Health and dental: Your health and dental benefits will automatically continue at your current level of coverage during your approved leave of absence for up to 18 months from the start of your leave, provided you were actively at work prior to the start of your leave or on an approved unpaid illness or disability leave.  If you were on any other type of leave (eg. Education), your 18 months of coverage would be based off of the start of your original leave. 

Group Life insurance: Your Basic Life insurance and Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance will automatically continue at your current level of coverage during your approved leave of absence for up to 18 months from the start of your leave, provided you were actively at work prior to the start of your leave or on an approved unpaid illness or disability leave.  If you were on any other type of leave (eg. Education), your 18 months of coverage would be based off of the start of your original leave. The plan requires that you pay your premiums while on your leave to maintain your coverage. 

You have the option to continue your Optional Life insurance for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. Your Optional Life insurance includes your Voluntary AD&D insurance. You will need to arrange premium payment with your employer. You must submit your decision to either continue or stop your coverage within 30 days of your last day of work. After 30 days, you will not be eligible to continue Optional Life insurance coverage.

Disability Income Plan benefits: You have the option to continue your disability income coverage for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. You will need to arrange premium payment with your employer. You must submit your decision to either continue or stop your coverage within 30 days of your last day of work. After 30 days, you will not be eligible to continue disability coverage.

Health and dental: Your health and dental benefits will automatically continue at your current level of coverage during your approved leave of absence for up to 18 months from the start of your leave.

Group Life insurance: Your Basic Life insurance and Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance will automatically continue at your current level of coverage during your approved leave of absence for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. The plan requires that you pay your premiums while on your leave to maintain your coverage. 

You have the option to continue your Optional Life insurance for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. Your Optional Life insurance includes your Voluntary AD&D insurance. You will need to arrange premium payment with your employer. You must submit your decision to either continue or stop your coverage within 30 days of your last day of work. After 30 days, you will not be eligible to continue Optional Life insurance coverage.

Disability Income Plan benefits: You have the option to continue your disability income coverage for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. You will need to arrange premium payment with your employer. You must submit your decision to either continue or stop your coverage within 30 days of your last day of work. After 30 days, you will not be eligible to continue disability coverage.

The bridge portion of an approved disability claim lasts up to a maximum of 119 days from the initial date of disability for CUPE and SEIU-West employees only. During this period, the plan requires that you pay premiums for your Basic Life insurance to your employer. During the approved bridge coverage period, you continue to have disability, health, and dental coverage and you do not need to pay premiums. 

When you are on an approved long-term disability claim, the plan waives the need for you to pay premiums for the coverage that remains in effect for you: Basic Life insurance, Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), Dependent Life insurance, and Optional Life insurance.  Your Optional Life insurance includes any Voluntary AD&D insurance you have. 

Your Extended Health Care and Enhanced Dental Plan insurance remains in effect while you are on an approved long-term disability claim for up to two years and 119 days from your date of disability. After two years and 119 days, you have the option to join the GMS 3sHealth Retiree Benefits Plan to get coverage if you remain on an approved disability claim. 

In the event your physician diagnoses you with a terminal illness, you may request an “Early Death Benefit” payment of up to 50 per cent of your basic Group Life insurance coverage or $50,000, whichever is less. To be eligible, you must have a terminal diagnosis with a life expectancy of less than 24 months. Please contact us to advise that you will be applying. We will provide forms for you and your physician to complete. An approved Early Death Benefit application reduces the Basic Life insurance amount payable to your beneficiaries by the advanced amount. If you survive past the 24-month life expectancy, you do not need to pay back the advance; the advanced payment amount will reduce the Basic Life insurance amount payable to beneficiaries upon your death. 

When you are on an approved disability claim, you are not required to make contributions to your Saskatchewan Healthcare Employees' Pension Plan (SHEPP). You will continue to receive credited service and build your pension throughout the approved disability period, even though no member or employer contributions are payable to the plan. 

If you are a member of the Public Employees Pension Plan (PEPP), you make pension contributions during your disability claim. 3sHealth deducts these contributions from your disability payment and sends the contributions to PEPP on your behalf. If you are a member of a different pension provider other than either SHEPP or PEPP, contact your pension provider to see how being on an approved disability claim affects your pension.

Health and dental: Your health and dental benefits will automatically continue at your current level of coverage during your approved leave of absence for up to 18 months from the start of your leave.

Group Life insurance: Your Basic Life insurance and Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance will automatically continue at your current level of coverage during your approved leave of absence for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. The plan requires that you pay your premiums while on your leave to maintain your coverage. 

You have the option to continue your Optional Life insurance for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. Your Optional Life insurance includes your Voluntary AD&D insurance. You will need to arrange premium payment with your employer. You must submit your decision to either continue or stop your coverage within 30 days of your last day of work. After 30 days, you will not be eligible to continue Optional Life insurance coverage.

Disability Income Plan benefits: You have the option to continue your disability income coverage for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. You will need to arrange premium payment with your employer. You must submit your decision to either continue or stop your coverage within 30 days of your last day of work. After 30 days, you will not be eligible to continue disability coverage.

Health and dental: When you are on an unpaid illness leave of absence your health and dental benefits will automatically continue at your current level of coverage for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. 

Group Life insurance: Your Basic Life insurance and Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance will automatically continue at your current level of coverage during your approved leave of absence for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. The plan requires that you pay your premiums while on your leave to maintain your coverage. 

You have the option to continue your Optional Life insurance for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. Your Optional Life insurance includes your Voluntary AD&D insurance. You will need to arrange premium payment with your employer. You must submit your decision to either continue or stop your coverage within 30 days of your last day of work. After 30 days, you will not be eligible to continue Optional Life insurance coverage.

