Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan (PDSP)
A newsletter for members of the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan (PDSP)
IN THIS ISSUE
• New contract awarded to administer the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan
• Plan ahead – Pre-determinations for dental treatments over $300
• Coverage: Three-year rule
• Reminder: Keep your information up to date
On June 28, 2023, following a competitive procurement process, the Government of Canada awarded the contract to administer the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan (PDSP) to the Canada Life Assurance Company (Canada Life). This contract is for the administration of both the PDSP as well as the Public Service Dental Care Plan (PSDCP) for federal public service employees. Each plan remains distinct, even though it will be administered by the same company.
Canada Life will begin administering the PDSP following a transition period which will introduce several new and enhanced services. Until then, Sun Life remains your PDSP administrator and all claims and requests must still be sent to Sun Life.
The transition of the PDSP to a new plan administrator is separate from your dental coverage and the cost of your plan. The award of the new contract only changes who will administer and process dental claims; it does not change your benefits.
What you need to know:
For more information about this transition, consult the New contract awarded to administer the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan Information Notice on www.canada.ca/pension-benefits. You can also visit the New dental plan administrator - Frequently Asked Questions which are updated regularly.
Before undergoing dental treatment or procedures over $300, make sure you or your dental office submit an estimate of the proposed work to Sun Life. Sun Life will send you a statement outlining what is covered by the PDSP, how much will be reimbursed and whether you are responsible for costs. This estimate can help you decide if you wish to proceed.
You can voluntarily terminate your PDSP coverage, or that of a covered family member, provided you or all your eligible family members have been covered under the PDSP for a minimum of three complete calendar years.
Important: If you voluntarily terminate your coverage, you will not be allowed to re-register in the PDSP in the future. Some exceptions apply. For more information, please visit the PDSP Rules at www.canada.ca/pension-benefits.
You are responsible for keeping your coverage and personal information up to date with your pension office, in writing, for the following situations:
To update your information, contact your pension office to obtain the appropriate form and determine the time required to make the changes:
Retired members of the federal public service and retired members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police can contact the Government of Canada Pension Centre at 1-800-561-7930 (toll-free in Canada and the US) or 506-533-5800 (collect calls accepted).
Retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces can contact the Government of Canada Pension Centre – Canadian Armed Forces Pension Centre by telephone at 1-800-267-0325 (toll-free in Canada and the US) or 613-946-1093 (collect calls accepted).
For other pension office contact information, please visit Section D of the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan enrolment information and plan summary.
Completed and signed forms must be returned to the address indicated on the form.
You are responsible for keeping your contact information up to date with Sun Life in the following situations:
Members that have registered on the Plan Member Services site (www.sunlife.ca/pdsp) can update their information online by signing in and navigating to: Account Settings » Contact information.
To have your information updated over the phone, contact the Sun Life Call Centre at 1-888-757-7427 (Toll-free in North America) or 613-247-5100 (in the National Capital Region), Monday to Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., ET.
Address and phone number changes can also be made directly on the PDSP claim form and sent to Sun Life at the following address:
Sun Life Assurance Company
of Canada
PO Box 6159 Stn CV
Montreal QC H3C 3A7