RSB frequently asked questions

A legal spouse can be enrolled in the RSB Program even if you are separated, but not after the divorce is final. A common-law spouse cannot remain on the RSB Program if they are no longer living with the plan member.

Yes, you can add your new spouse to your coverage.

No, your new spouse cannot be added to your benefits, and since your remarriage means that you no longer meet the definition of a dependent under the plan, you will also have to give up the plan at the time of your marriage.

No, all employees who are leaving TRIUMF and want medical/dental retirement benefits must enroll in the TRIUMF retirement plan. Paymaster employees who are leaving UBC are not eligible for the UBC RSB program.

No, the primary person, that is, the retired UBC member, must be enrolled in a particular benefit for the spouse to be able to also enrol in it

The same rules apply as when you are leaving UBC to enjoy retirement. That is, you can still enrol in the RSB Program if you meet all of the eligibility requirements. However, you must enrol within 31 days of leaving your employment at UBC.

Whether you’re taking off for a period of travel or staying close to home, you must still enroll in the RSB at the time that you leave employment at UBC or within 31 days of the end of your coverage if you are a surviving dependent under the RSB Program. While traveling, the RSB will offer you some coverage, but the coverage is limited when you are outside the province. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the Medi-Passport before leaving home.

Both out-of-country and Medi-Passport coverage will only cover services obtained within 90 days of the date you leave the province where you live. If hospitalization occurs within this period, in-patient services are covered for 90 days except where transportation would endanger the life of the patient, in which case the 90 day limit will be extended.

If you are leaving UBC for reasons other than retirement, you must enrol in the UBC RSB Program within 31 days of your coverage under the UBC plan ending. You will not have the option of joining the UBC RSB Program at a later date. You may enroll now and continue having double coverage. Since you will now be paying your own premiums on the retirement plan, consider the level of coverage for each plan and how much you foresee claiming on the plan to determine if this second option is the right one for you.

If you are retiring from UBC and have comparable coverage under a spouse’s/partner’s plan, you may be able to enrol in the UBC RSB Program within 31 days of coverage under your spouse’s/partner’s plan ending. Please contact the RSB Administrator for more information.

In the benefits program for active staff and faculty, premium payments for extended health, dental, as well as Employee and Family Assistance coverage are deducted from each paycheque to cover benefits for that period. When you leave UBC, your extended health and dental benefits end at the end of the month of your last paid day. Employee and Family Assistance coverage continues for three months after the end of the month of your last paid day. For example, if your last paid day is March 20, your extended health and dental coverage will continue until March 31 and your Employee and Family Assistance coverage will continue until June 30.

No, vision care such as glasses, frames, contact lenses, etc. are not available under the RSB Extended Health Plan.

No, foot orthotics are not available under the RSB Extended Health Plan.

For information that doesn’t appear in the Sun Life booklet, you can contact the Sun Life Customer Care Centre directly at 1-800-661-7334 or 1-800-361-6212, or by email through their members’ website at mysunlife.ca.

You will receive a new Sun Life Pay-Direct Drug Card if you enroll in the Extended Health benefits, however, there is no card for enrolling in only the Dental benefits.

If you experience adverse reactions to the generic drug, you may be reimbursed based on the brand name drug. Your doctor must indicate “No substitutions” on the prescription and your Pharmacist must enter this into the system in order for you to be reimbursed accordingly.

The UBC Retirement and Survivor Benefits Contract/Plan/Group Number for Sun Life is 020605. The contract number may also be referred to as a Group or Policy Number.

Your Access ID and PIN are used to access services on the Sun Life Plan Member Services’ web page. The Plan Member Services’ page allows you to:

• Check when you’re eligible to be covered for your next dental exam;
• See detailed information about medical and dental claims you’ve submitted;
• Sign up to have your claim payments deposited directly into your bank account;
• Update personal information, such as your address, telephone number, email address and Internet password;
• Fillable online claim forms with pre-populated personalized information to print-off;
• Print a personalized out-of-country travel card;
• Link to Sun Life’s Health and Work Resource Centre which provides a wide range of health information.

If you have forgotten your Access ID, please contact the Sun Life Customer Care Centre at 1-800-661-7334.

If you have forgotten your password, go to mysunlife.ca, and click on “Forgot your password?”. Enter your Access ID and you will be walked through the steps in order to reset your password.

You have up to 90 days to submit any claims that have incurred before your cancellation date.

You must submit a doctor’s note along with your claim for massage therapy and psychological services only. A doctor’s note is required every 12 months.

You will need to provide the Group Policy (Contract) Number 020605 and your Member ID (Certificate) Number, which is your 7-digit UBC Employee ID. Your UBC Employee ID can be found on your former pay statements.

The Dental Fee Guide is a guide published by the Dental Association for General Practitioners and differs based on province. Each province assigns a specific benefit amount for a given procedure based on a “reasonable and customary” basis or fee commonly charged for the performance of the procedure by eligible dental care practitioners within the province.

Once you are notified by Sun Life that you have reached your extended health lifetime maximum, please contact the Retirement Benefits Administrator at 604-822-4580 to terminate your premium payments. If you have dependents, you can determine whether you will continue coverage for them or not at the same rate.

If a RSB member passes away, the surviving spouse and children already listed as dependents are eligible to continue their coverage. The coverage will continue until the dependent child no longer meets the definition of a dependent on the plan, the surviving spouse re-marries (or new common-law partner) or until the end of the period for which premiums have been paid for the coverage.

Yes, a T4A slip for the Extended Health Plan and Dental Plan premiums paid is sent out to RSB members in February. This slip can be used to claim medical expenses on your taxes.

If you terminate your Extended Health Plan and Dental Plan in the middle of the year, a T4A slip showing premiums paid up to the termination date will be mailed out to you.