With the new collective agreement that came into effect this past spring, we needed to make some changes to our WSA to ensure the program continued to align with the agreement. Since our WSA is also coming out of pilot at the end of this plan year, and becoming a regular benefit offering, these changes are perfectly timed! So, for the new plan year, we’re launching two WSA plans: one designed for teachers, and one for other education workers.

As mentioned in our last benefits update article, not only did January 1 mark the start of a new year but it also brought with it a number of changes to your ASEBP benefits. Below is a list of areas that saw updates: 

We recently launched a new pilot program—the Oral Health Exception Process—aimed at providing additional oral health support to you or a covered family member when diagnosed with cancer, a non-cancerous soft tissue tumour or when living with a permanent disability.

We recognize the important role oral health plays in your overall wellness so we want to ensure that while you’re working through treatments or managing a lifelong condition, access to additional support is available.

Over the last few years, we’ve been busy beavers working to ensure our dental coverage is the most beneficial to you and your family, while also balancing the increasing cost of dental services to the benefit plan.

Every year, we review our benefit offerings to ensure they continue to meet the needs of our covered members (that’s you!), while also ensuring the financial stability of the plan. Our main goal is to support the health and wellness of you and your family, now and in the future. Through consultation with our Health Benefits Advisory Panel, newly formed Oral Health Advisory Panel and the prudent leadership of the ASEBP Trustees, a number of benefit changes designed to help us continue to meet this goal will take effect on January 1, 2019.

The ASEBP Trustees have approved the addition of two health conditions—ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis—to our enhanced special authorization (ESA) process, effective January 1, 2018.