Benefits
Ontario College Retiree Benefits
OCRA has established relationships with the organizations involved in the management of health, dental, life insurance, and travel insurance benefits available to Ontario College CAAT Pension Plan retirees.
College Employer Council (CEC)
College Employer Council
130 Queens Quay East, Suite 606
Toronto, ON M5A 0P6
647-258-7700
https://www.collegeemployercouncil.ca
As well as negotiating collective agreements with unionized staff of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT), the College Employer Council (CEC) is the policy holder for the CAAT group insurance benefits for Ontario College staff and retirees. The current underwriter is Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada.
Notification of Benefits
Ontario College retirees who are covered by CAAT group insurance benefits with Sun Life receive information regarding changes in premiums for health, dental, and life insurance plans from the Human Resources department of the college from which they retired. Typically, this notification arrives towards the end of the year with rate changes taking effect on February 1 of the next year.
Benefits News
The CEC’s Retiree Benefits webpage provides information in PDF format regarding:
- Health, dental, and life insurance benefits.
- Premium rates, including a worksheet to calculate the costs associated with various benefits.
CAAT Retirees Group Insurance Advisory Committee (CRGIAC)
The CAAT Retirees Group Insurance Advisory Committee (CRGIAC) was mandated under both the CAAT Academic and CAAT Support collective agreements. The CRGIAC is an advisory body that assists the College Employer Council (CEC) in ensuring the appropriate design of benefits and the cost effectiveness of the group insurance benefit plans available for all eligible Ontario College retirees.
The CRGIAC is responsible for developing recommendations based on consensus (agreement and/or abstinence constitutes consensus) for the CAAT retirees’ group insurance plans. The duties of the CRGIAC are to:
- facilitate communication between OPSEU, OCASA, the Colleges, the Council, and retirees.
- understand the retiree benefit plans.
- consider the impact of proposed new benefit improvements or the deletion or modification of existing benefits and recommend to the CEC any change to the retiree group insurance benefit plans.
- monitor the administration of the retiree plans.
- assist in the design of the communication materials.
- review proposed premium rate renewals and make recommendations to the Council.
- review contentious claims and make recommendations when such claim problems have not been resolved through the existing administrative procedure.
If an OCRA member needs a contact name for the CAAT academic, CAAT support, or CAAT administration representative on the CRGIAC, contact OCRA by completing the Contact form.
CEC/CRGIAC Newsletter
On behalf of the CRGIAC, the CEC publishes a newsletter called Retiree CAATNIPS in both English and French. The newsletter provides information and reminders regarding CAAT retiree benefits as well as information about the CRGIAC Committee.
- November 2024 editons of CAATNIPS in English (PDF) and French (PDF). OCRA members who participate in the CEC/Sun Life benefits plan will receive this newsletter plus the additional information about the new Lumino Health Pharmacy from their college’s HR department.
Previous Newsletters
- 2023 CAATNIPS English (PDF)
- 2021 CAATNIPS English (PDF) and 2021 CAATNIPS French (PDF)
- 2020 CAATNIPS English (PDF) and 2020 CAATNIPS French (PDF)
Johnson Insurance
Johnson Insurance
471 Hazeldean Road
Suite 7
Kanata, Ontario K2L 4B8
1-866-606-3362
https://www.johnson.ca/
As of October 1, 2019, the College Employer Council (CEC) entered into an agreement with Johnson Insurance to provide MEDOC Travel Insurance, an annual emergency out-of-province/country health and travel protection insurance plan for CAAT retirees.
There is a specific group benefits plan for Ontario College retirees. When making a phone inquiry, or completing an online quote, the group insurance plan is identified as CAAT along with an individual college’s name.
With the purchase of any travel insurance policy, be sure that the coverage is suitable and read the entire policy, especially the fine print. When in doubt, contact Johnson Insurance.