Member Benefits

Employee & Family Assistance Program (New effective June 1, 2021)

Administered by Pacific Blue Cross and delivered through Homewood Health, this program offers you and your families 24/7 counselling, coaching and support. (Additional information/communications will be forthcoming once the benefit has been fully implemented).

Dental

The Plan will now pay the eligible limit for all composite (white) fillings for all teeth.

* Eligible limit is the maximum amount a covered individual can claim for specified benefits (subject to the reimbursement percentage and deductible of the plan).

Member Assistance (Psychology) Benefit

Administration of this benefit has been moved to Pacific Blue Cross, giving you and your family access to their new online/virtual Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) programs.

These online CBT programs are delivered online or via an app on your smartphone or tablet, and you’ll receive one-on-one support from qualified mental health professionals as you work through the program.

To learn more sign-in to your Member Profile and click on the Health Tab > Practitioner Services > Counselling Services.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) – (New Benefit)
Continuous Glucose Monitor Equipment & Supplies – including transmitter(s), receiver, and sensors to a combined limit of $3,000 eligible amount* per person per calendar year.

* Eligible limit is the maximum amount a covered individual can claim for specified benefits (subject to the reimbursement percentage and deductible of the plan).

To learn more sign-in to your Member Profile and click on the Health Tab – Medical
Equipment & Supplies – Diabetic & Heart Patient Devices.

Vision Care
Coverage can now be used toward the cost of laser eye surgery. Benefit levels remain unchanged at:

• Member – $475 per 24 month(s) from the service date of first eligible claim (Can include reimbursement for eye exam)
• Registered Dependants – $300 per person per 24 month(s) from the service date of first eligible claim (excludes eye exams)

Effective March 23, 2020, the weekly Short Term Disability (STD) benefit for eligible members has increased to $573/week from $500/week .

Effective January 1, 2019, changes were made to the plan that affect Practitioner Services, Short Term Disability, and new Spousal Dependent coverage.

1. Practitioner Services
   

Individual limits of 80% of $250.00 have been removed. Effective January 1, 2019, the following services will have a combined reimbursement limit of 80% of $1,250 giving members more access to their preferred method of treatment for managing their health and wellness.

• • acupuncturist
  • chiropractor
  • massage practitioner
  • naturopath
  • physiotherapist
  • podiatrist
  • speech therapist

2. Short Term Disability

Effective January 1, 2019, benefits increased from $400 per week to $500 per week. Eligible members must:

1. 1. be covered on the Full Plan on the date of disability, and
   2. have had coverage with DC38 Health & Welfare Trust Fund for the 8 consecutive months immediately preceding the date of disability, whether covered on the Full Plan and/or the Partial Package and/or the Mini Plan, or any combination of the these Plans. There cannot be any breaks in coverage for the 8 months immediately preceding the date of disability.

Note: Members reimbursed for periods of disability from January 1, 2019 onward at the old rates will receive a retro-active top-up.

3. Spousal Dependent

Means the person legally married to the Member or a person who has been residing with the Member in a common-law relationship for at least 1 year and who is publicly represented as the Member’s Spouse. Only one Spouse is eligible for coverage under the Contract at any one time.

Effective January 1, 2019, the 12 month waiting period from the removal date of one spouse to the addition of a different spouse will be applied regardless of whether the spouse and Member are legally married, or common-law.

If you are estranged (separated), divorced or no longer cohabitating with the person listed as a spouse on your coverage, you are required to contact this office at 604-524-8334 or 1-800-266-1527 to remove them from your coverage.

DC38’s Extended Health and Dental Care plans, administered through Pacific Blue Cross (PBC), cover a portion of eligible expenses for prescription medication, practitioner services, dental fees, etc.

NEW: Effective April 1, 2021, The counselling and psychology benefit is now covered through Pacific Blue Cross. Please submit your claims using the “Standard Health Claim Form” found below.

Pacific Blue Cross does not cover vision care or counselling expenses; these expenses are covered though DC38’s H&W office in Burnaby (see next section).

Plan Booklets (Pacific Blue Cross – Details of Coverage)

• Active Members (Updated – Effective May 1, 2019)
• Retired Members (Updated – Effective July 1, 2021; changes are highlighted in yellow)

Forms (Pacific Blue Cross)

• Standard Health Claim Form (For submitting health care expenses such as Physio, Massage, Chiropractic, etc.)
• Dental Claim Form (If your dentist is unable to submit the claim to PBC directly)
• Custom Foot Orthotics Claiming Checklist
• Employee Change Form (For adding or removing dependents)

More information about Blue Cross, as well as its forms, can be found on its website.

Covered Practitioners

For a list of practitioners covered by the plan, please click here.

For a list of counsellors covered by the plan, please click here.

NEW: Effective April 1, 2021, The counseling and psychology benefit is now covered through Pacific Blue Cross. Please submit your claims using the “Standard Health Claim Form” found in the “Extended Health and Dental Coverage” section above.

The DC38 H&W Plan processes Vision Care and Counselling services at the Burnaby office. For eligible members, the form must be filled out and returned with the original receipt(s) to the IUPAT DC38 Burnaby office by the deadline specified on the back of the form.

Forms

Vision Care: Fillable PDF or Standard Form