Increases to Extended Health Provisions

Written by Darcy Hryn-Bird

With the new agreement there are increases to some of the benefits that ASPA Members have available to them.  These are:

1. An increase to the allowable expense for eye exams to $150 every two years.
2. An increased annual maximum for Psychologists/Social Workers and an expansion of the coverage to include psychotherapists, marriage and family therapists and clinical counsellors.  Members now have a combined maximum of $2000/per year per person for these providers.  To make this clearer, I could see one provider to a maximum of $2000 coverage or access two or three providers but would still have a maximum of $2000 coverage.

These provisions came into effect on November 1, 2020.  Any claims for services accessed prior to November 1 will fall under the old provisions. 

Members are encouraged to go onto the SunLife Web site and see if your provider is an approved provider before you access their services. (https://www.sunlife.ca/en/tools-and-resources/health-and-wellness/lumino-health/)   Just because a therapist/counsellor has a registration number does not mean that they will be recognized by Sun Life and your claim might still be denied.  If you are unable to find your provider in their system, we would recommend that you reach out to Sun Life to confirm whether they are an approved provider in advance of your appointment.

As always, if you have any questions about these benefits or anything else in our Collective Agreement do not hesitate to reach out to us.  We can be contacted at 306-966-2471 or aspa@aspasask.ca.