If you are enrolled in UBC’s extended health benefits plan, UBC’s Surrogacy and Adoption Benefits will reimburse you and your eligible spouse for expenses incurred on behalf of your surrogate and costs related to the adoption process.
For complete details, please refer to your Sun Life booklet. If you would like to receive Surrogacy and Adoption benefits, you must meet the eligibility requirements and be enrolled in UBC’s Extended Health Plan.
There is no cost to you, as UBC pays the cost associated with this plan if you are enrolled in UBC’s Extended Health Benefits plan. (Sessional Lecturers working less than 50% FTE or in an appointment of four months or less pay half of the monthly premiums for Extended Health Plan benefits.)
Video deep dive
Our Benefits Specialist, Janet McHugh breaks down the details, eligibility, and process for claiming these new family-building benefits. As the fertility journey can be stressful for families, Janet also shares details for accessing some of the mental health benefits. (Captions are available in English.)
What costs are covered?
Surrogacy Medical Expenses
You will be reimbursed for 100% of the costs you and/or your eligible spouse paid on behalf of your surrogate for the surrogacy medical expenses noted in the following section up to a lifetime maximum of $50,000 per family.
Before you can receive any reimbursement, you must enrol your surrogate by completing the Surrogacy Benefit Enrolment form. The Surrogacy Benefit contract number is 150520.
Return the completed Surrogacy Benefit Enrolment form:
- Digitally using the my Sun Life mobile app or members website.To submit digitally, follow these steps:
my Sun Life Mobile App:
- On the mobile app, tap Documents at the bottom of the app (next to “Notifications”).
- After selecting “Benefits” please select “Medical or dental plans”
- Select “Client Care Centre requests”
- Select “Medical/dental” then “Medical”
- Enter FBPENROLMENT when asked for document or claim number
- Add photos of the completed surrogacy enrolment form and submit
my Sun Life members website
- Log into mysunlife
- Click on “Submit a claim” or "Benefits centre"
- Click on Claims” at the top of the page
- Select “Submit documents”
- Select “Client Care Centre requests”
- Select “medical”
- Enter FBPENROLMENT when asked for document or claim number
- Upload the completed surrogacy enrolment form and “Submit”
For a step-by-step guide, view the Submitting Family Building Claims online guide for both the my Sun Life mobile app and member website.
- You can also submit by regular mail to the claims office noted on the claim form.
THE PLAN COVERS SERVICES THAT INCLUDE:
Physician and lab services:
- Physician block fees and monitoring fees,
- Medical imaging (including ultrasound/nuchal translucency ultrasound, Spindleview, embryo-scope, Matris test, non-invasive analysis of embryo culture media, Sonohysterogram), and
- Diagnostic lab tests and screening of the gestational carrier (including prenatal screening, Endometrial Receptivity Analysis, FSH, AMH)
- Fees for services related to donated reproductive materials from a Canadian fertility clinic or donor bank.
Expenses related to the egg, embryo and sperm:
- Screening tests
- Cryopreservation
- Transfer fees
- Storage fees
- Thawing
- Egg retrieval
- Sperm retrieval (including PESA, MESA, TESE, Micro TESE)
- Sperm function test
- Sperm selection, wash, and preparation
Genetic Testing:
- Includes PGT-A, PGT-SR, PGT-M, products of conception analysis, sperm chromatin assay.
Insemination and Fertilization:
- Invitro maturation
- Assisted hatching
- Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
- In-vitro fertilization (IVF) (including standard, natural, stimulated, antagonist, and reciprocal)
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
- Artificial insemination (AI)
Fertility Drugs:
- Fertility drugs when prescribed to your surrogate by a doctor and obtained from a pharmacist.
All eligible medical expenses must be incurred in Canada.
Expenses reimbursed for surrogacy are considered a taxable benefit and will be reported on your UBC tax form.
WHAT THE PLAN DOES NOT COVER
The plan does not cover the cost of:
- giving injections, when prescribed,
- drugs and treatments and related services/supplies administered in a hospital on an in-patient or out-patient basis, or government funded clinic/facility, even when prescribed,
- services or supplies payable or available (regardless of any waiting list) under any government-sponsored plan or program,
- experimental or investigational treatments not approved by Health Canada or other government regulatory body, and
- services or supplies for which no charge would have been made in the absence of coverage.
How do I make a claim?
After you’ve paid an expense, submit your receipts, along with a completed Surrogacy Medical and Non-Medical Benefit claim form to Sun Life (all forms can be found on Benefits forms). The receipt must show you paid for the expense(s), and list the surrogate as the patient. The Surrogacy Benefit contract number is 150520.
Your claims can be submitted digitally using the my Sun Life mobile app or members website. To submit digitally, follow these steps:
my Sun Life Mobile App:
- On the mobile app, tap Documents at the bottom of the app (next to “Notifications”).
- After selecting “Benefits” please select “Medical or dental plans”
- Select “Client Care Centre requests”
- Select “Medical/dental” then “Medical”
- Enter FBPSURROGACY when asked for document or claim number
- Add photos of the completed surrogacy enrolment form and submit
my Sun Life members website
- Log into mysunlife
- Click on “Submit a claim” or "Benefits centre"
- Click on Claims” at the top of the page
- Select “Submit documents”
- Select “Client Care Centre requests”
- Select “medical”
- Enter FBPSURROGACY when asked for document or claim number
- Upload the completed surrogacy enrolment form and “Submit”
- You can also submit by regular mail to the claims office noted on the claim form.
For more information
The outline above is a descriptive summary of the plan and is not a contract. All terms and conditions are governed by Contract Number 150520 with Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada. In the event of a discrepancy, benefits will be paid according to the official document and applicable legislation.
