The Board of Trustees of the Manitoba Home Care Employees Pension and Benefits Plans is responsible for the overall operation, administration and governance of the group pension and benefits plans. The Board of Trustees is comprised of the following individuals:
Chairperson
Samantha Probetts
Employee Trustees – nominated by the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union
- Sheila Gordon
- Jacquie Paton
- Doug Troke
Employer Trustees – nominated by the Regional Health Authorities:
- Brent Kreller
- Conne Newman
- Janet Wilcox-McKay
The following are the employers (Regional Health Authorities (RHAs)) that participate in the Pension and Benefits Plans:
Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority
Northern Regional Health Authority
Prairie Mountain Health
Southern Health- Santé Sud
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
The Manitoba Home Care Employees Benefits Plan (“Benefits Plan”) has been established as a group benefits plan for its eligible employees and eligible employees to provide assistance in paying for some of your dental and vision expenses, and replaces part of your salary if you are hurt or sick and not able to work. It also pays a benefit to your beneficiary or estate if you should die while you are eligible for benefits.
The Benefit Service Provider is Canada Life (formerly Great-West Life) and your plan numbers are:
You are employed as a Home Care Attendant, a Home Support Worker, or a Mental Health Proctor, and have work enough “eligible hours”. Eligible hours must be worked and reported over at least three consecutive months, but over no more than six consecutive months. Two hundred & forty (240) hours must be deposited into your hour bank before you are eligible of benefits.
Your coverage will begin on the first day of the second month after you have 240 eligible hours in your hour bank. Each month, the eligible hours reported for you will be deposited into your hour bank. Then, each month 80 hours will be withdrawn so that your benefits continue for the following month. You must always have a balance in your hour bank of at least 80 hours each month so that benefits can continue.
“Eligible hours” include only the paid straight time hours you work and paid vacation hours. Overtime hours, and more than eight hours a day for a live-in or an overnight shift are not included.
Your benefit coverage will stop when you fall out of benefit for more than five (5) consecutive months, you will need to accumulate 240 hours to re-establish benefit eligibility.
A life insurance benefit of $10,000 is payable to your beneficiary or estate if you die. Coverage continues until you reach age 70 as long as you remain eligible, or age 65 if you are disabled.
You and your eligible dependents have the following coverage:
- 100% of the cost of Basic Services (Exams, cleanings, x-rays, etc.)
- 50% of the cost of Major Services (Crowns, dentures, & repairs)
Maximum benefit coverage is $1,100 per person each calendar year for Basic and Major dental expenses.
- 50% of the cost of Orthodontic Services for dependent children 6 to 18 years of age.
Maximum benefit coverage is $1,100 per dependent child for Orthodontic expenses.
There is a $25 deductible/person or per family each calendar year.
Reimbursements of dental claims are based on the current year’s Manitoba Dental Fee Guide.
Your coverage is on a yearly basis in respect of the previous calendar year subject to the following:
You must have been “in benefits” for a minimum of nine (9) months in the previous calendar year.
Note: 9 months does not have to be consecutive.
Coverage is only for you and is not transferable to your spouse or dependents.
Maximum benefit coverage is $200 every other year to reimburse for vision care expenses incurred in the year immediately preceding the year in which the claim is submitted.
You must submit original vision care receipts (eye exam, glasses, contact lenses) with the claim form when submitting to Canada Life.
If you are not able to work due to sickness or an accident, you may be eligible for weekly sick leave.
Each week you get paid: 66 2/3% of your average regular earnings over the previous 26 bi-weekly pay periods, or the average of all pay periods if less than 26.
Coverage begins from the 1st calendar day for an accident or from the 3rd calendar day for sickness.
Maximum benefit coverage is 78 weeks (for claims that commences on or after October 1, 2023) based on a combination of Employment Insurance Sickness benefits (if applicable) and the Weekly Sick Leave Plan.
For more information on the Benefits Plan provisions, please refer to your Member Benefits Plan Booklet.