The College Employer Council has made arrangements through Johnson Insurance for travel & medical insurance effective October 1st, 2019.

Steps have been taken to provide CAAT retirees with access to travel protection and emergency Out of Country health insurance through Johnson Insurance.

As a CAAT retiree, to discuss your travel insurance needs and to obtain a quote, you may contact Johnson Insurance by phone or through their website.

Either call 1-866-606-3362 or visit  www.johnson.ca/medoc

Travel Insurance Misconceptions

OPSEU’s Retired Members’ Division

Benefits for CCRA Retirees

Retiree Benefits & the College Employers Council

The College Employers Council is the policyholder for all benefits provided to college retirees. The current underwriter is Sun Life.

Helpful information available on the College Employers Council site:

• Benefit Booklets
• Retirement Planning brochure
• Benefits at a Glance
• Premium Rates and Worksheet
• Retiree CAATNIPS Newsletter

The RETIREE CAATNIPS. This newsletter is produced by the Council on behalf of the CAAT Retiree Group Insurance Advisory Committee (CRGIAC). It is designed to keep you informed of changes to your retiree group insurance benefits plan as well as give you some helpful information with regard to your benefits and how to use them.
Click here to view the RETIREE CAATNIPS Newsletter 8th issue.

Orthopaedic Shoes (Custom-Made) and Orthotics (Custom-Made)

Click here to go to the document provided for CAAT Retiree Extended Health Care Plan 1 and Plan 2 to help one understand Orthopaedic Shoes (Custom-Made) and Orthotics (Custom-Made).

Vaccines and the drug card do not mix!

You cannot use the drug card to purchase vaccines.

•  The CAAT Plan covers vaccines that legally require a prescription. If you do attempt to purchase a vaccine with the drug card you will get a decline message from the pharmacist (despite having a prescription and despite the vaccine being eligible under the plan).  Submit your claim manually.

Did You Know? – Review these steps before you file your Income Tax

• The annual premiums you pay for your Extended Health and/or Dental Care Plan(s) are considered eligible medical expenses under the Income Tax Act. Your College will issue you a statement on an annual basis confirming the total premium you paid for these benefits.
• Ask your pharmacist to provide you with a statement of all your claims for the past year. The statement will show what was paid by your provincial plan and what was paid by you or Sun Life (insurer of the CAAT Retirees Plan).
• If you have signed up for access to your records on Sun Life’s website, you may print off a statement of all your claims for the previous calendar year showing the amount paid by the plan.
• Use these two statements to track eligible medical expenses not paid by your provincial medicare plan or your CAAT Retiree plan as these may be used as medical expenses when you file your tax return.

The two items above are from Volume 2 – November 2011 Edition of the Retiree CAATNIPS produced by the CAAT Retiree Group Insurance Advisory Committee

Retirees Benefits: Myth Buster

211 Helps Seniors Find Assistance and Home Care

Navigating and applying for services are common challenges, especially when seeking out government benefits. 211 also refers callers to agencies that offer help to fill in applications and tax clinics for low-income people of every age.
For low-income seniors, 211 can provide information about the Guaranteed Income Supplement, GIS-Allowance and the Guaranteed Annual Income System. There are also a variety of financial and other types of assistance for veterans of war.
Other potential sources of financial help and services which depend on individual eligibility.

• Ontario Drugs Benefits program
• Assistive Device Programs
• Community Care Access Centres for support services such as:
  • Homemaking
  • Caregiver relief
  • Friendly visiting
  • Home maintenance and repair services

• Home and Vehicle Modification Program, March of Dimes
• Ontario Renovates Program
• Low Income Energy Assistance Program
• Meals on Wheels
• Good Food Box
• Farley Foundation

Community legal clinics, which offer services to all low-income seniors, can help if you are having difficulty applying for a tax refund or receiving your pension, or you need help preparing a will or a power of attorney form. Some Ontario cities also have Wills on Wheels, a directory of independent lawyers who offer in-home will and power of attorney preparation services.

Click here for more information about the programs and services mentioned in the article.

For information about services and programs for your situation, call 2-1-1 from anywhere in Ontario. 211 is the helpline for information and referral to community, social and health services or search online at www.211ontario.ca. The 211 helpline is answered live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and service is available in over 150 languages.

Call 2-1-1
www.211ontario.ca
TTY: 1-888-340-1001
Free. Confidential. Live answer. 24/7

We help you find over 60,000 community and social services in Ontario.

Caregiving Strategies Provided by Zoomer Media

Providing care and support for a Senior living with frailty.

Improve your skills, knowledge and confidence as a family member or friend caregiver.

Click here to learn more

OCRA (Ontario CAAT Retirees Association)

OCRA is the “voice for Ontario CAAT Retirees.” Click here for more information about OCRA.

OPSEU Retired Members Division