Updated: July 23 2020

On March 25, 2020, we let you know about your options for continuing coverage for employees on reduced hours. Because of COVID-19, many employees have been working reduced hours. They could fall under the minimum number of hours required for benefits coverage.

In the March communication we let you know that you could maintain coverage for reduced-hour employees for up to three months. We also recommended for you to not to reduce salary amounts in your administration system. This would ensure that we covered employees for their full benefit.

With the ongoing pandemic, we’ve made a change to this temporary practice. You may now maintain coverage for employees on reduced hours for six months, instead of three months.

• Focus Update for Clients with more than 50 employees
• Focus Update for Clients with fewer than 50 employees

Recent changes to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (ESA) could impact your coverage obligations under your group benefits plan.

Updated: June 23, 2020

Focus Update

Updated: June 23, 2020

Recent pandemic-related events have led to changes in many workplaces. This includes the need to lay off employees, sometimes on a permanent basis.

If you’re considering a workforce reduction, we can help support you and your employees when making this transition.

Options for access to coverage

Many departing plan members have questions about workplace health coverage. We encourage you to share this  postcard with them. It gives them the information they need to contact us right away. We’ll listen to their needs, discuss their options for continuing coverage, and put the right solution in place.

If you have any questions about post-termination benefits coverage for your plan members, please contact us. We’re here to help.

Updated: April 2, 2020

We want to make life claims administration easier.  For now, we’re accepting scanned, signed copies of life insurance claim forms and beneficiary nomination forms.  This means we can pay life insurance claims without the original signed copy.  We’ve put processes in place to handle claim payment where we can’t confirm a beneficiary. 

If you need either of these forms, but don’t have access to them, please contact your Sun Life Group Benefits representative, or contact our life claims office directly. 

Updated: April 16, 2020

These are uncertain times. We understand that you may have concerns about suspect claims made under your benefits plan. We’re here to reassure you. We continuously evolve our investigative strategies to address any new channels for suspect activity. This includes the potential for fraud and abuse related to virtual services offered by paramedical providers.

We have advanced data analytics, external partnerships and an experienced fraud risk management team. Together, these provide the capabilities we need to address new risks and changing trends.

Changing times, changing strategies

To follow physical distancing orders, plan members are now using more virtual services. We’ve also extended coverage for virtual services for some paramedical providers.

When we introduce a new product or service, we develop additional ways to reduce fraud and abuse risks. To address the anticipated rise of plan members using virtual services, we’ve taken the following actions:

• Communications with regulators. We’ve discussed virtual services with dental and paramedical regulators and associations to confirm the scope of virtual services offered.
• Increased monitoring. We’ve enhanced our monitoring of medical and dental claims across all plan member and provider submission channels. This monitoring accounts for the new and additional risks introduced in this environment. This includes introducing new fraud detection methods to adapt to the changing environment.
• Focus on providers and facilities. Our analytic capabilities can identify billing irregularities by provider and facility. This lets us take appropriate action against providers who may take advantage of benefits plans.

In addition to these actions, we continue our regular screening of claims and monitoring of all tips and referrals. We’ll continue asking plan members for additional information when needed to process claims.

Protecting your plan from fraud and abuse remains a priority for us.

Updated: February 17, 2021

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) confirmed that they consider HSA extensions of up to 12 months reasonable, due to COVID-19. In addition, the CRA changed the eligible period to extend unused credits. This extension now applies to credits expiring between March 15, 2020, and March 16, 2021. Previously the period was to end on December 31, 2020.

This change could help prevent plan members from losing credits due to reduced access to health and dental providers during this time.

At this time, CRA is not likely to allow extensions beyond March 16. We recommend that you discuss this option with your tax consultant or advisor.

You’ll find more information in this Focus Update.

If you’d like to apply the carry-forward extension to your HSA, please let us or your advisor know.