Disability Income Plan benefits: You have the option to continue your disability income coverage for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. You will need to arrange premium payment with your employer. You must submit your decision to either continue or stop your coverage within 30 days of your last day of work. After 30 days, you will not be eligible to continue disability coverage.

In the event your physician diagnoses you with a terminal illness, you may request an “Early Death Benefit” payment of up to 50 per cent of your basic Group Life insurance coverage or $50,000, whichever is less. To be eligible, you must have a terminal diagnosis with a life expectancy of less than 24 months. Please contact us to advise that you will be applying. We will provide forms for you and your physician to complete. An approved Early Death Benefit application reduces the Basic Life insurance amount payable to your beneficiaries by the advanced amount. If you survive past the 24-month life expectancy, you do not need to pay back the advance; the advanced payment amount will reduce the Basic Life insurance amount payable to beneficiaries upon your death. 

You may be eligible to apply for disability benefits. Please visit this page to apply.

Employment Insurance (EI) compassionate care benefits provide financial assistance while you are away from work to care for or support a critically ill or injured person or someone needing end-of-life care. Learn more on the Government of Canada’s website.

If you are receiving EI compassionate care benefits, here is what you need to know about your benefits:  

• Your health and dental benefits will automatically continue at your current level of coverage during your approved leave of absence for up to 18 months from the start of your leave.
• Your Basic Life insurance and Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance will automatically continue at your current level of coverage during your approved leave of absence for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. The plan requires that you pay your premiums while on your leave to maintain your coverage.

You have the option to continue your Disability Income Plan coverage and Optional Life insurance for up to 18 months from the start of your leave. Your Optional Life insurance includes your Voluntary AD&D insurance. You will need to arrange premium payment with your employer. You must submit your decision to either continue or stop your coverage within 30 days of your last day of work. After 30 days, you will not be eligible to continue neither disability nor Optional Life insurance coverage.

If you are on an approved WCB claim, your employer may be able to provide a payment “net-pay top-up” for the first year. This “net-pay top-up” is an amount your employer pays in addition to your WCB benefits to provide you with 100 per cent of your pre-disability net pay. During this period of net-pay top-up, you continue to receive your payments from your employer. You continue to receive credited service towards your pension and your benefit premiums stay the same as when you were actively at work. After one year, WCB will pay you directly if your disability claim is still active.

In these cases, it would be advantageous for you to submit a disability claim to 3sHealth 90 days before the end of the net-pay top-up period and before one year after the date of disability. An approved disability claim allows you to receive a “waiver of premiums.” This waiver means that, while on an approved long-term disability claim, you do not have to pay premiums for your Group Life insurance. There is no cost to you for your Basic Life insurance, Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, Dependent Life insurance, and Optional Life insurance.  Your Optional Life insurance includes any Voluntary AD&D insurance you have. Your Extended Health Care and Enhanced Dental Plan benefits would remain in effect for up to two years and 119 days from your date of disability. After two years and 119 days, you have the option to join the GMS 3sHealth Retiree Benefits Plan to get coverage. 

Visit this page to apply for disability income coverage. 

Please note that the Disability Income Plans state that WCB benefits are an offset of the Employee Benefit Plans disability benefit payment, meaning that WCB income reduces any benefit payment you receive from 3sHealth.

If your leave of absence is due to a motor-vehicle accident, you may be eligible to apply for disability coverage under your Employee Benefit Plans. 

After the initial 119 day qualifying period, a plan member can apply for long-term disability benefits. An approved long-term disability claim with 3sHealth allows you to receive a “waiver of premiums.” This waiver means that, while on an approved disability claim, you do not have to pay premiums for your Group Life insurance. There is no cost to you for your Basic Life, Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), Dependent Life insurance, and Optional Life insurance.  Your Optional Life insurance includes any Voluntary AD&D insurance you have. Your Extended Health Care and Dental insurance would remain in effect for up to two years and 119 days from your date of disability. After two years and 119 days, your health and dental benefits end, and you have the option to join the GMS 3sHealth Retiree Benefits Plan to get coverage. 

Please note that the Disability Income Plans state that SGI benefits are an offset of the Employee Benefit Plans disability benefit payment, meaning that SGI income reduces any benefit payment you receive from 3sHealth. 

If you choose not to apply for disability or you are not receiving Disability Income Plan benefits, your health and dental and Group Life insurance benefits can remain in place for a maximum of 18 months from the start date of your leave. 

You have 30 days from the start of your leave to choose whether you continue your Disability Income Plan and Optional Life insurance coverage. If you elect to continue by filling out the “Leave of Absence - Disability and Optional Group Life Continuation” form and returning it to your employer, you will need to pay premiums to your employer. 

There is a limited window to apply for disability. We recommend you apply as soon as possible. Please see below for the important timelines for applying. 

When to apply:

• If you are a member of the CUPE or SEIU-West Disability Income Plan, 3sHealth must receive your application for bridge benefits within 90 days of whichever comes later:
  • The date of your injury or illness;
  • The end of earnings from your employer (such as paid sick leave or paid vacation);
  • The initial denial of your WCB or SGI application; or
  • The end of employer-paid net top-up benefits while on WCB.
• For long-term disability benefits, 3sHealth must receive your application within:
  • The end of the 119-day qualifying period and no later than six months after the start of your injury or illness;
  • The later of six months after the start of your injury or illness, or 90 days after the end of employer paid net top-up benefits while on an approved WCB claim; or
  • The later of six months from the start of your injury or illness, or 90 days after the initial denial of your WCB or SGI application.