The administration of the PSHCP will transition from Sun Life to Canada Life on July 1, 2023, at which time Canada Life will begin processing your PSHCP claims. From now until June 30, 2023, continue sending your PSHCP claims and requests to Sun Life as soon as they are incurred to ensure they are processed before July 1, 2023. Keep copies of all claims and receipts. After July 1, 2023, all claims must be sent to Canada Life for adjudication.
Although your contact information will be securely transferred to Canada Life, you will be asked to complete positive enrolment and to authorize the release of personal information through Canada Life’s PSHCP Member Services website. You will also be asked to enter your banking and dependant information. Canada Life will begin sending out positive enrolment invitations in March 2023.
If you elected to receive electronic communications on your Sun Life PSHCP Member Services account, you will be sent an email invitation with a link to complete positive enrolment on the Canada Life website. This link will be active for 30 days. You will be asked to create a Canada Life PSHCP Member Services website account at the end of the positive enrolment process where you will be able to access your benefit card, update your personal information and submit claims. If you already have an account with Canada Life (for example, for your Public Service Dental Care Plan), you must use the same credentials to sign in.
If you elected to receive paper-based communications from Sun Life, positive enrolment documents will be mailed to you, including a paper enrolment form, as well as instructions on how to complete positive enrolment digitally should you choose to do so. Members wishing to continue receiving paper-based communications can mail their completed enrolment form back to Canada Life. Once processed, members will be sent a letter of confirmation and a paper PSHCP benefit card.
Visit the Canada Life PSHCP Member Services website (canadalife.com/pshcp) or call the dedicated PSHCP call centre at 1-855-415-4414, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. your local time, to learn more about the positive enrolment process.
Effective July 1, 2023, MSH International will become the PSHCP provider for out-of-province emergency travel assistance and comprehensive coverage for members who are residing outside of Canada. The MSH member portal will be available to submit claims online. It will be accessible through canadalife.com/pshcp to supplementary members travelling outside of Canada and to members with comprehensive coverage. To submit out-of-province emergency travel assistance or comprehensive coverage claims, members must first have completed positive enrolment and provided consent to the release of their personal information through Canada Life’s PSHCP Member Services website.
Effective July 1, 2023, changes will be implemented for all PSHCP members.
The PSHCP is negotiated at the PSHCP Partners Committee, comprised of Employer, Bargaining Agent and pensioner representatives. Improvements that modernize the PSHCP were the result of successful negotiations amongst all parties and responds to the needs of a diverse Canadian public sector workforce, its retirees and dependants, while respecting the publicly funded nature of the benefits members receive.
How the improvements and changes will be administered as of July 1, 2023, are explained in the ‘Details’ column in the table below.
For all services and products where the maximum reimbursement amount will increase, the increase will come into effect on July 1, 2023. This means that the increased reimbursement will only apply to items or services incurred on or after July 1, 2023.
For example, effective July 1, 2023, the benefit for massage therapy services increases from $300 to $500 annually. If a plan member submitted claims for $300 in massage therapy services incurred before July 1, 2023, they will be eligible to submit claims for another $200 after July 1, 2023, for services incurred after that date.
Keep medical receipts and records for at least one year following treatment or purchase of medical equipment and supplies as you may be required to submit documentation to support claims as required to the plan administrator. The PSHCP Directive is currently being updated to reflect the changes. It will be available effective July 1, 2023. At that time, should there be any discrepancy between this information and that contained in the PSHCP Directive, the PSHCP Directive applies.
The PSHCP Bulletin is produced by the Federal Public Service Health Care Plan Administration Authority to provide benefit and administrative information about your health care plan. If you have any questions about the content of this bulletin, please contact Sun Life at 1-888-757-7427 toll-free from anywhere in North America or 613-247-5100 in the National Capital Region. If you would like to change your mailing address for future bulletins, you may do so online at www.sunlife.ca/pshcp.