Coverage

When you start working for your employer, they’ll send us the basic information required to enrol you in ASEBP coverage. There are a few things you may need to do as well.

• Depending on your employment arrangement, you may have to make some of the following choices about your benefit coverage:
  • If your coverage or participation is optional, you’ll need to decide whether to participate or not. Note that if you waive coverage but want to apply at a later date, you’ll be considered a late applicant.
  • If you have benefit coverage through your spouse you can choose not to participate in benefits that you receive under their coverage. Note that it’s important to indicate that you’re waiving the benefit because of spousal coverage so you aren’t considered a late applicant if you lose that coverage at a later date.
  • You’ll need to let your employer know whether you want single or family coverage.
• Depending on your situation, you may also need to enrol your dependants or designate beneficiaries for your benefits.

All of the above must be completed and submitted to your employer within 31 days of becoming eligible. If you submit your application after 31 days, you’ll be considered a late applicant.

In most circumstances, when all of the above is complete and submitted to your employer within 31 days, the effective date of your coverage is your first day of employment or the first day you become eligible for benefits under your collective or employment agreement.

Coverage effective dates for late applicants are different depending on the benefit and special considerations may be applied for certain benefits as outlined below.

For Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Extended Disability Benefits:

• If these benefits are mandatory with your employer, your coverage will take effect retroactively to your eligibility date
• If these benefits are not mandatory, your coverage will be effective the first of the following month in which the employer received the group insurance enrolment form or change application form.

For Extended Health Care (Drugs, Other Medical Services & Supplies and Travel Emergencies), Dental Care and Vision Care:

• Your coverage will take effect on the first day of the month following when enrolment information is received by your employer (e.g. if they receive enrolment information on October 15, your coverage will be effective November 1). If these benefits are mandatory with your employer, your coverage will take effect retroactively to your eligibility date.
• For drug coverage, if you’re currently taking a medication that requires special authorization, your health care provider must submit a request to determine if this medication will be covered by your benefits.

To be eligible for ASEBP benefits coverage through your employer, you must:

• Be an employee actively at work and have completed at least one full day of work for your employer
• Work a minimum number of hours that’s equivalent to at least a 0.2 of a full-time position (your employer’s eligibility criteria may include a higher number of minimum hours or a waiting period)
• Be covered under a provincial health care insurance plan
• Be a resident of Canada

If you’re planning to continue to work after the age of 65 or are newly hired past 65 years, you can still be eligible for benefit coverage.

If you’re still actively working past your 65th birthday:

• Your Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefits can be extended up to the end of the school year (June 30), following your 70th birthday as long as you remain actively at work. This means if you turn 70 on June 29, your benefits will remain active for one day, until June 30. If you turn 70 on July 1, your benefits will remain active for approximately one year, until June 30.
• Your general health benefits and spending account coverage can continue until you choose to retire (at which point you’re eligible to apply for ASEBP’s MyRetiree Plan)
• See below for information about Extended Disability Benefits

If you begin work after age 65:

• You’re still eligible for general health benefits and spending account coverage (excluding Extended Disability Benefits) until you choose to retire (at which point you’re eligible to apply for ASEBP’s MyRetiree Plan)
• Your Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefits can be extended up to the end of the school year (June 30), following your 70th birthday as long as you remain actively at work. This means if you turn 70 on June 29, your benefits will remain active for one day, until June 30. If you turn 70 on July 1, your benefits will remain active for approximately one year, until June 30.

Please note that if you’re eligible for benefit coverage, the following rules and limitations apply:

For Extended Disability Benefits:

• If you’re receiving Extended Disability Benefits (EDB) payments as you approach age 65, you’ll receive a notification from ASEBP regarding the termination of these benefits. However, you may become eligible to apply to our MyRetiree Plan.
• If you’re not receiving EDB payments as you approach 65, your eligibility for EDB coverage will end three months before you turn 65, due to the 90-day EDB elimination period.

For Extended Health Care (Drugs, Other Medical Services & Supplies and Travel Emergencies), Dental Care and Vision Care:

• Your coverage continues to align with employer-provided benefits, but shifts to the plan that pays second when you have coverage available through government-sponsored seniors’ health programs like Alberta’s Coverage for Seniors plan. This means that claims are first adjudicated under Coverage for Seniors, and any overages flow through your ASEBP coverage.

