Insured Benefits

Revised: May 2015 Print this page Email the link

Currently, a retired member, his/her spouse, and eligible dependent children qualify* for insured benefits if he or she meets one of the following criteria:

• The retiree’s pension is based on at least 10 years of pension service in the OPSEU Pension Plan or the PSPP, or
• The retiree’s pension is based on at least 10 years of continuous employment with some pension service in the OPSEU Pension Plan for at least some part of each of those 10 years.

If the retiree was employed in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) or certain other eligible organizations and meet the requirements above, that person is entitled to insured benefits in retirement.

Summary of benefits: Insured benefits for eligible retirees include coverage for: dental, vision care, hearing aid coverage, supplementary health and hospital and basic life insurance.

 Important! Start of Coverage: The benefit coverage for a pensioner starts the month in which the pension begins. Therefore, there may be a gap in coverage from the members retirement date to the date that pension begins.

 Note! These post retirement insured benefits are not part of the OPSEU Pension Plan. They are provided separately by the Government of Ontario.

Proposed Changes to Insured Benefits

In February 2014, the Ministry of Government Services announced proposed changes to the eligibility criteria and terms for post-retirement insured benefits for members of the OPSEU Pension Plan, to take effect on January 1, 2017. Although announced, these changes have not been finalized.

Current eligibility rules allow all plan members who have at least 10 years of pension service to receive insured benefits at no cost to them. If implemented, the eligibility requirements and cost-sharing terms for these benefits will change beginning January 1, 2017.

Eligibility

Members who do not meet the current 10 year eligibility criteria in the Plan by January 1, 2017 must meet the following criteria to qualify for post-retirement insured benefits:

• at least 20 years of pension service, and
• retirement to an immediate unreduced pension.

Cost sharing

Any eligible member (under either the old or new eligibility rules) who has not started their pension before January 1, 2017 would be required to pay 50% of the premium costs to participate in the benefits plan.