Liaison - Your pension and benefits newsletter, issue 18
Issue 18: 2025
On this page
Submitting your Public Service Health Care Plan claims
Your Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) offers 2 types of coverage, Supplementary and Comprehensive.
Which coverage applies to you?
If you live in Canada and have provincial or territorial health insurance, you likely have Supplementary Coverage.
If you have permanently moved outside of Canada, you likely have Comprehensive Coverage.
To transfer from Supplementary to Comprehensive Coverage, you must complete a PSHCP Pensioner Application form and submit it to the Pension Centre.
Where to submit your claims
Claims are submitted to either Canada Life or MSH International (MSH), a subcontractor of Canada life, depending on the nature of the claim.
Submit the following claims to Canada Life:
- Non-emergency claims for eligible medical expenses incurred within Canada for all PSHCP members
- Non-emergency claims for eligible medical expenses incurred outside of Canada for members with Supplementary Coverage
Submit the following claims to MSH:
- Emergency Travel Assistance claims for members with Supplementary Coverage (these are the eligible medical expenses incurred as a result of an emergency while travelling outside of your province or territory of residence within 40 days of departure)
- All claims for eligible medical expenses incurred outside of Canada for members with Comprehensive Coverage
How to submit claims
There are 4 ways to submit your and your dependants’ claims to Canada Life and 2 ways to submit them to MSH:
Canada Life
- Directly via a registered pharmacy or paramedical provider
- Online through your PSHCP Member Services account
- On your mobile device through the My Canada Life at Work app
- By mail using a paper claim form
MSH
- Online through the MSH PSHCP Member Portal
- By mail using a paper claim form
For more information or to request a claim form
Contact Canada Life at:
- 1‑855‑415‑4414: North America (toll-free)
- 1‑431‑489‑4064: International (collect)
Contact MSH at:
- 1‑833‑774‑2700: North America (toll-free)
- 1‑365‑337‑7427: International (collect)
To learn more, consult your PSHCP Member Booklet.
Canada Life is now the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan administrator
On November 1, 2024, Canada Life became the new administrator for the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan (PDSP) and began processing your claims.
What you need to do
- Make sure to either validate or complete positive enrolment, which is now mandatory under the PDSP. Positive enrolment is where you provide information about yourself and any eligible dependants to Canada Life to have your claims processed.
- Send your dental claims to Canada Life, including eligible expenses incurred before November 1, 2024, that weren’t submitted to Sun Life. Your claims must be received no later than 15 months after the expenses were incurred.
- Give your new dental plan number to your provider(s). Your dental plan number can be found on your new PDSP benefit card with Canada Life. If you completed your positive enrolment by paper, you will have received a paper benefit card in the mail. If you completed your positive enrolment digitally, you can download or save your benefit card from your PDSP Member Services account or from your mobile device.
- Keep your information up to date. You can do this by signing into your PDSP Member Services account or contacting Canada Life to have a paper PDSP Positive Enrolment Form sent by mail.
Need to change your category of coverage?
To update your category of coverage, contact the Pension Centre.
For more information
Consult the PDSP Member Services website.
Advantages of an online account with Canada Life
Your Canada Life account through My Canada Life At Work gives you access to both your Public Service Health Care Plan and your Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan.
You can use it to:
- see your claim history
- review your coverage and balances
- access your electronic benefit cards
- submit online claims
- update your positive enrolment information
- update/add your banking information for direct deposit
Note: Services are still available in paper format for those who do not use digital services.
Changes to the Supplementary Death Benefit
On June 1, 2024, changes were made to modernize the Supplementary Death Benefit.
What this means for you
If you have coverage under the Supplementary Death Benefit, you can now name up to 5 beneficiaries, including minors.
What is the Supplementary Death Benefit?
It’s a lump sum payment equal to twice your salary at retirement, rounded up to the nearest $1,000.
The amount starts to decrease when you reach age 66. It is paid to your beneficiaries or estate when you pass away. If you named more than one beneficiary, the amount will be split equally among them.
Naming your beneficiaries
To keep your current beneficiary, you don’t need to do anything. Your current named beneficiary is still valid.
To update your beneficiary, print, complete and mail the Naming or Changing Your Beneficiaries (PWGSC-TPSGC 2196) form or request a paper copy from the Pension Centre.
For more information
See the Survivor benefits page or contact the Pension Centre.
Contact information for the Pension Centre
- 1‑800‑561‑7930 (toll-free in North America)
- 506‑533‑5800 (collect outside of North America)
- 506‑533‑5990 (TTY)
Page details
- Date modified: