RTAM Benefits Update April 2015

The following information is being provided to RTAM members who are currently covered by RTAM’s benefit plans as well as those who may be considering enrolling in the plans: • Insurance Plan Renewals April 1, 2015 • Member Feedback and Survey Contest Winners • Frequently Asked Questions

insuRance plan ReneWals apRil 1, 2015

If you are currently covered by RTAM’s benefits plans, you will have received a renewal notification, a personalized benefit statement and a new Travel ID card (if you are covered for Premier Travel).

The RTAM Benefits Committee and the Plan Administrator, Johnson Inc. completed the annual renewal process for the insurance plan renewing on April 1, 2015. Below are some of the highlights.

a. eXTended HealTH caRe (eHc) plan HiGHliGHTs

We are pleased to announce there will be no premium increase to the EHC plan and we were able to incorporate some benefit improvements to both the Core and Enhanced Plans effective April 1, 2015. • Hearing Aids, Orthotics, Vision Care and Private Duty Nursing will be reimbursed to higher limits.

c. eldeRcaRe selecT seRvices

• We are pleased to announce that Eldercare

Select services will continue to be sponsored by our Plan Administrator, Johnson Inc., as a pilot project through to March 31, 2016. • Eldercare Select is a service designed to help you and your extended family through a challenging health or caregiving concern. It is available to all current and new members of the Extended

Health Care (EHC) Plans on a pilot project basis. Call toll free 1.888.327.1500 to speak to an Eldercare Select Care Specialist.

d. RaTe cHanGes effecTive apRil 1

All plans are negotiated on an annual basis and we are working to keep premium rates as low as possible for the best value to our members. We have negotiated minimal increases to Dental and Premier Travel rates. Extended Health Care rates remain the same, with the benefit increases noted above.

For plan questions, please call our RTAM office at 204-889-3660 or contact Johnson Inc. toll-free at 1-877-989-2600 or by email at pbservicewest@ johnson.ca. Complete plan details can be found on the website www.johnson.ca/rtam.

MeMbeR feedbacK suRvey Response and conTesT WinneRs

In the most recent issue of KIT, you may recall reading about the RTAM 2014 Voluntary Benefit Plan Member Survey, open until November 30, 2014, and conducted by Johnson Inc., RTAM’s Plan Administrator / Benefits Consultant. It focused on the question: What approximate additional monthly premium would you be willing to consider for new and improved benefits beyond the level currently provided by the RTAM Insurance Plans?

With over 600 responses, the survey provided the RTAM Benefits Committee useful member feedback for decision making on Plan design changes in the future. The majority of the respondents (57.4%) were from Winnipeg and in the age 65 to 74 age category (56.6%). Of the Members of the RTAM Voluntary Group Insurance Plans, the majority (72.8%) of the respondents indicated their dependent status as Family, while 22.7% of the respondents indicated Single dependent status.

The survey indicates overall satisfaction of the current RTAM Plans. Less than half of the responses (41.5%) indicated the benefit level needed to be improved. Similarly, less than half (41.5%) would be willing to pay more monthly benefit premiums for new or improved benefits beyond the level currently provided by the RTAM Plan. The top benefit improvements preferred, depending on the cost, would be increased coverage maximums for Prescription Drugs, Hearing Aids,

Vision Care, :and Dental Care. With respect to the qualitative responses, there was a request for more clarity when reading about the health issues and if coverage is allowed or not.

Thanks to all RTAM members who completed the survey, as it is important to hear from as many RTAM members as possible. All those who completed the survey were entered into a draw for one of two $200 gift cards of your choice.

Congratulations to the two winners:

Rose Wadelius and Isadore Burdeniuk!

fReQuenTly asKed QuesTions

As noted by the survey responses above, knowing when you are covered, what is covered and what is not covered is critical information. It applies to all types insurance protection, travel insurance in particular, as shown in the following FAQs.

Change of travel Plans? Both RTAM’s Premier Travel and MEDOC Travel Insurance Plans offer supplementary coverage for longer trips up to 212 days. Whether you’ve missed your cruise ship departure and decide to stay in Florida, or you decide to extend your trip, it is important that you have accurate coverage for the full duration of your travels. Many insurers won’t extend coverage if there has been any lapse. Whenever plans change, always ask yourself, “Am I still covered?”, and remember to call your insurance advisor.

What events are covered for trip Cancellation? Under the RTAM Premier Travel Insurance Plan, Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption and Delay benefits are covered where applicable upon the occurrence of any of 14 events, including • Death, Injury or Sickness of an Insured Person, an Extended Family Member, a Close Business

Associate, or a Travelling Companion.

For more information on the other 13 covered events, please refer to your RTAM Premier Travel Certificate of Insurance, which is posted on the website www.johnson.ca/rtam. What events are not covered for trip Cancellation? It is just as important to be familiar with the limitations and exclusions of your insurance policy. For example, Trip cancellation does not cover losses that result from insolvency or work stoppage of a travel supplier.

A work stoppage such as a strike is not a covered plan event under most Travel plans, including Premier Travel. In some cases the credit card used in booking the travel will cover trip cancellation expenses. Ultimately, customers are to interact with the carrier or their travel agency to make arrangements to find other flights or cancel through them.

How do I submit a claim? Did You Know that Most Health and Dental Claims Can be Submitted Electronically to the Plan?

Submitting your RTAM Health and Dental Benefit Claims directly to the plan can save you and your health care provider time. For example, Electronic Claims (eClaims) submission is available through Johnson/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.

Other 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.

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 and click on Frequently Asked Questions (Plan FAQ or Claim Submission FAQ).