VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 1
SUMMER:
The right time to prepare
for your winter get-away!
ALSO IN
THIS ISSUE:
Safe & secure
on the road.
Take no chances
with coverage!
CARP’s five
priority issues.
Our strong voice
will be heard.
Surviving a
critical illness.
Insuring the cost
of your recovery.
3
5
11
Published by The McLennan Group Insurance Inc. and CARP, a New Vision of Aging for Canada.
Helpful advice from CARP’s recommended insurance provider
PG
Y
ou’re renting a car for vacation, and your credit card offers rental car insurance. So if you decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) from the rental agency and damage the car in an accident, you’re covered. Right? Before renting, you should learn what is or isn’t covered by your credit card. Review your rental agreement for any “Loss of Use” charges; compensation if the vehicle is unavailable for rent while being repaired for any damages during your rental period. If repairs take weeks, the loss of use charges could cost you thousands of dollars. Protection offered by credit cards can vary. It will be based on the insurance agreement secured by the card issuer and the level of coverage from your specific credit card. So again, do your homework! Better still, before making any decisions with insurance, read the fine print. And to be safe, contact your provider if you have questions.Sergeant Bob reminds all
CARP members, “Don’t
gamble with your safety.”
The McLennan Group Insurance Inc. wants CARP members to be safe. We partnered with retired Police Sergeant Bob Paterson to develop and share his practical safety tips for Canadian 50-plus. Look for great advice & more:
www.seniorsafetytips.ca
In 1993, The McLennan Group Insurance Inc. and CARP joined forces to provide innovative insurance solutions with the right combination of coverage, service, value and trustworthy advice. But knowing no single insurance program can be the best solution for everyone, we urge all CARP members to compare before you buy. That’s why this issue offers helpful information about various types of insurance coverage. Be sure the program meets your needs. Read the fine print and don’t be afraid to ask questions. And remember, buying insurance without proper coverage is just like having no insurance at all.
Inside this issue
CARP Reports:
Pages 4-5, 12-13
Insurance Insights 101:
Auto & Home . . . 3
Long Term Care . . . 6
Health & Dental . . . 7
Travel . . . 8
Life . . . 10
Critical Illness . . . 11
Pet . . . 14
FollowMe
™. . . 15
Use home insurance
for your watercraft!
• Your motorboats, sailboats and jet skis can be added to an existing property policy; either homeowners, tenants or condominium.
• With the proper watercraft coverage, you’re protected for damage from accidents, storms, theft or vandalism.
For more information about
coverage from Auto & Home
Insurance for CARP Members:
Call: 1.888.432.3284
Click: carpinsurance.ca
Auto & Home Insurance offered by The McLennan Group Insurance Inc. and is underwritten by Northbridge Personal Insurance Corporation, Northbridge General Insurance Corporation, Traders General Insurance Company or Zenith Insurance Company, depending on your province of residence. Premiums and eligibility for group program will vary for specific drivers depending upon individual factors. Pet Insurance underwritten by Northbridge General Insurance Corporation and distributed by PTZ Insurance Brokers Ltd. (by Sodaco Juridique Inc. in Quebec). Life and Health plans offered by The McLennan Group Life Insurance Inc. Health & Dental, Guaranteed Issue Life, and Term Life Insurance, FollowMe™ Health, and FollowMe™ Life underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company. ™/® Trademarks held by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company. Travel Insurance underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and First North American Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manulife Financial. Critical Illness and Long Term Care Insurance offered through MyDignity Inc. AD&D Insurance underwritten by Chartis Insurance Company. Group rates and certain products may not be available in all jurisdictions. Certain conditions, limitations, exclusions and restrictions apply. Refer to policy wordings for complete details.
2 INSURANCE INSIGHTS • Volume 6, Issue 1
CARP
Trusted
Coverage
Be safe when you take
to the road this summer!
3
Volume 6, Issue 1 • INSURANCE INSIGHTS
Auto & Home Insurance
IDEAS
GOOD
Susan Eng, VP CARP AdvocacyWe know that no one wants to outlive their money. That’s why CARP is calling for supplementary pensions to help you save better. People should be able to face medical challenges in their own home, not a hospital or nursing home. CARP’s One Patient policy recommendations have spurred seniors’ health care initiatives. Our call for better caregiver support netted a caregiver tax credit. Older workers face challenges keeping their jobs and getting new ones. So in tandem with advocating for more recognition
and workplace flexibility for older workers, CARP has held job fairs to introduce employers to workers they might otherwise never meet. CARP has successfully shone a light on impending quality of life issues. Today’ headlines speak of pension reform, age-friendly cities, seniors’ health care and attracting the seniors’ vote; a mainstay of CARP’s advocacy message. Our members are prepared to vote their issues. Politicians of all stripes address our members directly, especially when CARP hosts televised debates, which are now a mandatory stop in any major election campaign. With our 300,000-plus members across the country, CARP has become a strong national voice for improving the quality of life for all Canadians as we age.