For the Supplemental Package:

• If you’re entering into a new employment contract you may be eligible to participate in our Supplemental Package. Learn more about these benefits on the Supplemental Package page.

Employment changes can have important implications for your benefit coverage.

If you’re on a Leave of Absence

See While on Leave for the full details around how your benefit coverage might change while on a leave of absence.

If you’re Laid Off

You may be eligible for ASEBP benefit coverage for up to 180 days after you’ve been laid off. The first place to start is by connecting with your employer.

If you’re on an Exchange or Secondment Outside Canada

If you’re considering participating in an approved teacher exchange program or accepting a secondment position, know that you are eligible for ASEBP benefit coverage as long as:

• You have an Outside Canada Teacher Exchange/Secondment Agreement that outlines the coverage provided and any special conditions and it is signed by you, your employer and ASEBP before you start your placement

If these conditions are met, your coverage will be subject to the following limitations:

• If you qualify for Extended Disability Benefits (EDB) and decide to remain outside Canada, the maximum period you can receive benefits is 24 months. If you return home within the 90-day elimination period, the regular provisions of EDB will apply
• ASEBP Extended Health Care (Drugs, Other Medical Services & Supplies and Travel Emergencies), Dental Care and Vision Care benefits (if enrolled) pay second to any other health care coverage the sponsoring agency or government involved requires you to have
• If you need to be medically evacuated, your Travel Emergencies benefit (if enrolled) will use your current place of residence so you will not be returned to Canada unless you ask to be

If you do not have a signed contract to extend your benefit coverage while you’re on your exchange or secondment, your coverage will be further subject to the following limitations:

• You will have only emergency services for the following benefits (if enrolled):
  • Drugs, Other Medical Services & Supplies, Dental Care and Vision Care
  • If you need to be medically evacuated, your Travel Emergencies benefit will return you to Canada
• If you require Extended Disability Benefits and refuse to return home, your eligibility to make a claim may be impacted

Before you leave on your exchange or secondment:

• Contact your provincial health care insurance plan (in Alberta this is AHCIP)
• Include a copy of your signed agreement and cover letter with your VISA application if you’re going to Australia
• Update your email address and banking information on My ASEBP
• Complete the Greater Than 100 Day Supply of Prescription Drugs Request to obtain a supply of your current prescriptions for your entire stay
• Remember to use the Emergency Travel Claim form for all claims you incur during your stay

If you’re no Longer Employed

Your benefits are cancelled when you are no longer working for your employer (terminated) for any reason, though you will still have an additional 60 days to submit any expenses that were incurred up to the date you were terminated for your Spending Account benefits (if applicable). You will still be eligible to convert your ASEBP group life insurance plan into an individual policy.

Banking Information

It’s important to ensure your banking information is up-to-date. Benefit reimbursements and withdrawals of your benefit premiums (if applicable) are all done electronically. To change your banking information, visit the My Profile page under the profile icon on My ASEBP. You can add a deposit account and a withdrawal account depending on your needs.

Address and Contact Information

You can change your contact email address on My ASEBP by clicking the profile icon and choosing My Profile. We recommend using a personal email address so we can reach you regardless of any changes in your working status.

To change your address, you’ll need to contact your employer. If you’re an early retiree or participating in the Supplemental Package, please contact us.

Name and Marital / Dependant Status

For name changes and changes to your marital status and dependants, you’ll need to fill out a Change Application form. Active employees should submit the form to their employers. If you’re a retiree with ASEBP early retirement or MyRetiree Plan benefits or are participating in the Supplemental Package, please submit the form to us.

Your ASEBP benefit coverage will be cancelled if:

• You are no longer employed with the participating employer (e.g. termination, death, resignation or retirement (unless you receive our Early Retirement or MyRetiree Plan benefits)
• You are no longer eligible for coverage according to the terms and conditions of ASEBP benefit plans (see Basic Eligibility for details)
• You transfer to an employee group that does not have ASEBP coverage
• Your employer’s participation in the ASEBP plan ends
• The premiums for your coverage are outstanding