Volume 29, No. 5 Editor: Bob Rupert February 1999 BENEFIT PLANS - CHANGE IN CARRIER FOR EHC/DENTAL Carleton's Extended Health Care and Dental benefits have been carried by Green Shield over the past 15 months, but Green Shield asked for a 63% rate increase because claims vastly exceeded premiums. So Carleton asked other insurance companies for quotations on the benefit plans. The best offer was from The Mutual Group (47% increase) and, therefore effective March 1, 1999, the carrier for the Extended Health Care and Dental Plans will change to The Mutual Group. However, there will still be a substantial increase in premium. The Bad News In accordance with Article 40.3, half the cost of premium increases is passed on to employees. This means that employees will pay approximately $9.35 (single) $30.72 (family), less the amount previously paid for AD&D and Travel Accident, each month for these benefits starting with the February pay cheque (benefits are paid one month in advance). The EHC will commence in February but the Dental charge will commence in March and be retroactive to February. The Good News Mutual includes the out-of-province health care within the Extended Health Care plan which will be more convenient. And, it provides for a 100% reimbursement of hospital/medical expenses over $200 to a lifetime maximum of one million dollars. The length of coverage is a maximum of 180 days (6 months) if you are away for any reason or unlimited if you are away on university business or sabbatical. (Out-of-Province includes out of country.) This means that retired members will, for the first time, have access to this benefit. Mutual will provide a pay direct drug card honoured at 6,600 pharmacies across the country. When purchasing prescriptions, employees would present their card to the pharmacist and pay only the deductible and co-insurance (20%) amounts. Claim forms need not be submitted. A Co-ordination of Benefits form will be sent to employees to complete, asking for information about your spouse, children and any other insurance coverage that they may have. You will receive your personalized pay direct drug card once you have completed and returned this form to Human Resources.. The Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance through Prudential which we had to take to get the out-of-province health care is discontinued effective February 28, 1999 (Great West Life, which bought Prudential, decided to get out of this area of insurance). There are no other changes to the EHC and Dental Plan provisions as a result of changing carriers. The Transition Claims will be paid by Green Shield if they are received by February 28, 1999. Claims received by Green Shield after February 28, will be forwarded to Mutual for payment. It will take Mutual approximately 30 days to set up their files from the claims history information received from Green Shield. Unfortunately, claim payments during this initial period will be delayed. If you have not received reimbursement for a claim submitted during this period by the first week of April, please call The Mutual Group toll-free at 1-800-463-3572. [For Extended Health Care and Dental questions this week call Green Shield toll-free at 1-888-711-1119.] * * * CUASA AND CAUT NEED YOUR HELP! Amid the clamour surrounding health-care, the general public is not well aware of pressing issues in post-secondary education-- chronic under-funding, tuition increases, research tied increasingly to corporate interests, and industrial management models. To overcome this lack of awareness, the CAUT is mounting a public awareness campaign. The CAUT needs stories from individual institutions and individual members to illustrate the repercussions of under-funding, tuition increases, and so on. Your CUASA executive will send some examples to the CAUT, but we need some stories from you, the individual member, to illustrate what is really happening in the classroom and in research. Stories can be anecdotal and/or quantitative. Story ideas include: * has there been a reduction in assistance provided to academic staff (secretarial services, TAs, access to office/teaching supplies, computer resources)? * has there been a change in the physical condition of your research and teaching facilities? * has your teaching load increased? Please e-mail or fax your stories to CUASA. cuasa@carleton.ca FAX: 613-520-4426 THANKS. HOUSING NOTICES CUASA provides a list of housing notices as a service to its members. Notices must be submitted to the CUASA office in writing, either by mail, fax or email. Housing notices will not be accepted over the phone. CUASA cannot guarantee the placement of notices. Previous issues are available on the web at the CUASA Web page under the heading CUASA Resources. CANAL AREA: 72 Greenfield Ave. 5 minutes walk to Ottawa University. (Free bus shuttle to and from Carleton University.) Share with one person, bright, modern, 4 bedroom town-home in quiet courtyard. Includes private third floor with 2 large rooms, skylight and 1 full bath. $650/mo. (Incl. Parking, utilities, etc.) Available May 1, 1999 or later 991-8203 (day) 230-6905 (eve.) SANDY HILL: FOR RENT, FULLY FURNISHED 3-BEDROOM ROW HOUSE, 900 m from the University of Ottawa. Open concept living/dining area with kitchen giving on private garden. Very close to several city parks and within 20 min walk of the National Arts Centre and downtown market. Available from July 1999 through May 2000. $1,000/month + utilities. No smoking. Contact Jean-Michel or Charlotte Weber at (613) 565-6913 or by E-mail at: jmweber@science.uottawa.ca WESTBORO: FOR RENT - Furnished 2 bedroom Family Home, available May-Sept., 1999. Walking distance to shops, parks, recreation centre. 1/2 block to bus. Office. 6 appliances, central air, large back yard with deck, swing set. No smokers, please. References required. $1,300 per month plus utilities. Call 761-1915.