We invite you to join us.
Good ideas don’t sell themselves.
It takes hard work, facing down
presumptions about aging
and stirring governments to act.
That’s CARP’s job.
CARP advocates for Canadians.
4 CARP REPORT • To Find Out More Visit carp.ca CARP REPORT • To Find Out More Visit carp.ca 5
Caregivers - Our Heroes
Eight million informal caregivers in Canada provide unpaid care for family and friends. They provide transportation, assist with cooking, bathing, toileting and feeding; the support needed for them to recover from illness and / or maintain their independence by aging at home. But caregivers are not superheroes. Many struggle with the costs and burdens associated with caregiving. Some caregivers have to choose between caring for a loved one or their job - especially “heavy care” providers; 20-plus hours weekly. They can lose income or their job, bear out-of-pocket costs, or suffer mental and emotional stress with little support or resources.
CARP calls for full government support for informal caregivers: • Workplace protection
• Increased income assistance • Training and support services • Heavy care provider respite care • Increased funding for home care
A Look At CARP’s
5 Priority Issues:
1. Ending Elder Abuse:
500,000 Canadian seniors are suffering some form of elder abuse and the number is rising. CARP calls for comprehensive strategies to punish the most shocking cases and prevent abuse from even happening.
2. Retirement Security:
Since 2008, to help Canadians retire comfortably, CARP has advocated for a supplementary Universal Pension Plan, plus a modest increase to the CPP, GIS/OAS and financial support for single & low income seniors.
3. Caregiver Support
4. Patient-Centred Health Care:
CARP is calling for a seamless continuum of care - from first diagnosis, to acute care, home and community-based long term care, to end of life needs.
5. Needing a Universal
Pharmacare Plan:
10% of CARP members admitted to skipping their prescription drugs because of cost. It is clear that Canada needs a sustainable universal pharmacare system to ensure drugs are both affordable and accessible for seniors.
Who couldn’t use additional health care benefits?
S
upplemental health insurance protects you from the high cost of health care if you’re not covered by a employer-sponsored plan, or just feel that you need more coverage. If you don’t have adequate coverage levels at work, consider a specialty plan like dental enhanced; 90% co-pay for basic, diagnostic and other services like oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics and dentures. Extended health care plans provide added coverage for vision care, registered specialists and therapists, homecare and nursing, even custom-made orthotics. Some plans offer guaranteed acceptance,no medical questionnaire required.
If you think you’re covered,
you’d better think again!
• Many health care benef its; evenroutine services like dental care, prescription medications, hearing aids, vision care, health specialists and home support services receive limited or no government coverage. • For details on health care coverage in Canada, click Insurance Insights on www.carpinsurance.ca.
Health & Dental Insurance
To find out about coverage
from the five cost-effective
Health & Dental Insurance
Plans for CARP Members,
call toll-free or visit online:
1.877.551.5566
carpinsurance.ca
Vision Care
Long Term Care
Insurance
Choose the type of
care that’s best for you.
If
you are physically dependent due to accident, illness or aging, are cognitively impaired, or not able to perform the activities of daily living, daily care will be necessary on a long term basis. But because of limited governmentfunding, your monthly expenses can reach into the thousands of dollars. Long term care insurance protects your savings and independence, and lets you choose to receive care in a facility or your own home. The three policy types are: (1) Reimbursement; will repay expenses up to your limit. (2) Indemnity; pays a set amount for pre-qualified expenses. (3) Income based; will pay for loss of independence, if expenses are incurred or not. With all policies, premiums are based on your age at time of application.
Speak with our program partner MyDignity, about Long Term Care
and Simplified Issue Long Term Care Insurance for CARP Members.
Call Toll-Free: 1.877.851.4520 • Online: carpinsurance.ca
It’s long term care insurance simplified.
If you try to obtain coverage later in life when it’s difficult to acquire, you could consider a “simplified issue” plan. Less underwriting is required; there are limited health questions, and no medical exam is needed. Coverage with lifetime benef its of $50,000 or more can be purchased up to age 80. Assistance services like housekeeping are included.
