Stay up-to-date on maintenance of yourself! When you think of benefits, dental, vision and prescription drugs are probably what come to mind first. These all have coverage under the Benefit Plan. Dental benefits cover regular maintenance and a lot more. Dental benefits have a per person annual combined maximum payable each year, and some services have a lifetime maximum. Watch a short video on your dental, vision and prescription drugs here.
Our dental plan is a key feature of IBEW Local 353’s benefits package and accounts for about a third of total plan costs. It pays up to 100% of the cost of basic dental treatments and provides up to 75% coverage for major procedures. There is an annual combined maximum of $10,000 per insured individual for basic and major dental coverage combined (excluding orthodontics and implants which have their own lifetime maximums). Dental fees and services are reimbursed based on the Ontario Dental Association’s Suggested Fee Guide for General Practitioners for the year they are incurred. Extra charges made by dental specialist’s aren’t covered.
Your drug plan covers most drugs that legally require a prescription, as prescribed. Some specialized or new drugs may require pre-approval by FACET, an independent specialist that helps the plan manage prescription drugs. You can check out what drugs are covered and which ones may require pre-approval at https://my.canadalife.com/signin and use the Drug Coverage Search Tool found under the Coverages and Balances section.
Eye exams are covered up to $150 every 24 months from the date of your last exam. You are also covered for the following services and supplies up to a combined limit of $750 every 24 months starting from the date of your first purchase. You must have a written prescription by an ophthalmologist or optometrist in all cases. Eligible expenses include:
- Eye pressure monitor
- Glasses, contact lenses, prescription sunglasses and prescription safety glasses
- Visual training and therapy to improve faulty visual skills
- Contact lenses for special medical conditions (separate limit up to $750 per lifetime)
Please call Canada Life or check My Canada Life at Work for Plan Members for your current vision care balance and next eligibility date before incurring these expenses https://my.canadalife.com/sign-in.
If you’re not sure whether something is covered, please contact Canada Life at 1-844-232-4239, before you spend your money. You can find your Plan Number and Personal Identification Number on your Canada Life Drug Card.
All expenses are limited to reasonable and customary costs established by Canada Life. You can find out the maximum amount Canada Life will reimburse for a service by contacting them at the number above or online at https://my.canadalife.com/sign-in.
A best practice to protect you and your pocketbook is to always ask Canada Life for an estimate (also known as a predetermination) for claims anticipated to be $300 or more. A predetermination will tell you how much Canada Life will reimburse you for your expense.
In addition to the benefits listed above, your benefit plan offers many more. Make sure you fuel up on your benefits by reading your benefit plan booklet here or by visiting teibas.com.
Disclaimer: This blog post was prepared on behalf of the Trustees of the IBEW Local 353 Trust Funds. It provides summary information about the IBEW Local 353 Health and Welfare Plan in plain language. This blog is not intended to provide advice. If there is any discrepancy between this website and the legal documents that govern the plans, the legal documents will apply. The Trustees expect to maintain these benefit plans indefinitely. However, they reserve the right to change of cancel any or all benefits under the Health and Welfare Plan for active and retired members, and their survivors and dependant
Questions? We’re here to help! You can email us at members@teibas.com or call us at 416-637-6789 (toll-free 1-800-267-0602) for assistance during our regular office hours (Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.).