For complete details about your Surrogacy Benefit, refer to the Sun Life benefits booklet for your employee group.
Surrogacy Non-Medical Benefits
You will be reimbursed for 100% of the costs you and/or your eligible spouse paid on behalf of your surrogate for the surrogacy non-medical expenses noted in the following section up to a lifetime maximum of $2,000 per family.
Before you can receive any reimbursement, you must enroll your surrogate by completing the Surrogacy Benefit Enrolment form. The Surrogacy Benefit contract number is 150520.
Your claims can be submitted digitally using the my Sun Life mobile app or members website. To submit digitally, follow these steps:
my Sun Life Mobile App:
- On the mobile app, tap Documents at the bottom of the app (next to “Notifications”).
- After selecting “Benefits” please select “Medical or dental plans”
- Select “Client Care Centre requests”
- Select “Medical/dental” then “Medical”
- Enter FBPENROLMENT when asked for document or claim number
- Add photos of the completed surrogacy enrolment form and submit
my Sun Life members website
- Log into mysunlife
- Click on “Submit a claim” or "Benefits centre"
- Click on Claims” at the top of the page
- Select “Submit documents”
- Select “Client Care Centre requests”
- Select “medical”
- Enter FBPENROLMENT when asked for document or claim number
- Upload the completed surrogacy enrolment form and “Submit”
- You can also submit by regular mail to the claims office noted on the claim form.
THE PLAN COVERS SERVICES THAT INCLUDE:
- obtaining medical records,
- midwife/doula,
- pet care for surrogate’s pet
- vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements,
- fitness services limited to pre-natal specific classes,
- nutrition counselling services (excludes the cost of food), and
- legal services.
Expenses reimbursed for surrogacy are considered a taxable benefit and will be reported on your UBC tax form.
How do I make a claim?
After you’ve paid an expense, submit your receipts, along with a completed Surrogacy Medical and Non-Medical Benefit claim form to Sun Life (all forms can be found on Benefits forms). The receipt must show you paid for the expense(s), and list the surrogate as the patient. The Surrogacy Benefit contract number is 150520.
Your claims can be submitted via the following options:
- Digitally using the my Sun Life mobile app or members website.To submit digitally, follow these steps:
my Sun Life Mobile App:
- On the mobile app, tap Documents at the bottom of the app (next to “Notifications”).
- After selecting “Benefits” please select “Medical or dental plans”
- Select “Client Care Centre requests”
- Select “Medical/dental” then “Medical”
- Enter FBPSURROGACY when asked for document or claim number
- Add photos of the completed surrogacy enrolment form and submit
my Sun Life members website
- Log into mysunlife
- Click on “Submit a claim” or "Benefits centre"
- Click on Claims” at the top of the page
- Select “Submit documents”
- Select “Client Care Centre requests”
- Select “medical”
- Enter FBPSURROGACY when asked for document or claim number
- Upload the completed surrogacy enrolment form and “Submit”
- You can also submit by regular mail to the claims office noted on the claim form.
For more information
The outline above is a descriptive summary of the plan and is not a contract. All terms and conditions are governed by Contract Number 150520 with Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada. In the event of a discrepancy, benefits will be paid according to the official document and applicable legislation.
For complete details about your Surrogacy Benefit, refer to the Sun Life benefits booklet for your employee group.
Adoption Expenses
You will be reimbursed for 100% of the costs you and/or your eligible spouse paid for expenses related to the adoption process and noted in the following section up to a lifetime maximum of $50,000 per family.
THE PLAN COVERS SERVICES THAT INCLUDE:
- criminal record check,
- post-placement visits,
- in-country consultations,
- legal fees (inside or outside Canada),
- home studies fees,
- agency fees (inside or outside Canada),
- document translation fees.
Expenses reimbursed for adoption are considered a taxable benefit and will be reported on your UBC tax form.
How do I make a claim?
After you’ve paid an expense, submit your receipts, along with a completed Adoption Benefit claim form to Sun Life. The Adoption Benefit contract number is 150520.
Your claims can be submitted digitally using the my Sun Life mobile app or members website.To submit digitally, follow these steps:
-
my Sun Life Mobile App:
- On the mobile app, tap Documents at the bottom of the app (next to “Notifications”).
- After selecting “Benefits” please select “Medical or dental plans”
- Select “Client Care Centre requests”
- Select “Medical/dental” then “Medical”
- Enter FBPADOPTION when asked for document or claim number
- Add photos of the completed surrogacy enrolment form and submit
my Sun Life members website
- Log into mysunlife
- Click on “Submit a claim” or "Benefits centre"
- Click on Claims” at the top of the page
- Select “Submit documents”
- Select “Client Care Centre requests”
- Select “medical”
- Enter FBPADOPTION when asked for document or claim number
- Upload the completed surrogacy enrolment form and “Submit”
- You can also submit by regular mail to the claims office noted on the claim form.
For more information
The outline above is a descriptive summary of the plan and is not a contract. All terms and conditions are governed by Contract Number 150520 with Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada. In the event of a discrepancy, benefits will be paid according to the official document and applicable legislation.
For complete details about your Adoption Benefit, refer to the Sun Life benefits booklet for your employee group.
Treatment for Infertility
Procedures for the treatment of infertility and fertility drugs for you and your eligible spouse are covered under UBC’s Extended Health Benefits Plan.
As of May 29, 2023, Sun Life will now repay members for eligible expenses relating to donated reproductive materials from a Canadian fertility clinic or donor bank.
Sun Life benefits booklets
For complete details about your Surrogacy Benefit, refer to the Sun Life benefits booklet for your employee group