SFURA Retirees Benefits Improvements with Human Resources and its Health Insurance

Jim Boyd – SFURA Past President

For several years, the SFURA Board had received complaints from retirees that the University’s Blue Cross benefits for its almost 1200 members were extremely out of date, appearing not to have been updated for about 20 years. Consequently, about two years ago, SFURA created a special Benefits Committee to officially deal with the SFU Human Resources on this matter being told that updated benefits requests had to be part of the annual negotiations with the four different employee associations. This turned out to not be true. Over the last couple of years, this Simon Fraser University Retiree Association (SFURA) Benefits Committee worked towards improvements in retirees’ extended health care benefits. Guided by the significantly better benefits provided by another Canadian health insurance plan, the Ontario Teachers of Ontario, (RTO/ERO), we enquired how much these additional benefits would cost if added to our University Pacific Blue Cross EHC plan.

Based on these data and a survey of retirees, we proposed a subset that minimizes increasing premiums and the university subsidy with a 5.2% increase from Pacific Blue Cross which is a self-funded payment plan. Eventually, SFU Human Resources, with administrative support from two Vice-Presidents and its health insurance provider, Pacific Blue Cross, went ahead with implementing these enhancements as of April 1, 2023.

Below is a summary of the significant improvements approved by the SFURA Benefits Committee and the University.

• Current paramedical was changed from individual calendar year maximums to a combined, annual maximum of $2,500. This includes Acupuncture, Chiropractor, Massage Practitioner, Naturopath, Physiotherapy, Podiatrist, Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist including removing the per visit maximum for Chiropractor, Massage Practitioner, Naturopath, Physiotherapist, and Podiatrist. Current reimbursement levels will apply (80% until after the first $1000 has been paid for a person or family in a calendar year. Further eligible expenses for that person within that year will be reimbursed at 100%, subject to plan maximums). This was a major achievement.
• Registered Clinical Counselors and Social Workers to Psychologist/Counselling Services paramedical practitioner coverage were added.
• Vaccine coverage including the Shingles vaccine was added, excluding travel vaccines.
• Erectile Dysfunctional Drugs were added (Currently there is no annual or lifetime maximum (LTM). This adds prescription drug coverage for the treatment of erectile dysfunction but does not include other forms of treatment or medical support for ED.
• Blue RX (currently a mandatory generic plan with PDD – pay direct drug card) has been implemented.
• Increases in the Hearing Aid maximum claim was improved from $625 per 60 months to $1,100 in any three (3) calendar years for adults.

The Benefits Committee is meeting again this spring to explore possible improvements to retirees’ dental and extended health benefits.