Work & life events

Health Plan

• In accordance with Québec law, if you are under age 65, your new spouse or dependent child must join the Concordia Health Plan within 31 days of the date he or she is eligible to be covered, unless the person is already covered under a group insurance plan elsewhere.
• Only one spouse can be insured under the plan at any given time.

Dental Plan

• When you cover your new spouse under the Concordia Health Plan, you must do the same under the Dental Plan within 31 days of the date he or she is eligible to be covered.
• Only one spouse can be insured under the plan at any given time.
• You do not have to cover your new dependent child if you reside in Québec and your oldest child is under age 10 and entitled to dental care coverage under the province's Medicare program.

Optional Life Insurance Plan

• You may increase your coverage.
• Proof of good health will be required if:
  • you apply for optional life insurance coverage more than 31 days after obtaining a new spouse or your first dependent child; or
  • you apply for an amount of optional life insurance coverage for yourself that exceeds:
    • 2 x your annual base salary; or
    • $300,000.

Optional Dependent Life Insurance Plan

• You may cover your new spouse or dependent child.
• Proof of good health will be required if you apply for optional dependent life insurance coverage more than 31 days after obtaining a new spouse or your first dependent child.

Optional Accident Insurance Plan

• You may increase your own coverage and choose family coverage, without having to provide proof of good health.

Health Plan, Dental Plan, Optional Dependent Life Insurance Plan, and Optional Accident Insurance Plan

• Your dependent child's coverage will end unless he or she is:
  • a full-time student, dependent on you for support; or
  • mentally or physically handicapped, and incapable of self-sustaining employment, as well as wholly dependent on you for support.
• You must provide the insurance company with satisfactory proof of your child's continued eligibility no later than 31 days after he or she turns 21. Proof may also be periodically required thereafter.
• Remember: your child must be unmarried and living in Canada.

Health Plan, Dental Plan, Disability Plans, Optional Accident Insurance Plan

• Coverage will end.

Basic Life Insurance Plan, Optional Life Insurance Plan, and Optional Dependent Life Insurance Plan

• Your coverage will end. You may convert the following amounts to an individual insurance policy, at the insurance company's standard rates for the type of policy you elect, based on your personal circumstances at that time:
  • For yourself: The coverage that will no longer be available to you under the plans when you leave the University, reach age 65 or retire, up to $200,000.
  • For your spouse: The coverage that will no longer be available to your spouse under the Optional Dependent Life Insurance Plan when you leave the University, reach age 65 or retire, up to $100,000.
• If you wish to convert amounts to an individual insurance policy, you must initiate the process within 31 days of the date the reduction of coverage occurs and pay the required premium.
• You and your spouse are not required to provide proof of good health if you purchase the individual policy from Sun Life under the terms of the conversion privilege. However, if you do provide such proof, you may benefit from better rates and terms of coverage.
• If you or your spouse dies within the 31-day conversion period, the insurance that could have been converted will be paid to the designated beneficiary, whether or not an application for conversion was made.

Pension Plan

• If you leave Concordia for reasons other than retirement or death, your plan membership will end. You will receive a statement showing, among other things, the value of your benefits and the settlement options available to you. Here’s a summary of the benefits payable, depending on your age when you leave the University:
  • If you are under age 55
    You will be entitled to a deferred retirement pension payable at age 65, based on your credited service. You may also receive an actuarially reduced pension as early as age 55.
    The portion of your benefits earned during your years of membership after January 1, 2001, will be indexed from your termination date up to age 55. The indexation will be equal to 50% of the increase in the Consumer Price Index, up to 2% per year.
    Rather than receive a deferred pension, you may transfer the value of your pension to:
    • a prescribed retirement savings arrangement;
    • another registered pension plan, if that plan accepts it; or
    • an insurance company to purchase a life annuity.
  • If you are age 55 or over
    You will be considered to be retiring from the University. In this case, you will be entitled to retirement benefits.

Group RSP

• You can:
  • transfer your Group RSP to the Canada Life Universal RSP, where you'll continue to enjoy the same investment options and Canada Life service; or
  • transfer your Group RSP balance to another RRSP at a financial institution; or
  • withdraw your Group RSP account balance in cash (this amount will be included in your taxable income for that year and tax will be withheld from the payment).

Health Plan and Dental Plan

• Your spouse’s coverage will end, unless you are separated for a period of less than 90 days.
• If you have dependent children and your spouse becomes covered under Concordia’s plan and another plan, eligible expenses that your covered dependent children incur will first be reimbursed by the plan of the parent whose birthday falls earlier in the benefit year. Any balance remaining should then be submitted to the other spouse’s plan for payment.

