EXPIRING SOON: CUPE Benefits Plan Healthcare Spending Account (HCSA)
For ALL Toronto Education Workers/Local 4400 Members currently enrolled in the CUPE EWBT Benefits Plan:
The CUPE Health & Dental Benefits Trust one-time, time-limited Healthcare Spending Account (HCSA) expires August 31, 2022. Claims must be submitted no later than September 30, 2022 for expenses paid up to and no later than August 31, 2022.
- It is not an annual benefit, but is available to all eligible currently enrolled Benefits Plan members this one time only
- The maximum limit claimable is $1,000 per eligible Plan Member, regardless of number of dependents covered under the Plan Member’s coverage
What you need to know about the time-limited Healthcare Spending Account (HCSA)
The CUPE EWBT Benefits Plan’s time-limited HCSA gives you extra flexibility when managing extra healthcare claims and costs. You have $1,000 in the account to help pay the cost of expenses over and above what’s covered by the basic plan between the period of December 15, 2021 to August 31, 2022.
Who’s covered?
The $1,000 in your account can be used to help pay eligible expenses incurred by your eligible spouse and children currently enrolled in the CUPE EWBT Health and/or Dental plan. HCSA benefits also extend to other family members who depended on you for support and for whom you’re entitled to claim a medical expense tax credit under the Canadian Income Tax Act, including:
- your or your spouse/common-law partner’s children or grandchildren who were age 18 or older at the end of the tax year; and
- your or your spouse/common-law partner’s parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces or nephews who were residents of Canada at any time in the year.
You can find additional details on the CRA website.
Eligible expenses
The HCSA can be used to help pay the cost of eligible health, dental, and prescription drug claims that either aren’t covered (or are only partially covered) under the CUPE EWBT Benefits Plan. That includes using the HCSA to pay for expenses over the plan maximums.
You can use the $1,000 in your account to cover hundreds of eligible examples. For example:
- To pay your monthly premium share for your CUPE EWBT benefits → You will receive a receipt from OTIP by August 31, 2022 so you can submit it for reimbursement before the deadline to submit eligible claims
- Dental work – in excess of the Plan basic coverage, and everything from root canals to braces
- Paramedical services – amounts over the maximums for the services of a chiropractor, registered massage therapist, and psychologist, and services not otherwise covered like acupuncture, or the services of a dietician, etc.
- Vision care – such as expenses for contact lenses, laser eye surgery, and even prescription sunglasses that are over the plan maximums.
- Medical cannabis (marihuana) – see the complete details here
The full list of eligible expenses is available on the Canada Revenue Agency website.
Checking your account balance
Just log in to GroupNet for plan members on the Canada Life website. You can see your claims history and the balance of funds remaining in your time-limited HCSA.
Submitting claims
- If you’ve already submitted a claim(s) since December 15, 2021 under the Basic Plan, you must resubmit any unpaid portion from that claim if you want it to be reimbursed from the timelimited HCSA – claims will not automatically be reassessed.
- Just log in to GroupNet for plan members on the Canada Life website.
- Make an online claim, and select that you would like any unpaid portion of your claim paid from
your time-limited HCSA.
Submitting a paper-based claim? Just check the box on the form! You can print a claim form from
the GroupNet for plan members website.
Important: You may be required to re-enter your bank account information under the HCSA link to
receive direct reimbursement. Allow 2-3 business days for the system to update with your information.
Deadlines
Your account is available to reimburse eligible claims paid out of pocket between December 15, 2021, and August 31, 2022. You must use the $1,000 balance in your HCSA before August 31, 2022, and submit claims before September 30, 2022. No extensions or carry-over of unused amounts will be permitted.
Need more information?
You can contact Canada Life at 1-866-800-8058.
Questions can also be addressed through the Union by contacting:
David.Spek@cupe4400.org or Jason.Craddock-Conran@admin
