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News and Updates

Benefit reminders for end of school year

There has been nothing normal about the last few months of the 2019-20 school year.

COVID-19 has brought change and uncertainty to all of our lives.

As this school year comes to a close, we want to acknowledge and thank all members across the education community for your dedication and perseverance through these challenging times.

For information on COVID-19 related to your benefits coverage, please visit www.otip.com/coronavirus.

Summer benefit reminders

As summer approaches, here are some important reminders about your benefits coverage to keep in mind:

Update your preferred email address: Did you know that OTIP receives your board email address from your employer? We use it as your default email address for notifications from your OTIP secure account and information about your benefits plan. If you have not already done so, consider updating your preferred email address to your personal email so you won’t miss important information.
Self-serve your benefits online: OTIP’s secure member site makes it easy for you to submit your claims online and access your benefits booklet at any time. Your benefits booklet has important information about what you are covered for, eligibility, and when your benefit year starts and ends.
Add a new family member for health and/or dental coverage: You have 31 days from the date of the corresponding life event (e.g. wedding day, common law (one-year anniversary of co-habitation), day your child is born or adopted, date your spouse loses coverage, your FTE has increased) to add your spouse or child to your employee group benefits plan. Make sure you and/or your family has the coverage you need and avoid being a late entrant.
Add Child Optional Life for your eligible child: You must do this within 31 days of your child(ren) being eligible (i.e. when you become eligible for coverage or the birth/adoption of your child). This benefit cannot be added after the 31 days, even with proof of good health (evidence of insurability).
Update the status of your student¹: OTIP requires annual confirmation if an overage student covered under your plan will be enrolled in school and requires coverage in the new school year. If this applies to you, you will get email reminders starting in June to complete this confirmation.

¹Check your benefits booklet to confirm the maximum age for your child.

Your natural or adopted child, stepchild or foster child, is eligible if they are:

unmarried;
not employed on a full-time basis;
not eligible for insurance as a member under this or any other group policy; and
either under age 21 or under age 25 if a full-time student at an accredited school, college or university¹.

A stepchild must be living at least part time with you to be eligible.

A newborn child shall become eligible from the moment of birth.

Is your employment status changing with the end of the school year?

If your employment status is changing soon, there are some important things to know about your benefits.

Long Term Occasional (LTO)

This information applies to you if you have an eligible LTO teaching contract that is ending AND you are enrolled with benefits coverage under your Employee Life and Health Trust (ELHT).

You will receive a communication from OTIP to notify you of the date your coverage has ended or will end.

You will have 90 calendar days from the date your coverage ends to access your OTIP secure account and submit any claims incurred up to and including your last day of coverage. Any eligible claims received after 90 days from the date your coverage ends will be declined.

Retiree

This information applies to you if you are retiring from an ELHT benefits plan.

Congratulations on your retirement!

You will receive a communication from OTIP with the following information:

The date your coverage has ended or will end.
You will have 90 calendar days from the date your coverage ends to access your OTIP secure account and submit any claims incurred up to and including your last day of coverage. Any eligible claims received after 90 calendar days from the date your coverage ends will be declined.
You may be eligible to convert your group life insurance (if applicable) to an individual policy without having to provide evidence of good health or undergo a medical exam, provided you do so within 31 calendar days of your coverage ending. To learn more about converting any group life insurance you have to an individual policy, please carefully review the description for the Group Benefits Life Conversion Option form at www.otip.com/forms (found under Life Insurance forms).

Learn more about OTIP’s health, dental and travel insurance options for retirees by visiting www.otip.com/for-retirees, or call 1-800-267-6847 to speak to one of our representatives.

Questions? We are here to help! You can call OTIP Benefits Services at 1-866-783-6847.

Related links:

You called, we answered
My spouse’s coverage has changed. How do I change my coverage?

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