Optional Dependent Life Insurance Plan

• Your spouse's coverage, if any, will end.
• If you had chosen to cover both your spouse and dependent children, your dependent children's coverage will continue.

Optional Accident Insurance Plan

• Your spouse's coverage, if any, will end.
• If you had selected family coverage and you have dependent children, their coverage will increase from 15% to 20% of your coverage for accidental death.

Pension Plan

• Your spouse may have a legal right to a portion of your pension benefits for the time you were together.
• However, if your pension had been reduced at the time of retirement to provide a pension to your surviving spouse, you can request that the amount of the pension be increased to take into account the fact that the plan will not pay a survivor pension to your former spouse following the marriage breakdown. The increase will be applied as of the following dates:
  • if you are married: the effective date of the judgment; or
  • if you have a common-law spouse: the date your marital relationship ends.
• If you are already receiving your pension and the marriage breakdown occurred before January 1, 2001, you may request that your pension be adjusted in the same manner. This adjustment will take effect on the date Benefits Services receives the request.

Group RSP

• Your spouse may have a legal right to a portion of your savings for the time you were together.

• Authorized leave of absence with pay
• Authorized leave of absence without pay

Authorized leave of absence with pay

Health Plan, Dental Plan, Basic Life Insurance Plan, Optional Life Insurance Plan, Optional Dependent Life Insurance Plan, Pension Plan and Group RSP

• Your coverage or participation and any related payroll deductions will continue.

Optional Accident Insurance Plan

• Your coverage can be extended for up to 36 months, provided you continue paying the required premiums. However, if you become totally disabled and eligible for benefits from the Concordia Long-Term Disability Plan, your premiums will be waived until:
  
  • you reach age 65;
  • your death;
  • your recovery; or
  • the date the policy is cancelled.
• If you work for anyone other than Concordia University during your leave or layoff period, no benefits will be paid from the plan for death or a covered injury occurring during your employment elsewhere.
• In the event of any approved disability leave, coverage will end on your 65th birthday.

Disability Plans

• Paid Sick Leave Plan
  Coverage will continue.
• Long-Term Disability Plan
  Coverage will continue. If a disability arises, no benefits will be payable during the intended period of absence. Rather, benefits will be payable on your scheduled date of return to work. The benefit payable will be based on the current full-time salary for the position you held immediately prior to your leave of absence. Also, the duration of benefits will be determined according to the original date of disability.

Authorized leave of absence without pay

Health Plan, Dental Plan

• You may continue your coverage under these plans, subject to certain conditions. Please contact Benefits Services for complete details before your leave begins.

Disability Plans

• Long-Term Disability Plan
  If a disability arises, no benefits will be payable during the intended period of absence. Rather, benefits will be payable on your scheduled date of return to work. The benefit payable will be based on the current full-time salary for the position you held immediately prior to your leave of absence. Also, the duration of benefits will be determined according to the original date of disability.
  
  Coverage will continue until the end of the 24th month following the date your leave began, or longer as agreed to by the insurance company, if your absence is due to an unpaid leave of absence other than for service in any naval, military or air force.

Basic Life Insurance Plan, Optional Life Insurance Plan, and Optional Dependent Life Insurance Plan

• You may maintain your coverage for a maximum of 24 months while you are absent from work on an authorized leave.
• If you elect to maintain coverage, you must pay the required premiums in advance.

Optional Accident Insurance Plan

• Your coverage can be extended for up to 36 months, provided you pay the required premiums in advance. However, if you become totally disabled and eligible for benefits from the Concordia Long-Term Disability Plan, your premiums will be waived until:
  • you reach age 65;
  • your death;
  • your recovery; or
  • the date the policy is cancelled.
• If you work for anyone other than Concordia University during your leave or layoff period, no benefits will be paid from the plan for death or a covered injury occurring during your employment elsewhere.
• In the event of any approved disability leave, coverage will end on your 65th birthday.

Pension Plan

• Your credited service will continue to accumulate under the Concordia Pension Plan only if:
  • you contribute to the plan the full actuarial value of any benefits earned during your absence; or
  • the University elects to recognize your credited service during this time without requiring you to make any contributions. In this case, if you do not contribute, you will receive benefits as a non-contributory member. On the other hand, if you continue making contributions, you will earn service as a contributory member.
• If you accrue credited service during your absence, the plan will take into account the earnings that you would have received from the University had you remained with the University.

Group RSP

• Since you will not be receiving any pay from the University during this time, you cannot make contributions through payroll deductions. However, you may suspend your contributions or make contributions directly to Great-West Life.

