Changes to Claim Forms and Processing for the Disability Insurance (DI) Plan
Date:
To: Heads of Human Resources, Compensation Managers, Participating Separate Employers
1. Purpose
The purpose of this Notice is to inform you of changes to the Disability Insurance (DI) Plan "Employer Statement" form (TBS/SCT 330-303E), the publication of a guide to assist employees when completing the "Employee Statement" (TBS/SCT 330-302), and a new DI Frequently Asked Questions document, all now available on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) website.
2. Background
In 2010, PWGSC conducted an analysis of the work being carried out by insurance services staff of the Government of Canada Pension Centre (Pension Centre), Shediac, New Brunswick. The purpose of the analysis was to assess whether the administrative processes and procedures associated with insurance benefits were consistent with established departmental and PWGSC mandates and contributed to the efficient and timely delivery of benefits.
It was concluded that as Compensation officers are accountable for the quality and integrity of information reported on the DI Employer Statement, responsibility for correcting errors when discovered should also be a Compensation responsibility.
The new DI claim form supports the realignment initiative in accordance with the Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) project to streamline administrative processes and increase accountability and efficiencies.
As such, Compensation is now required to forward the new "Employer Statement" form along with the "Employee Statement" form (if received from the employee) to the insurance provider (i.e. Sun Life) by SECURE FAX if feasible, to: 1-866-639-7849 (Or by mail to the address shown on the claim form).
It is imperative that completed claim forms are forwarded to the Insurer in a timely manner to avoid delays in the processing of disability claims.
3. New DI Claim Form
The new DI "Employer Statement" form includes the removal of Part 3, originally completed by the Pension Centre. This information has now been incorporated into the respective sections of Part 1, completed by Compensation. In addition, minor housekeeping changes were made such as the revision of instructions, deleting of unnecessary references, the insertion of the address and FAX numbers of the insurance provider, and the addition of fields to report the email addresses of compensation advisors and managers.
New DI Claim Form Process and Completion
Effective immediately, the new DI "Employer Statement" claim form is to be used. Procedures surrounding the "Employee Statement" and the "Employee's Medical Information and Attending Physician Statement" remain unchanged.
To assist claimants with the completion of the Employee Statement form, a DI Claims Guide and list of Frequently Asked Questions has recently been developed and posted alongside the DI forms on the TBS web site. The DI Claim Guide was developed in collaboration with Sun Life and TBS, to clarify and simplify the application process and improve communications with plan members.
While an employee may return the completed DI "Employee Statement" form to Compensation they should be encouraged to forward this form directly to the insurance provider due to the confidentiality of the medical information on the completed forms. The insurer will inform the member and Compensation of the application status of the file as each piece of correspondence is received.
Once the Employer Statement form is completed, it must be sent to the insurance provider along with a copy of the employee's current work description.
It is critical that information entered on the Employer Statement be accurate and that any errors quickly reported to Sun Life at 1-800-361-5875.
4. Administrative Information
PWGSC Compensation Directive 2009-002 dated and Compensation Directive 2010-007 dated , provides additional information regarding the administrative responsibilities and DI procedures.
For more information about the DI claim process, continue to consult the PWGSC Insurance Administration Manual.
5. Enquiries
Chiefs of Compensation at the corporate level may contact the Pensions and Benefits Sector at Contact Pensions and Benefits Sector by E-mail pbs-spas@tbs-sct.gc.ca.
Bayla Kolk
Assistant Deputy Minister
Pensions and Benefits Sector
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