Member Benefits Survey Results to January 31, 2014

son/Telus for many paramedical practitioners and vision care providers. To find out if your healthcare provider offers eClaims, ask your healthcare provider’s office directly, or search the online listings at www.telushealth.com/ solutions-for-consumers. Just submit your postal code for the nearest providers using eClaims. If your clinic has not subscribed to the Telus eClaims system, you can submit your original receipts for paramedical services and vision using your personalized claim form.

Claims submission questions? Don’t hesitate to contact your Johnson Claims Representative at 1-877-413-6599 or via email at: pbclaimswest@johnson.ca. You can also find answers to other claims submission questions by viewing RTAM’s “Claim Submission FAQ’s” located at www.johnson.ca/rtam

OVERVIEW OF ALL RTAM BENEFIT PLANS

Most RTAM members who responded to the recent survey were very satisfied with the communications of the benefits and are interested in more coverage, depending on the impact on rates.

RTAM members are now eligible for a wide array of voluntary insurance options to meet their needs, including: • Premier Emergency Medical Travel Insurance (Full RTAM members Only) –Multiple trips of 62 DAYS duration

–Optional per trip supplementary travel extensions up to 212 days –Up to $7,000 Trip Cancellation, Interruption & Delay Insurance per insured per trip • MEDOC Emergency Medical Travel Insurance (All RTAM Members) –Base plan covers multiple trips up to 17 OR 35 DAYS each –Optional per trip supplementary travel extensions up to 212 days –Up to $8,000 Trip Cancellation, Interruption & Delay Insurance per insured per trip • Stand Alone Trip Cancellation and trip Interruption (All RTAM Members) –Additional $6,000 per insured per year –Subject to pre-existing condition limitation. • Extended Health Care (Basic and Enhanced Plan Options) –Dental Care –Long Term Care Insurance –Guaranteed or Term Life Insurance –Home Insurance

For further questions and plan information, please call our RTAM office at 204-889-3660, or RTAM’s Plan Administrator Johnson Inc. toll-free at 1-877-989-2600, or visit the website www.johnson.ca.rtam.

RTAM would like to thank all the members who participated in the December 2013 RTAM Voluntary Group Insurance Benefit Plan survey. This article gives the highlights of the survey and recommends a follow-up study to validate the results with more feedback, which will be taken into consideration for the April 2015 renewal.

CONGRATULATIONS!

The first highlight is to congratulate Larry Moore of Winnipeg Beach for being the survey contest’s lucky winner. Participants were eligible to enter a draw for a $200 prize sponsored by Johnson. Larry indicated that this was a pleasant surprise!

DEMOGRAPHICS

Demographics can impact benefit selection and survey responses. • Of the 65 participants in the survey, 51 were members of at least one of the RTAM benefit plans. • Family status was predominantly couple coverage at 62%. • 18 of the 53 respondents to age were in the age band 55-64; 26 between 65-74; and 9 respondents were 75 years and older. • Geographically, 46 of the participants reside in Manitoba, 6 in BC and 1 in Ontario. Of the 46 who reported MB postal codes, 25 reside in Winnipeg, 11 in rural

MB, and 10 in Brandon, Dauphin, Portage la Prairie,

St. Adolphe, Ste. Anne, or Steinbach.

COVERAGE

Of those plan members who responded, many had more than one plan, with 39 covered by Premier Travel, 33 with EHC coverage, 16 with Dental Care, 5 with MEDOC Travel, 4 with life insurance, 3 with Stand Alone Trip Cancellation, and 1 with Home insurance. There were no responses from Long Term Care plan members.

BENEFIT IMPROVEMENTS

Most respondents identified the need for benefit improvements in one or more categories: drugs (27), vision care (23), hearing aids (22), eye exams (17), paramedical practitioners (14), dentures / implants (15), and Premier Travel (13) to name a few.

To the key question for renewal purposes “Would you be willing to pay more monthly benefit premiums for new or improved benefits beyond the level currently provided by the RTAM Voluntary Group Insurance Benefit Plan? 30 answered yes; 24 no.

Of the 30 who would be willing to pay more for improved coverage, drugs, vision and hearing aids were indicated improvements by 13-17 of respondents; Dental by 6-12 respondents and Premier Travel / Trip Cancellation by 7-11 respondents.

COMMUNICATIONS

Communications and awareness of benefit options are key to informed decision making and financial planning. • 49 of 53 responded YES to the question “Are you happy with the level of communication regarding the RTAM

Voluntary Group Insurance Benefit Plan?” • 33 of the 53 responded YES to the question “Has this survey raised your awareness of the RTAM Voluntary

Group Insurance Benefit Plan?”

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Many participants took the time to add additional comments, adding to the qualitative value of the survey results. Below are some of the general topics and questions raised by respondents: • Review and write articles on annual plan usage. • Warn members that current opinions can change drastically with a change in medical needs. • Recognize RTAM’s excellent Emergency Medical Travel coverage. • Promote personal electronic submissions (scans or faxes) of receipts for extended health benefits to help out with rising postal costs. • Provide different base plan trip durations (30, 62, 66) and premium payment frequencies (monthly or single premiums). • Discount premiums for healthy lifestyle (gym membership) and aging well (living longer and healthier). • Cover caregiver services. • Increase dental benefits and /or decrease premiums. • Improve ambulance to 100% coverage. • Control rising costs of health, dental and travel at higher ages. • Change maximum limits on health care to per Family versus per Individual. • Include the cost of improved benefits in the survey.

In summary, the response to the December 2013 survey has provided RTAM with important feedback on how to improve benefits. Given the importance of a higher level of participation for decision-making and the need to cost out the benefit improvements being considered, RTAM will likely be asking members for more specific input in September 2014 through this survey process. By starting sooner in the plan year review process, the feedback can be more directly reflected in the April 2015 renewal.

To view the entire survey, please visit the RTAM website www.rtam.mb.ca. For further questions and plan information, please call our RTAM office at 204-889-3660 or RTAM’s Plan Administrator Johnson Inc. toll-free at 1-877-989-2600.

Years

RETIRED TEACHERS’

ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBA

RETIRED TEACHERS’

ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBA

The Retired Teachers’ Association of Manitoba was established by interested retired teachers. We consider ourselves to be 25 years old this year. Happy Birthday, RTAM!