If you are a full-time employee, the following provisions apply.

Health Plan, Dental Plan, Optional Life Insurance Plan, Optional Dependent Life Insurance Plan, and Optional Accident Insurance Plan

• Your coverage and related payroll deductions will continue.
• If your disability extends beyond four months, however, your coverage will continue at no cost to you, for as long as you are eligible to receive benefits from the Concordia Long-Term Disability Plan.

Disability Plans

• Benefits may be payable, subject to plan rules.

Basic Life Insurance Plan

• Your coverage will continue.

Pension Plan

• You will accumulate credited service as a contributory member but without having to make any contributions to the plan if:
  • you are disabled as certified by a medical doctor; and
  • you are receiving (or are eligible to receive, in the case of CSST or SAAQ) disability benefits under the Concordia Long-Term Disability Plan.
• This applies even if you were a non-contributory member on the day before you became disabled.
• As long as you are disabled, you will accumulate credited service until your normal retirement date, at which time you will retire. The pensionable earnings considered during your disability will be based on what you were earning when you became disabled, increased on each January 1 during your disability by the rate of increase in the YMPE.

Group RSP

• While you receive benefits under the Paid Sick Leave Plan, you will continue to contribute to the Group RSP through payroll deductions, unless you decide to suspend your contributions.
• While you receive benefits under the Long-Term Disability Plan, you will not be receiving any pay from the University during this time. As a result, you cannot make contributions through payroll deductions. However, you may suspend your contributions or make contributions directly to Great West Life.

Health Plan

If you are a Québec resident when you retire from active service with Concordia, the following will apply:

• If you are under age 65...
  Québec law requires that you continue your coverage under the Concordia Health Plan, unless:
  • you are covered under another group health insurance plan, such as your spouse's plan where he or she works; or
  • you are NOT considered an eligible pensioner.
  
  
• If you are age 65 or over...
  If you are an eligible pensioner, you may make a one-time choice to continue to participate in the Concordia Health Plan or to opt out. If you opt out, your decision will be irrevocable, that is, you will not be eligible to participate in the Concordia Health Plan at any future date. The only exception to this is if:
  • you opted out because you were covered under another group health insurance plan elsewhere, such as your spouse's plan where he or she works (and proof of that coverage was provided to Benefits Services at the time you opted out); and
  • you subsequently lose that coverage. In this case, you may join the Concordia Health Plan anytime within 31 days of the date your coverage ceases under the other plan. You will need to provide proof of the loss of coverage to establish your eligibility under the Concordia Health Plan.

You can choose to have the drugs that appear on the formulary of the Régie de l'assurance-maladie du Québec (RAMQ), covered under:

• the provincial government's universal drug plan; or
• under a group insurance plan such as Concordia's (the University will require that you pay an additional premium).

For coverage of other eligible expenses, we recommend that you remain with the Concordia Health Plan. Your choice of plan for drug coverage does not affect your coverage of other eligible expenses under the Concordia Health Plan.

If you are not a Québec resident when you retire from active service with Concordia, the following will apply, regardless of your age:

If you are an eligible pensioner, you may make a one-time choice to continue to participate in the Concordia Health Plan or to opt out. If you opt out, your decision will be irrevocable, that is, you will not be eligible to participate in the Concordia Health Plan at any future date. The only exception to this is if:

• you opted out because you were covered under another group health insurance plan elsewhere, such as your spouse's plan where he or she works (and proof of that coverage was provided to Benefits Services at the time you opted out); and
• you subsequently lose that coverage. In this case, you may join the Concordia Health Plan anytime within 31 days of the date your coverage ceases under the other plan. You will need to provide proof of the loss of coverage to establish your eligibility under the Concordia Health Plan.

Dental Plan

• Coverage will end on the date you begin to receive your pension, unless special arrangements have been made under the terms of an early retirement incentive program to continue your coverage until June 1 following age 65.

Disability Plans

• Coverage under the Paid Sick Leave Plan or the Short-Term Disability Plan will end.
• Coverage under the Long-Term Disability Plan will end, whether it be your actual retirement date or your normal retirement date, whichever is earlier.

Basic Life Insurance Plan

On June 1 following your normal retirement date (if you are still actively at work) or on your actual retirement date, if earlier:

Your coverage of 1 x your annual base salary (rounded to the next higher $100, if not already a multiple of $100) will become subject to a maximum of $75,000. This is the "initial" amount of your coverage.

Then, beginning on the June 1 following your 66th birthday, this coverage will decrease by 15% of the initial amount each year for 5 years until it reaches 25% of the initial amount (subject to minimum coverage of $5,000).

