and you find yourself unprotected. Failure to fully disclose all conditions potentially gives the insurance company grounds to withhold payments on the entire policy, even if the claim is unrelated to the omitted condition. Many pre-existing situations can be covered if the condition has been stable and if the medication has been consistent for an extended period of time. A change in medication - even for the better - can prevent you from getting coverage, so a good tip is to see your doctor in the spring and make any prescription changes then, so you can be stable for six months before the policy takes effect. It’s all complicated, so I suggest getting expert help in the form of an independent broker like Snowbird MediQuote (www.mediquote.ca), which helps people connect with the right insurance company, based on the traveller’s age, destination, length of stay and health issues. People with medical conditions need to have a personalized insurance quotation prepared and shop around, as different insurance companies have different approval policies. Many travel agents also have training and experience with travel insurance, so if you are booking through an agent, be sure to discuss your insurance options with them, especially if you have no medical issues. If your travels will not include the United States, you may qualify for much cheaper coverage with some companies, so make sure you look into that. This just makes sense, because most other countries, such as Mexico, have reasonable costs for health care compared to America. There are also muli-trip policies available. Please read and try to understand your entire policy, any coverage exclusions and terms. Keep copies of the emergency claim numbers and procedures and also leave these with family members. Above all, disclose everything on your application. Better to be safe than sorry. Bon voyage!

David Christianson is a fee-for-service financial planner with Wellington West Total Wealth Management In., a Portfolio Manager (Restricted) dchristianson@wellwest.ca.