RTAM Benefits Update June 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: • Understanding your Benefit Choices • Advice for Comparing Travel Insurance Plans • Are Pre-existing Conditions Covered?

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BENEFIT CHOICES As an eligible RTAM member you can select any of the following benefits individually, depending on your coverage needs: • Extended Health Care Plan with Eldercare – Core – 80% Drug coverage up to $500 per person per year. – Enhanced – 100% Drug coverage up to Pharmacare Deductible • Dental Care • Travel – Premier Travel – Base Plan -- Multiple trips up to 62 days per trip – MEDOC Travel – Base Plan – Multiple Trips up to 17 or 35 days per trip – Supplementary Plans -- Single Trips up to 212 Days – Trip Cancellation -- Included in Travel (plus extra stand-alone option) • Home Insurance • Life Insurance (Guaranteed Issue or Term Life Insurance) • Long Term Care Insurance

ADVICE FOR COMPARING TRAVEL INSURANCE PLANS Travel insurance is essential because: • Provincial Health Plans do not cover major out-of-country medical costs • Emergency situations can happen anywhere, anytime • Your Private Health Insurance Plan may not cover travel medical expenses Know before you buy! • In comparing travel insurance plans to ensure you purchase adequate coverage, consider the following advice: • Travel Insurance plans only cover “Emergency” events arising from sudden and unforeseeable circumstances, not routine treatment. • Familiarize yourself with the General Exclusions & Limitations in all policies as they apply to all policyholders. • Read your policy and understand how it applies to you. • Understand how the policy treats pre-existing conditions.

If you have questions about your specific situation, ask your carrier and your doctor before you buy.

ARE PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS COVERED UNDER RTAM’S EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRAVEL COVERAGE? RTAM offers two travel plans: • Premier Travel – for Full Members Only • MEDOC Travel – for Full and Associate Members

Both Premier Travel and MEDOC Travel Plans cover eligible expenses related to a pre-existing condition, as long as the Emergency is deemed “Sudden and Unforeseen” by the insured person’s medical history and the insurer. MEDOC has an additional limitation, a 90 day stability clause, described below.

The following information relates to the definition of a “Sudden and Unforeseen Emergency.”

Premier Travel Under RTAM’s Premier Travel Plan, an Emergency is defined as any sudden and unexpected illness or injury which takes place during an insured trip and requires immediate medical treatment by a licensed Physician, Nurse Practitioner, Dentist or Dental Surgeon. The “sudden and unforeseen” aspect translates into the sudden onset of a medi-

cal condition, manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity that the absence of immediate medical attention could result in: • permanently placing the individual’s health in jeopardy; • serious impairment to bodily functions; • serious impairment and dysfunction of any bodily organ or part; or • other serious medical consequences.

Note: Immediate contact to your insurance provider is necessary to ensure expenses are covered. Call Premier Travel Assistance Provider (Sigma Assistel) toll-free at 1-877-775-3695

MEDOC Travel In addition to the requirement that an Emergency is “Sudden and Unforeseen”, the MEDOC Travel plan has a 90 day stability clause related to pre-existing conditions. It does not cover pre-existing conditions incurred directly or indirectly as a result of a medical condition or related condition (other than a minor ailment), if in the 90 days before your day of departure or day of booking, that medical condition or

Teachers for Teachers

VoCaTIonal TRaInInG TeaM (VTT)

Rotary District 5550 is looking for experienced qualified teachers from MB, SK, Western ON to participate in a Vocational Training Team (VTT) to go to Ethiopia in Northern Africa.

The details are to be finalized but we’d like to send a team of teachers, under the leadership of Rotarian Chris Clinton, Rotary Club of Prince Albert, SK, to be a resource team for schools in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. This trip would occur in the fall 2015.

Mr. Clinton has had extensive experience in Ethiopia. “We want to bring 10 (retired) teachers to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, to act as mentors for four weeks with practicing teachers.” Most expenses would be covered for international travel, hosting in country, etc. but there would naturally be personal expenses covered by the individual. A tour after the mentorship program is possible. related condition was not “stable.”

In general, “Stable” means any medical condition or related condition, other than a minor ailment, for which there has been no change in symptoms, diagnosis, treatment or prescribed medication (some exceptions apply). “Stable” also means that there has been no hospitalization, or referral to a specialist and no further investigation for which results are pending.

Note: Immediate contact to your travel insurance provider is necessary to ensure expenses are covered. Call the MEDOC Claims Assistance Centre (Global Excel Management Inc.) toll-free at 1-800-709-3420

Know before you go!

If you have questions about your specific preexisting condition situation, ask Johnson, your carrier and your doctor before you travel.

For further questions and detailed plan information, please call our RTAM office at 204-8893660, 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)

ROTARY DISTRICT 5550 ROTARY FOUNDATION

The VTT members DO NOT need to be Rotarians but they must be experienced teachers who can clearly provide invaluable mentorship. A pre-trip orientation and a post-trip debriefing are required. You can learn much more about Rotary and VTT by going online to www.rotary.org

Please forward a Letter-of-Intent prior to entering into the application process. Indicate your personal contact information, your interest in Rotary and your education and experience that would qualify you to be a part of this VTT Ethiopia “Teachers for Teachers.”

For more information contact Gailmarie Anderson, VTT Chair - Rotary District 5550

Email: melfort.museum@sasktel.net

Phone: (306) 752-5870 (work) (306) 752-2414 (home) (306) 921-9788 (cell)

Address: Box 465, Melfort, SK S0E 1A0

Manitoba Normal School Class of 1952-1953

Celebration of the 62nd Anniversary, September 7, 8, 9, 2015 Neepawa, Manitoba. We have three days of activities planned with lots of visiting and renewing friendships. If you are a graduate from the Class of 1952-1953 and have not received information from us we can be contacted by email or phone as listed below. Contact Ivan or Pat Traill, 204-476-5165 or pat_ivan@wcgwave.ca / Evelyn (Houck) McConnell 204-476- 5731

Winnipegosis 100th Celebration July 10, 11 & 12, 2015 (Save the date!)

