FAQ's

This section of the site provides answers to frequently asked questions.

Joining the BCCA

How do I become eligible for participation in the BCCA employee benefits group?

Participation in the BCCA Employee Benefit Program is an exclusive membership privledge offered by the BC Construction Association (BCCA). For more information about joining the BCCA, please visit their website at www.bccassn.com.

All members of the Association are eligible to participate in the BCCA Employee Benefits Program. Interested BCCA members or prospective members should contact the BCCA Employee Benefits Program office at:

How do I become a member of the BCCA?

Membership includes employers such as general contractors, manufacturers, suppliers and allied services, who are primarily involved in the institutional, commercial and industrial sectors. Interested employers should contact the British Columbia Construction Association at:

Billing 

Payment is due on the date printed on the billing statement and your payment should be remitted to the BCCA Employee Benefit Program office within 31 days of this due date (grace period). Please note that late payment of premiums could result in suspension of claims for your employees and eventual termination of coverage.

When are notices of employee changes due?

To ensure that employee coverage changes are reflected on your next premium statement, complete a  BCCA EBT Group Insurance Application form or BCCA EBT Group Insurance Change form and forward the original form to the BCCA Employee Benefit Program office immediately. You can fax a copy, but the original must be sent in the mail. Please ensure to keep a copy for your records. Changes to an employee's insurance must be reported within 31 days from the date of change. To ensure that Plan Member changes are reflected on your next monthly premium statement, please provide notification to the BCCA Employee Benefit Program office prior to the 12th of the month.

Please note that effective June 1, 2011, Pacific Blue Cross phased out the Employer Record Cards. These cards are generally distributed along with the employee cards. As a result of this 'green initiative', you will need to advise the BCCA Employee Benefit Program office of any employee terminations. Employers can email us directly at hr@bccabenefits.ca, or send a fax notice to 604-299-2982, and the last day worked. Terminations will be processed through the emails we receive; no additional paperwork is required.

Is it required that I adjust my monthly premium payment to reflect the changes I am submitting?

No. You should submit changes without adjusting the premium amount due. Your next invoice will indicate the credit or the back charges for the changes submitted.

Is there a waiting period that must be satisfied before new employees can be added to the group plan?

The BCCA program's waiting period can be found on the eligibility rules on this site.

Policy Administration

Eligibility

Who is considered a full-time student?

An individual can be considered a full time student up to the age of 25 if they are registered at a high school, university, trade school, college or similar educational institution and attending on a full time basis.

How many hours must an employee work to be eligible for enrolment?

To obtain this information, please refer to the eligibility rules on this site.

Do all of my employees have to enroll in the health and dental insurance plan?

Enrolment in the health and dental plans are mandatory for all full-time employees unless they have similar coverage through a spouse's plan. This is the only circumstance where an employee would be permitted to waive coverage and they must indicate "Waived" on Part 1 of the BCCA EBT Group Insurance Application form and indicate their spouse's insurer and policy number in Part 2 of this form. They must also complete the Waiver of Coverage form. The originals of both of these must be sent into the BCCA Employee Benefit Program office for processing.

What happens to the employee's coverage during a temporary lay-off? 

In the event a covered employee is temporarily laid-off, an employer can request for benefits continuation under the BCCA Employee Benefit Trust to a maximum of 3 months from the last day the employee is at work. It is important to note that Short and/or Long Term Disability cannot continue during a lay-off and will terminate on the date of the lay-off.

For all the other benefits which are continued, premiums will remain payable. If the employer requests a lay-off extension and the employee has not resumed working at the end of the 3-month period, all benefits coverage will terminate. Please note that coverage terminates effective 3 months from the last day worked and does not extend until the end of the month. As with any termination, if an employee's last day of coverage is during the middle of the a month, the full month's premium is due.

If you would like to continue the benefits coverage for an employee during a lay-off period, a written request must be submitted to hr@bccabenefits.ca stating the employee's name, the date the lay-off begins and the benefits that you are requesting to continue, excluding disability benefits.

When the employee returns to work, please advise the BCCA Benefit Trust Office immediately by fax or email and all benefits will be reinstated on the returned to work date.

What happens to the employee's coverage when a severance occurs? 

