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The HÂþ»­ University Employee Benefits Committee (EBC) recently reviewed the annual renewal recommendations for the insured benefits program. Through this process the claims experience of each of the benefit plans were examined and the Committee agreed that the following premium rates are required, effective April 1, 2013.

A) Group Life Benefits (Manulife) - During the past fiscal year (2011-12), the claims experience of the plan has resulted in an increase of 15 percent in the contract rate. The university pays 100% of this premium and thus employees will see no change to their contributions.

B) Survivor Income Benefits (Manulife) - The claims experience for this plan increasedÌý significantly over the past year and therefore the Committee accepted the insurer's recommendation of a 39.1 percent increase in the contract rate and a 15 percent increase in the remitted rate. This means that the monthly remitted rate will change from 0.167 percent to 0.192 percent. This benefit is cost shared 50/50 between the employee and the university. As a result, employees will see a slight increase to their monthly deduction.

For example, employees with a gross monthly salary of:
ÌýÌý $2,500 will see an increase of $0.31 per monthÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌý Ìý
ÌýÌý $5,000 will see an increase of $0.63 per month
ÌýÌý $7,500 will see an increase of $0.94 per month

C) Long Term Disability (Manulife) - The LTD claims experience has increased this past year. Therefore, the Committee agreed to increase the premium by 20 percent to 1.114 percent of salary.

For example, employees with an annual salary of:
ÌýÌý $30,000 will see an increase of $4.65 per month
ÌýÌý $60,000 will see an increase of $9.30 per month
ÌýÌý $90,000 will see an increase of $13.95 per month Ìý

D) Major Medical Insurance (Medavie Blue Cross) - The HÂþ»­ Health plan is operated on an Administrative Services Only (ASO) basis. This means that the premium collected is used to pay the member's claims plus a fee for claims administration. This year there will be a decrease of 5.4 percent in the contributions for this plan. This benefit is cost shared 40/60 between the employee and the University and thus the following employee contribution rates will begin April 1, 2013.Ìý
Ìý
ÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Current Rates per MonthÌýÌýÌýÌý Effective April 1, 2013
SingleÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý 21.03ÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 20.13
FamilyÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý 60.17ÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 57.39

E)Ìý Health Travel Coverage (SSQ Financial Group) - The premium that members pay for travel coverage is included in the health rate and is based on an insured plan provided by SSQ. The Committee has accepted the rate increase requested by the insurer and proposed by the consultant which in this case is an increase of 49 percent. This means that the current single rate of $1.09 will increase to $1.62 of which 40% is paid by the employee. However, in combination with the decrease in major medical rates, the employee will not notice a significant change to their monthly deduction.

F)Ìý Dental Plan (Medavie Blue Cross) - The HÂþ»­ Dental Plan is also administered on an Administrative Services Only (ASO) basis. This past year the experience, when combined with the projected claims experience for the 2012-13, resulted in a decrease of 3.4 percent that was approved by the Committee. Therefore, effective April 1st 2013, the following employee contribution rates will be in place.Ìý

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Current Rates per MonthÌýÌýÌýÌý Effective April 1, 2013
Orthodontics Ìý ÌýÌýÌý Ìý Ìý SingleÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌýÌýÌý 24.79ÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 23.95
ÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý ÌýÌý FamilyÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 63.06ÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 60.91
Non OrthodonticsÌýÌýÌý SingleÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 23.34ÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌý 22.54
ÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý FamilyÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 54.94ÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 53.07

G) There were no changes to the following insurance premiums:
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment
• Optional Life Insurance
• Voluntary Personal Accident Insurance
Employees will not see a change in these contribution amounts.

Note: Employees governed by the Civil Service Agreement at the Agricultural Campus are not impacted by the benefit renewals outlined above.

If you have any questions regarding your benefits, please call the Pensions and Employee Benefits office at 494-1122, or email benefits@dal.ca.Ìý