The $514,450,899 contract was awarded to Canada Life in November 2021, with the change taking impact on July 1.
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A date has been chosen for the Home of Commons Standing Committee on Authorities Operations and Estimates to review the transition of the Public Service Well being Care Plan from Solar Life Monetary to the Canada Life Assurance Firm.
On Thursday, Mick Mariani, assistant to chair of the committee Kelly McCauley, stated the research would happen on Dec. 7.
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Mariani stated the date had not been placed on discover but because it was topic to alter, including that no anticipated witnesses had been named.
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Plans for the research have been months within the making.
In October, the committee adopted a movement to undertake a research of the well being plan’s transition, inspecting the standard of protection, the plan’s effectiveness, the mechanisms utilized in awarding the contract and the measures that might be taken to right the scenario. The committee agreed to allocate at the least one assembly to the research, with findings and proposals to be reported to the Home of Commons.
The movement required that witnesses be submitted to the clerk of the committee by Oct. 20.
Committee member and Member of Parliament for Beauport-Limoilou Julie Vignola had introduced ahead a movement for a research of the changeover in September, requesting that 4 conferences be allotted to the method. It was then prompt that the movement be amended to interchange the 4 conferences with one.
The administration of the Public Service Well being Care Plan for greater than 1.7 million public servants, retirees and their dependents switched from Solar Life Monetary to Canada Life Assurance Firm on July 1. The Authorities of Canada introduced numerous modifications to the Public Service Well being Care Plan in September 2022 to “reply to the wants of a various Canadian public sector workforce, its retirees and dependants.”
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Because the modifications took impact, many plan members have expressed considerations about challenges in accessing providers, reaching buyer help and getting claims reimbursed.
In late October, Union of Taxation Staff members rallied in entrance of the Canada Life Assurance Firm Ottawa workplace on Kent Avenue, denouncing ongoing points with the health-care plan. The union additionally launched a marketing campaign asking its members to write down to ministers and their MPs in regards to the points they confronted.
“Disgrace on Canada Life and Treasury Board, once more, for the dangerous service, or the dearth of service or the absence of service that our members are getting,” UTE nationwide president Marc Brière stated on the rally. “(It’s beginning), sadly, to appear like Phoenix 2.0.”
Rola Salem, spokesperson for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, stated on the time that the federal government acknowledged there have been points that required consideration, given the transition to a brand new plan and administrator.
“We proceed to have every day discussions with Canada Life to higher perceive members’ conditions, talk issues in actual time, present further steerage to Canada Life the place required, and be certain that options are carried out as shortly as doable,” Salem stated, including that members whose claims for protection had been denied and who have been unable to resolve their conditions with Canada Life may submit appeals. “Canada Life is exploring additional motion they’ll take within the coming weeks to enhance the member expertise.”
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Michèle LaRose, spokesperson for Public Providers and Procurement Canada, stated the procurement course of for the retendering of the well being plan started in 2018 with business engagement adopted by a request for proposals from insurance coverage firms in 2020.
The $514,450,899 contract was awarded to Canada Life in November 2021.
“The contract award adopted an open, truthful, and clear aggressive procurement course of in accordance with necessities established by TBS,” LaRose stated. “The bids have been evaluated in accordance with obligatory standards, monetary standards, and in accordance with a technical scoring system. Canada Life obtained the very best outcome and was awarded the contract.”
Treasury Board President Anita Anand advised CBC earlier in November that Canada Life was the one bidder remaining in direction of the top of the method, nevertheless it was nonetheless evaluated.
Anand advised CBC that three options have been being pitched: reducing name wait occasions to between 5 and 10 minutes by Dec. 31; having name centres open on weekends to chop the backlog; and introducing an escalation course of for pressing or precedence circumstances.
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TBS posted on X, previously referred to as Twitter, on Thursday that Canada Life’s name centre was enhancing, with the variety of calls being answered growing and wait occasions reducing to a median of eight minutes. It stated the claims backlog was additionally being “steadily decreased.”
The contract offers for a six-month adaptation interval and a possibility for the supplier to make crucial changes as required, LaRose stated.
“Service-level requirements are being monitored and assessed, together with claims processing requirements and name centre requirements,” LaRose stated. “Each the Authorities of Canada and Canada Life are centered on resolving ongoing challenges skilled by some members.”
This newspaper has reached out to Canada Life for remark.
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