Principals/Vice-Principals (P/VP)
Learning Centre
2026 Plan Member Survey
The survey results are in.
In January, we asked you to share your thoughts about the ONE-T Benefits Plan. Thank you to everyone who participated! Your feedback helps us understand what’s working and how we can strive to improve.
Survey prize winners have been selected and notified – congratulations!
Survey highlights1
Participation
We received 1,908 responses – nearly one quarter of P/VP Plan Members.
Survey respondents come from a diverse background:
- 89% are between ages 40 and 59
- 18% identify as being part of an equity-seeking or rights-seeking group
- 49% coordinate benefit claims with a partner
- 13% have single benefits coverage, while 21% cover one additional family member, 19% cover two, and 46% cover three or more family members
Plan benefits
79% of survey respondents shared that the Plan does not fully meet their needs.
Comments pointed to concerns around:
- Coverage levels
- Flexibility
- Affordability
- Recent Plan changes
83% of survey respondents felt there may be another benefits plan in the industry that would better meet their needs, though there was no consensus as to which plan that might be.
This feedback will help directly inform upcoming Plan design discussions.
Approach to changes
Survey respondents are divided on how benefits should be adjusted to help address the Plan’s funding challenges. However, if Plan design changes are needed, 77% of survey respondents prefer modest changes made more frequently, rather than bigger changes made less frequently.
This feedback will help guide how we approach future changes – balancing Plan sustainability with meaningful coverage.
Most valued benefits
Dental, prescription drugs, and vision care were consistently ranked as the most valued benefits.
For paramedical services, chiropractic care, massage therapy, physiotherapy, and mental health supports ranked the highest.
Survey respondents also told us they’d like greater flexibility within these benefits.
Service providers
ONE-T Trustees regularly review the performance of our service providers. Survey feedback adds valuable insight beyond the statistics we receive, helping us have meaningful conversations that lead to better service for you and your family.
Canada Life
Canada Life processes your claims and provides support through their call centre, website, app, and online tools. 95% of survey respondents indicated that they have submitted a health or dental claim within the past 12 months.
65% of survey respondents who interacted with Canada Life were satisfied with their services in 2025, selecting a 1, 2, or 3 on a scale where 1 indicates strong satisfaction and 5 indicates dissatisfaction. 35% were not satisfied and identified opportunities to improve:
- Wait times
- Website performance
- The clarity and consistency of claims decisions
We’ll be communicating the results to Canada Life to discuss how they can improve these service items.
Cowan
Cowan provides Plan administration, including enrolment, life event updates, and tax slips. 28% of survey respondents indicated that they have interacted with Cowan in the past 12 months.
63% of survey respondents who interacted with Cowan were satisfied with their services in 2025, selecting a 1, 2, or 3 on a scale where 1 indicates strong satisfaction and 5 indicates dissatisfaction. 37% were not satisfied and identified opportunities to improve:
- Consistency of information provided
- Response times
- Enrolment and dependent eligibility issues
We’ll be communicating the results to Cowan to discuss how they can improve these service items.
Cubic
Cubic reviews and approves coverage for certain higher-cost or specialty medications. Given the unique nature of their work, a smaller number of Plan Members interact with Cubic each year (12% of survey respondents).
69% of survey respondents who interacted with Cubic were satisfied with their services in 2025, selecting a 1, 2, or 3 on a scale where 1 indicates strong satisfaction and 5 indicates dissatisfaction. 31% were not satisfied and identified opportunities to improve:
- Communication about timing and the approval process
- Clearer criteria for decisions
- Excessive paperwork
We’ll be communicating the results to Cubic to discuss how they can improve these service items.
Communication
- 89% of survey respondents read ONE-T emails and felt the frequency is appropriate
- Email remains the preferred communication channel, with 97% of survey respondents choosing it
- 60% of survey respondents visited ONE-T.ca in the past year, choosing “To check on specific benefits coverage or rules” and “To review the Plan Summary” as the primary reasons for visiting
- 17% of survey respondents attended a Town Hall in October; of those, 63% selected a 1, 2, or 3 on a scale where 1 indicates strong satisfaction and 5 indicates dissatisfaction. 37% of survey respondents were dissatisfied and believed the format could be improved, with more opportunity for live questions and candid responses
We also heard there are opportunities to:
- Better explain when to visit ONE-T.ca vs. the Canada Life or Cowan websites
- Explore additional communication channels, such as short videos, recordings, and mailed materials
We’re reviewing our communication approach to make sure information is clear, useful, and easy to access – wherever and whenever you need it.
Did you know? Funding for the Plan comes from the government. This is an important factor when considering what benefits changes are possible.
Did you know? The money paid for every claim, whether Health or Dental, comes directly from the ONE-T Benefits Plan, which pays (1) the cost of the approved claim and (2) a processing fee for Canada Life to adjudicate the claim.
Notes
1In most cases, survey percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number
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