You remain insured at that level throughout your lifetime.

For instance, if you were to retire at age 55, with an annual base salary of $75,000, here's how your coverage would be reduced over the years:

As of June 1 following...	Percentage of the initial amount	Maximum benefit
Age 65	100%	$75,000
Age 66	85%	$63,800
Age 67	70%	$52,500
Age 68	55%	$41,300
Age 69	40%	$30,000
Age 70 and thereafter	25%	$18,800

If you continue working beyond the June 1 following your normal retirement date, your coverage under the Basic Life Insurance Plan will be determined on the same basis as if you had retired.

Optional Life Insurance Plan and Optional Dependent Life Insurance Plan

• Unless special arrangements have been made under the terms of an early retirement incentive program to allow you to continue your coverage until June 1 following age 65, your coverage will end when you begin receiving your pension. You may convert the following amounts to an individual insurance policy, at the insurance company's standard rates for the type of policy you elect, based on your personal circumstances at that time:
  
  
  • For yourself: The coverage that will no longer be available to you under the Basic Insurance Plan (see above) and the Optional Life Insurance Plan when you leave the University, reach age 65 or retire, up to a combined total of $200,000.
  • For your spouse: The coverage that will no longer be available to your spouse under the Optional Dependent Life Insurance Plan when you leave the University, reach age 65 or retire, up to $100,000.
  
  
• If you wish to convert amounts to an individual insurance policy, you have 31 days from the date your coverage is reduced to initiate the process and pay the required premium.
• You and your spouse are not required to provide proof of good health if you purchase the individual policy from Sun Life under the terms of the conversion privilege. However, if you do provide such proof, you may benefit from better rates and terms of coverage.
• If you or your spouse dies within the 31-day conversion period, the insurance that could have been converted will be paid to the designated beneficiary, whether or not an application for conversion was made.

Optional Accident Insurance Plan

• Coverage will end.

Pension Plan

• You will be entitled to benefits earned under the plan.

Group RSP

• You may use the value of your Group RSP funds, as follows:
  • buy a pension; or
  • transfer the amount to another registered plan.
• Current tax laws require that you withdraw your funds or purchase a pension or a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) no later than December 31 of the year in which you reach age 69. In the event of a spousal RRSP, the deadline is December 31 of the year in which your spouse reaches age 69.

• I die before receiving pension payments
• I die while receiving pension payments

I die before receiving pension payments

Health Plan and Dental Plan

• Your insured, eligible dependents may maintain their coverage for up to two benefit years, provided they pay the required premiums.

Disability Plans

• Coverage will end.

Basic Life Insurance Plan and Optional Life Insurance Plan

• Coverage will end and benefits may be payable.

Optional Dependent Life Insurance Plan

• Your insured dependents will remain covered, at no cost, for 24 months or until they cease to qualify as an eligible dependent, if earlier.
• Your spouse can convert coverage, subject to certain conditions.

Optional Accident Insurance Plan

• Benefits may be payable if your death is accidental.
• Should you die, whatever the cause, your eligible dependents may continue to be covered under the plan for up to 12 months, provided they pay the required premium.

Pension Plan

If you die as an active member before becoming eligible for early retirement your beneficiary will receive:

• for service on or after January 1, 1990, the commuted value of the benefit payable from age 55; and
• for service before January 1, 1990, the commuted value of the benefit payable from your normal retirement date.

If you die as an active member while eligible for early retirement but before your normal retirement date your beneficiary will receive:

• for service on or after January 1, 1990, the commuted value of the pension you would have received had you retired on the first day of the month of your death; and
• for service before January 1, 1990, 120 monthly instalments of the pension payable had you retired on the first day of the month of your death.

Group RSP

• If you should die while employed by Concordia, your Group RSP account will be paid to your named beneficiary (or your estate if no beneficiary has been named). If your spouse is the beneficiary, he or she can transfer your Group RSP account tax-free to his or her own registered plan (such as an RRSP or RRIF).

I die while receiving pension payments

Health Plan

• Your insured eligible dependents may continue to be covered under the plan until they no longer meet the definition of eligible dependents or until death, provided they pay the premiums.

Dental Plan

• If your dental coverage has been continued under the terms of an early retirement incentive program, your eligible dependents may continue to be covered under the plan until the earlier of:
  • the date they no longer meet the definition of eligible dependents; and
  • June 1 coinciding with or following the date you would have reached age 65.

Basic Life Insurance Plan

• Coverage will end and benefits may be payable.

Pension Plan

• Benefits, if any, will be payable according to the form of payment chosen upon retirement.