Your benefits are provided through ONE-T – an employee life and health trust (ELHT) – instead of through your school board. The trust provides benefits to approximately 7,500 Principals/Vice-Principals (P/VPs), and 7,500 management and non-union employees. ONE-T’s total membership is about 15,000 members, creating a solid framework for a strong and sustainable benefits trust.
How does it work? Essentially, ONE-T holds the funds set aside to provide life, health and dental benefits for eligible plan members. The government provides funding, which can be used only to provide the designated benefits to plan members, and cover any reasonable costs to manage and administer the trust.
Providing benefits through a trust offers some key advantages , including stable, sustainable access to benefits without the ongoing challenge of locally bargaining benefits. The size of our combined membership means greater buying power and related financial advantages – as well as greater benefits security for you.
To fund your benefits, the Ontario government provides a negotiated amount of money to the individual school boards each year. The boards, in turn, contribute that money to ONE-T to fund your benefits.
ONE-T is managed by a Board of Trustees with representatives from both the government and our collective membership: - 4 appointed by the Employer and the Crown; and
- 5 appointed by the Principals/Vice-Principals (P/VPs) and CAEAS-ECAB (which supports other unaffiliated employees).
The Trustees are ultimately responsible for effectively managing ONE-T, including making a broad range of administrative and investment decisions. Regardless of any personal affiliations, the individual Trustees have a fiduciary obligation to manage the trust in the best interest of all plan members.
After a thorough due diligence process, the Board selected Cowan, Canada Life, Chubb and Cubic Health to partner with ONE-T. Key qualifications included experience with benefits trusts and within the education sector, long-term partnership potential, robust technology, value for the quoted fees and the ability to provide excellent service to our members.
Cowan (plan administrator) – As plan administrator, Cowan is responsible for tasks like collecting and maintaining member information, confirming eligibility (based on trust-established rules) and enrolling eligible members.
Cowan
1-888-330-4010
one-t@cowangroup.ca
When to contact Cowan:
- For questions on enrollment, eligibility and benefits costs
- To request an additional or replacement benefits card
- For help logging into or using Cowan’s Member Access site
Canada Life and Chubb (insurers) – Canada Life and Chubb are both responsible for reviewing and paying member claims. Canada Life reviews and pays life insurance, dental and extended healthcare claims; Chubb reviews and pays claims for accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D).
Canada Life
1-866-800-8086
GroupNet for Plan Members
When to contact Canada Life:
When to contact Chubb:
- For AD&D claims (Employee, Spouse and Child)
Cubic Health (drug plan management) – In the CAEAS-ECAB plan, specialty drugs and certain medications for complex disease states must go through a prior authorization (PA) process before they can be approved for coverage. Cubic Health provides an independent clinical review by a licensed pharmacist.
Cubic Health
1-844-492-9105
www.facetprogram.ca
When to contact Cubic Health:
- For questions on your drug claims
- For issues relating to the prior authorization process