Extension of benefits coverage due to a severance situation is allowed, pending approval, for the minimum notice period required by legislation to a maximum 8 weeks. It is important to note that disability coverage (Short Term Disability and Long Term Disability) cannot be extended, and will terminate on the employee's last day of work. To arrange for continuation of coverage:

Send a letter/e-mail/fax to the BCCA Employee Benefit Trust Office stating the following:

• employee's name
• date of hire
• birth date
• salary
• life insurance coverage amount
• occupation
• date of termination
• reason for termination
• requested benefits to continue
• required severance period

Extended Health Care

Am I covered for medical treatment away from my residence?

You are encouraged to check into additional out-of-country emergency medical insurance while travelling outside of Canada. Your BCCA Employee Benefit plan includes Out-of-Province emergency coverage as part of your Extended Health Care coverage for employees and their dependents. If you are travelling away this summer, remember to take your Medi-Assist card or brochure with you.

The maximum insured amount should be adequate in most situations. If you suddenly become ill while travelling, you should call Pacific Blue Cross' Medi-Assist hotline at the following numbers:

The customer service representatives at Medi-Assist can help co-ordinate your coverage options.

For additional detail on your Out-of-Province coverage, please refer to your employee booklet.

Am I required to register for pharmacare?

If you are a BC resident and enrolled with the Medical Services Plan (MSP), you can register your family to receive your maximum financial assistance under Fair PharmaCare. Your family includes you, your spouse and any dependent children whose Medical Services Plan coverage is on the same contract as you or your spouse. Your extended health coverage (EHC) through Pacific Blue Cross (PBC) requires that you take advantage of other plans that are available to you, such as the Fair PharmaCare program. As a result, the EHC plan will only pay for eligible drugs up to your deductible and amounts that exceed the 70% PharmaCare co-payment. In other words, your EHC plan does not provide coverage for drug expenses that are eligible under the Fair PharmaCare program. After you reach a certain threshold of drug expenses, PBC will contact you to request proof that you have registered with the Fair PharmaCare program.

You can still register for PharmaCare. As part of the registration process, you will be asked for your family's annual net income based on your previous year's income tax returns. You will also be asked to provide authorization for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to send information from your tax return to Fair PharmaCare. You will be advised of your annual Fair PharmaCare deductible at time of registration, and will receive notice each year for the following year's annual deductible.

If you do not register, you will default to the highest deductible level of $10,000 per family. You can contact PharmaCare at 1-800-387-4977 (8:00 AM to 8:00 PM weekdays, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM weekends). You can also register on-line at http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/pharmacare/.

Identification

Only applicable for some BCCA groups:

I have not received my pay-direct drug card and I need to fill a prescription. Will my services be covered?

The best option is to pay for the service and file a paper claim for reimbursement, attaching original receipts. Be sure to keep copies of all receipts submitted.

Long Term Disability

How does the insurer determine if I am totally disabled?

The insurer will consider you totally disabled if you are unable to perform any and every duty of your own occupation or employment for the first 24 months of disability. After 24 months, the insurer will re-examine your disabled status and will consider you disabled if you are unable to perform any and every duty of any occupation or employment for which you are reasonably qualified by education, training or experience.

If I have a pre-existing condition, could it affect my LTD coverage?

A pre-existing condition is any condition or illness (whether diagnosed or not) for which you were treated or attended by a Physician, or for which drugs were prescribed, during the 90 day period immediately prior to the effective date of coverage. New employees to the plan will not be covered for any disability resulting from a pre-existing condition until six months of continuous active employment after their effective date of coverage.

If I am currently receiving WCB disability benefits, should I apply for LTD coverage?

Yes. Although WCB will likely be used as a direct offset to the LTD, you should still apply for LTD benefits and for waiver of Life Insurance premiums. While you may not receive payment now, if you were to stop receiving benefits from WCB and are still deemed to be disabled, you may be able to claim for LTD benefits. The LTD application must be made within the appropriate time limit stated in the LTD contract policy.

If my LTD claim is approved, what happens to my other benefits?

When an LTD claim is approved, all other benefits remain in force. Waiver of premiums is typically approved coincident with the LTD claim. As a result premiums for Life, Dependent Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, and Disability are waived for as long as you are disabled. Extended Health and Dental coverage may continue for up to one year from the date LTD benefits are approved, provided premiums continue to be paid. Under no circumstances will Extended Health and Dental continue for more than one year from the LTD approval date.

Life Insurance

If I am presently being charged a smoker rate for optional life or optional spouse life insurance, can this rate be changed to a non-smoker rate at a later date?

Yes. If the Insured has abstained from the use of tobacco products for at least the past 12 consecutive months, he or she may apply for the preferred non-smoking rate by completing the GWL Non-smoker Rate Form.

