Retirement health coverage and you

Support your health and peace of mind. Learn about the coverage options available to you as a retired member of BC's Teachers' Pension Plan.

Applying for coverage

Enrolling when you retire

When you apply for your pension, we will provide you with information about the extended health care and dental plans available to you. You can apply for these plans for yourself, your spouse and eligible dependants through the online retirement process in My Account or by submitting a form along with your paper Retirement Application Package.

These are optional plans and you are not required to enrol in them. You may already have coverage under a spouse’s plan or through another employer, or you may decide you don't need extended health care and/or dental coverage.

Application deadline

You must apply for coverage within 60 days of your pension effective date.

If you do not enrol within 60 days of that date, you may still be able to enrol at a later date, but restrictions will apply.

Start of coverage

By default, this coverage starts at the beginning of the month after your pension is effective. A deduction will come off your first pension payment.

Depending on when your employer-provided coverage ends, you may expect either a gap or overlap in coverage. When you notify your employer that you’re retiring, they tell us when your current coverage will end. These examples can help you understand how each scenario is handled.

Example A:

There is no gap or overlap in coverage.

• Last day of paid work—June 30
• Pension effective date—July 1
• Employer-provided coverage ends—July 31
• Retirement health coverage effective date—August 1

Premiums for August would be deducted from your July pension payment.

Overlap in coverage

Your employer may provide health and/or dental coverage beyond your last day of work. We will review the information submitted by your employer to identify the end of your previous coverage. We will adjust the start date of your retirement health coverage to begin the first of the month following your employer’s coverage end date. You do not need to notify us; the adjustment will occur automatically.

Example B:

You are a 10-month teacher retiring at the end of June. You are covered by your employer’s benefits until the end of September. When processing your application, we automatically adjust your retirement health coverage to begin after September.

• Last day of paid work—June 30
• Pension effective date—July 1
• Employer-provided coverage ends—September 30
• Retirement health coverage effective date—October 1

Premiums for October would be deducted from your September pension payment.

Gap in coverage

You can choose to begin your retirement health coverage earlier than the default (the month after your pension is effective). You may wish to do this if your employer-provided coverage ends when you stop working. To avoid a gap in coverage, you can choose to pay the premium for an extra month of coverage (the first month your pension is effective).

Example C:

Instead of waiting for retirement health coverage to begin the month after your pension is effective, you choose to pay the additional cost for the extra month (first month’s coverage).

• Last day of paid work—June 30
• Pension effective date—July 1
• Employer-provided coverage ends—June 30
• Retirement health coverage effective date—July 1

Premiums for both July and August would both be deducted from your July pension payment.

If your pension payment cannot cover your extended health care and/or dental premiums, you can arrange to pay Green Shield Canada directly through pre-authorized debit from your bank account. Contact the plan for details.

Your pension must be processed before we can set up your coverage. This means you may have to pay for drugs and services until you receive your Green Shield Canada identification card. You can make a claim to be reimbursed for these costs from the date your coverage begins.

Applying after you have retired

If you do not apply for retirement health coverage for yourself, your spouse and/or eligible dependant(s) within 60 days of retiring, you may be able to apply at a later date.

If you have had continuous coverage under another extended health care and/or dental plan (such as your spouse's employer group plan), you can apply to enrol yourself, your spouse and/or dependant(s) within 60 days of the end date of that coverage.

If you are already enrolled in extended health care and/or dental coverage through the Teachers' Pension Plan, you can apply to enrol:

• Your spouse – within 60 days of the date you marry, or the date on which you and your common-law spouse have lived together for 12 months
• Eligible dependant(s) – within 60 days of the date the individual becomes your dependant

If you, your spouse and/or eligible dependant(s) do not apply within these deadlines, you will not be eligible to join the extended health care and dental plans offered through the Teachers' Pension Plan.

Cancelling and rejoining the plan

If you cancel your coverage and want to rejoin at a later date, you must reapply within 60 days of becoming eligible to do so. This would apply, for example, if you cancelled coverage because you were living outside of Canada. When you returned to live in Canada, you would have 60 days after your return to apply for coverage.