On Monday, October 22, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) began a series of rotating nationwide strikes. Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) and Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan (PDSP) members may have questions or concerns about how Canada Post labour disruptions affect claim submission and reimbursement.
We hope the following FAQs answer some of your questions and help to minimize the impact of postal service interruptions on your daily life.
1. What are the contingency plans for Sun Life or Government of Canada payments in case there is a postal strike or lockout?
Health and Dental Plans: Interruptions to postal services could delay your benefit claim submissions, and your payments or reimbursements. It’s a good idea to submit your claims electronically and to be sure you’re signed up for direct deposit for reimbursements.
Thanks to advocacy by Federal Retirees, pensioner plan members can now submit electronic health and dental claims. This wasn’t yet the case in 2016, the last time there was a looming postal strike!
Paper claims that are typically submitted by mail may be delayed, and again, if you’re not signed up for direct deposit, there may be a delay in receiving your claim cheque by mail.
Pensions: If you receive your pension payment by direct deposit, your payment will not be affected. If you don’t receive your pension by direct deposit, a postal service interruption could delay the receipt of your monthly pension cheques and other pension payments. During this interruption, all payments and cheques will be mailed to you as usual, but you may experience a delay in their receipt.
To avoid a delay, you’re encouraged to sign up for direct deposit. Direct deposit ensures receipt of your pension payments in your bank account, on time, every month. To enrol in direct deposit, please contact the Government of Canada Pension Centre.
Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement: These payments and a few others are considered “essential” by the Canada Revenue Agency, so they’re delivered as usual.
Some provinces have already mailed cheques for certain payments, and you may have already received a post-dated cheque.
If you’re expecting refunds or rebates from federal or provincial programs, or other payments over the coming weeks, contact those agencies to learn how to sign up for direct deposit.
2. How do I submit electronic claims under PSHCP and/or PDSP?
Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP): You can submit your PSHCP claims electronically for eligible drugs and medical supplies at the pharmacy using your PSHCP benefit card. In addition, claims for paramedical services and vision care benefits can be submitted electronically from either the Sun Life Member Services website or the my Sun Life Mobile app available on Apple and Android devices.
Public Service Dental Care Plan (PSDCP) and Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan (PDSP): You can submit your PSDCP and PDSP claims electronically through the Great-West Life GroupNet website and PDSP Member Services website respectively.
Alternatively, you can ask your dentist to submit your claim electronically.
3. I’m not set up for direct deposit – what should I do?
To avoid delays in receiving your health or dental claim reimbursement, sign up for direct deposit. It’s a fast and secure way to receive your reimbursement directly to your bank account as soon as it’s issued. Plus, signing up is easy!
PSHCP
- Log into your Sun Life Member Services website using your Access ID and Password.
- If you have not yet registered to the website, contact Sun Life to set up your account over the phone.
- From the home page, click on Benefits Centre and under Take me to, click on Direct Deposit.
PDSP
- Log into your PDSP Member Services website using your Access ID and Password.
- If you have not yet registered to the website, contact Sun Life to set up your account over the phone.
- From the home page, click on Benefits Centre and, under Take me to, click on Direct Deposit.
Pension
- Have your banking information handy and contact the Government of Canada Pension Centre.
4. I receive all my bills for hydro, water, etc. through the mail. What should I do about bill payments?
If you receive paper copies of your bills for hydro and other services, and there is a postal disruption, you’re still responsible for paying bills on time. The easiest approach is to pay your bills through your financial institution on your regular schedule, either at the bank or online. If possible, consider signing up for online billing, or call your service providers to ask the amount you owe for the current month’s services if there is a large-scale disruption to postal services.
5. Where can I get more information?
Please check your email inbox periodically for information from the Treasury Board of Canada or reach out to Sun Life directly using the contact information below.
Sun Life Call Centre
From anywhere in North America:
1-888-757-7427 (toll-free)
From the National Capital Region:
613-247-5100
Hours of operation:
Monday to Friday
6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EST)