What happens if I make a false statement concerning my or my spouse's smoking habits?

If an Optional Life or Optional Spouse Life insurance claim is filed and the smoking habits have been misrepresented, the claim will be denied. Any premiums which have been paid will be refunded.

Waiver of Premium

Under what circumstances would I be eligible to apply for waiver of premium(s) and for what benefits?

If you are unable to work due to a disability or sickness for a period that is expected to be of long duration (i.e. over 2 months), you should apply for Long Term Disability benefits as soon as possible. In addition, you should also apply for Life Waiver of Premium. If you are approved for Long Term Disability benefits and Life Waiver of Premium, the premium payments for both LTD and Basic and Dependent Life (if applicable to you) insurance will be waived. Upon approval of Life Waiver of Premium, Basic AD&D, Voluntary AD&D and Optional Life premiums will also be waived, if you were insured for these benefits prior to your date of disability.

Please note that if you become disabled at work and become eligible for WCB disability benefits or some other type of disability payments, you should still apply for LTD benefits and Life Waiver of Premium. WCB disability benefits are typically higher than what you would receive through your LTD plan and are deducted from any disability benefit you may become eligible for. However, although you may not receive payment now, if you are to stop receiving benefits from WCB and are still deemed to be disabled, you may be able to claim for LTD benefits in the future and you would have your benefit premiums waived (as described above) during your disability period.

Note that premiums for Extended Health and Dental Care are not waived in the event of a disability.

This information is not intended for use without professional advice. While we have attempted to make this site as accurate as possible, it is only a summary. For more information, see our disclaimer.

Why should I invest in an employee benefit plan?

A well-managed employee benefit plan is an effective tool in recruiting and retaining motivated people. Extended Health benefits, Dental Care and insurance add value to any compensation package.

This is especially true in today’s job market, where employees may be tempted to move to other sectors of industry. And it’s especially true for employees with family responsibilities.

What advantages does the BCCA Employee Benefit Program offer my company?

The BCCA Employee Benefit Program offers exceptional value to employers in the construction sector. The Program is operated by the construction industry for the benefit of people in the industry and has been operating employee benefit plans on a non-profit basis for more than 40 years.

The BCCA Employee Benefit Program is:

• Designed for the construction industry by construction professionals.
• Trustee-managed for the benefit of our members.
• Flexible – We work with large and small companies to identify the best options.
• Streamlined and efficient – To deliver a high level of value for every dollar invested.
• Service driven - Because we understand your business we can offer knowledgable, responsible service.

Is there a minimum size of company that can join the plan? Is there a maximum size?

The BCCA welcomes all member companies into the plan, regardless of size.

Because the Employee Benefit Program helps to retain employees in the construction sector, welcoming more companies into the plan helps to strengthen the construction industry in B.C.

Which features of the plan are standard? Which are optional?

The core features of the plan include:

• Basic Life Insurance
• Dependent Life Insurance
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment
• Long-Term Disability
• Extended Health
• Dental Care
• Medical Travel Benefit
• Employee and Family Assistance Program.

Optional features include Short-Term Disability and enhanced Optional Life Insurance, and a wide-variety of additional selections is available within each of the core features. For instance, employers may choose to opt-in to a Healthcare Spending Account or Drug Card program under the Extended Health benefit or add major restorative care and orthodontic coverage to their Dental package.

Our experienced Benefits Consultants will work closely with you to develop the combination of optional features that can enhance your plan and meet the unique needs of your employees.

What is the monthly cost for the employer? For the employees? Are there fees in addition to the premiums?

Employer costs vary, according to the coverage you want and also according to the age and medical profile of your employees. In general, the plan presents a competitive range of benefits at competitive prices. Most of all, it offers direct access to customer service staff who understand both the BCCA program and the needs of the industry.

What is the term of the employer’s contract?

The agreement between the individual employer and the BCCA Employee Benefit Program is sustained on a month-to-month basis. This gives plan members the opportunity to adjust their package of features and their coverage levels as required.

Where do I go if I have a question or concern related to the BCCA Employee Benefit Program?

If you have a question about how the plan works or how to adjust your coverage, contact Client Services at:

Suite 120-4401 Still Creek Drive
Burnaby, BC V5C 6G9
Phone: (604) 683-7353
Toll-free: 1-800-665-1077
Fax: (604) 299-2982
Email: hr@bccabenefits.ca