The organizing committee cordially invites all retired former teachers of Winnipegosis area schools to help celebrate the village centennial. For further info: www.winnipegosis100th.com

DR. LOUISA LOEB

PERMIT TEACHERS OF MANITOBA 11th Annual Reunion Viscount Gort Hotel 1670 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB Thursday, July 9, 2015 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Registration: 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

For further information, contact Edith Alexiuk, Registrar - 204-256-6484

60th Reunion

Sir John Franklin Public School Kindergarten class of 1954-1955 September 7 and 8, 2015.

Contact: Walter Badger: 204-467 5838 badgerw@mymts.net Derek Legge: 204 837 1290/dlegge@mts.net

The Manitoba Teachers’ Society seeks

photos, artifacts and other records of teaching and Society activities from 1919 to the present. The Manitoba Teachers’ Call Mireille Theriault at 204-888-7961 ext Society seeks photos, artifacts and 354 or email mtheriault@mbteach.org

other records of teaching and

Society activities

from 1919 to the present. The Pas School Reunion 1955-75

August 1 - 2, 2015 All are welcome! CanCelleD Register early via: Facebook: "The Pas School Reunion" or http:///thepasschoolreunion1955-75.weebly.com/

The Brandon (College) University Teacher Training Class of 1960

will be celebrating our 55th Anniversary at the BU reunion on the weekend of Oct. 16, 2015. We look forward to seeing you then. For information contact Bowslaugh.pat@bsd.ca

Ye Ole Rusty Classic

Minnewasta Golf & Country Club (Morden) will be hosting the Retired Teachers’ Golf Tournament on September 8, 2015.

The Official Entry Form will be on the RTAM website on July 3, 10:00 A.M. Go to http://bit.ly/1HEYJB4

Entries will be accepted only by mail on the Official Entry Form.

CMEA 2015 National Conference

From July 9th -11th 2015 Music Educators from Canada and the United States will be gathering in Winnipeg to attend the Canadian Music Educators National Conference at the Delta Hotel and RBC Conference Centre on Friday and Saturday with a kick off at the Manitoba Human Rights Museum on Thursday evening. For further information please consult the Conference website www.cmeaconference.ca

The CMEA National Conference Committee is looking for volunteers to help with the conference.

Volunteer positions with the Committee could include such tasks as stuffing conference bags, guiding conference attendees to sessions, introducing and thanking Session presenters, helping at the Registration Desk etc. If , as a member of RTAM you would be interested in helping out as a volunteer and lending a hand for a few hours please contact Barbara Warrack as Volunteer Chair of the National Conference at barb. warrack@mymts.net

Wanted

A copy of the reader used in Gr. 7 in Manitoba schools in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The publisher was COPP CLARK and the title was FAR HORIZONS. If there was a Gr. 8 reader, I would also be interested but I don’t remember the name of the Gr. 8 reader.

TUTORING - PARTNERS FOR LEARNING

Certified teachers with classroom experience for part time tutoring Grades 1-8 LA and Math, SY ELA , Pre-Cal and Essentials Math. Fax resume to Partners for Learning at 204-477-1124 or email at pfl1@mts.net.

DIsCoVeRY ToURs bY MCPHaIl TRaVel bRanDon “THe CIVIlIzeD WaY To ToUR!”

Choose: Cuba, Costa Rica, or El Salvador. And this year featuring Thailand. We personally design our tours with you, the traveller, in mind. • Small group size – never more than 20. • Leisurely paced staying 2 to 4 nights in each area • Reasonable daily start and end times, with time to relax • Balancing culture, nature and history • Specially arranged visits with local people where they work and live • Fully escorted by an experienced Canadian tour director and professional local guide • Departures January to March, all 2 week tours • And we have fun! After all, that’s what a vacation should be!

For more details visit www.cubadiscoverytours.com or call Erma At 1.800.417.0250 Monday through Friday, 9 - 5

June 15, 2015: 10th Anniversary of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. See spring issue and website (rtam.mb.ca) for details.

Help Lesotho, a Canadian NGO

working in the rural African country of Lesotho on education, leadership development and psychosocial support, seeks a retired education professional to help with building staff capacity. This ‘Professional Volunteer’ position is located in the town of Hlotse, Lesotho (southern Africa). The volunteer will mentor local staff and build their capacity in various areas, including management, facilitation, and conflict resolution. The position is unpaid, however flight and accommodation are provided. The ideal candidate would be willing to live in Lesotho for 4 – 6 months a year for at least two years. To learn more about this position, please visit http://www.helplesotho.org/who-we-are/the-team/ opportunities/ or call 613-369-5864. Retired? Looking for a meaningful volunteer activity with a great cause?

Good at making presentations and persuading people to do the “right thing”? Canadian Blood Services needs speakers and recruitment volunteers to educate Manitobans about the need for blood donations. Looking for volunteers in Winnipeg, in Brandon and in rural MB towns where we have blood donor clinics. Volunteer in your own community at the local school or various community events and help save lives of fellow Manitobans. All training provided. Contact Eltie Pearce, Coordinator of Volunteers 204-789-1135 or eltie.pearce@blood.ca

CUBA – ‘Spanish Studies in Cuba’ (Havana)

$2,500.00 CAD for 4 wks. Hotel with breakfast and dinner, tuition fee. (Air fare not included). 250-478-0494 ssic@telus.net / http://spanishstudiesincuba.ca