Dental Care
Prescription Medicine
It may not be the first thing you think of when planning a
vacation, but purchasing proper travel insurance just might
be the most important buying decision you will ever make!
T
hough you’d think it’s a no-brainer, many people still don’t purchase travel insurance when leaving their home province. It’s a decision that could be financially crippling. Depending on your injury or illness, and time spent in hospital, expenses for out-of-country medical care can reach tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars - even millions. With limited provincial health plan coverage, you will be responsible for paying the difference. In fact, on most provincial websites you will find a warning like the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s, “…you are entitled to very limited funding for a certain range of medical services when travelling outside of Canada… you are strongly advised to purchase additional health insurance every time you leave Canada and ensure the supplementary insurance you have purchased provides adequate coverage.”For proper protection,
honesty is the policy!
To help ensure proper coverage, you need to answer all questions on the application honestly. Not disclosing pre-existing conditions could make your policy null and void. If you are unsure of what a question is asking, don’t guess at the answer - get good advice. A licensed broker is qualified to help you understand the medical questions on your application.
You should never buy your travel insurance at the last minute. You need to understand your policy’s benefits, limitations and exclusions. Most claim denials are the result of customers not understanding what they’ve purchased, or not reading their policy to learn exactly what is and isn’t covered, and perhaps most important, not understanding their own obligations.
For complete details on the Travel Insurance for CARP Members
Pre-Season Savings Event, call or view information packages online.
Call Toll-Free: 1.866.943.6017 • Click: carpinsurance.ca
8 INSURANCE INSIGHTS • Volume 6, Issue 1 Volume 6, Issue 1 • INSURANCE INSIGHTS 9
Snowbirds can enjoy
pre-season savings!
• Travel Insurance for CARP Members offers pre-season savings ‘til September 30th. • Discounts of up to 11%. • The right rate for your
health in six categories. • No medical exam required
with your application. • No fee for changing travel
dates before departure.
SUN,
insurance?
Travel Insurance
During recovery from, or treatment for a serious illness, the expenses not covered by provincial health plans or other insurance could be tens of thousands of dollars. What’s more, you may be unable to function in your current home or even return to work. The financial implications could be devastating.
Critical illness insurance provides tax-free payments upon diagnosis, for costs incurred during treatment for, and recovery from a covered illness or condition.
Policy benefits can be used for income replacement, medications, home renovations, vacations, etc. - it’s your choice.
• About 90% of policy claims - cancer, heart attack, stroke and bypass surgery - are covered by most basic insurance plans. • Comprehensive plans will cover
the basic illnesses plus over 20 of the more serious illnesses, surgeries and disorders. Critical illness insurance is not an impulse purchase. Along with your family history; the age that a close family member was diagnosed with a covered illness, underwriting will look at the health and lifestyle practices of the applicant.
Don’t wait until you’re stricken with a serious illness. Make the call and protect yourself now. Improve your your odds of surviving - financially.
Critical Illness Insurance
It
goes without saying that to help protect loved ones against financial hardship, you need to consider proper life insurance coverage. But with the various forms of life insurance available, which is best? Choosing the right option for you will depend on your specific needs. For example: To get “more coverage for the money”, consider term life insurance plans. • Premiums are lower because thepolicies hold no cash value. • Some plans offer coverage for
applicants to age 70, with an option to renew up to age 85.
If obtaining coverage is a concern, consider a guaranteed issue life plan. • You’ll be accepted for coverage
with no medical questionnaire, upon receipt of initial premium. • Coverage is available for those
between age 50 and 80.
To find out if Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance for CARP Members
or the simplified Term Life Insurance for CARP Members are right
for you, visit us at:
carpinsurance.ca
.
Term Life Insurance:
1.855.460.3631
Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance for
CARP Members:
1.800.396.4389
Life Insurance Plans
Protect your
loved ones...
Let program partner MyDignity explain the benefits
of Critical Illness Insurance for CARP Members:
1.877.851.4520 • carpinsurance.ca
The chances that you or
someone you love will be
affected by critical illness
such as cancer, a stroke,
or a heart attack?
One
in Three.
• Benef its can range from a small amount up to $150,000 or more. • Rates are based on age at time
of application, are f ixed for the initial term and rise on renewal. • Benef it amounts will be smaller than with an underwritten plan; typically a maximum of $25,000. • Accidental death could pay up
to f ive times the policy value.
A VIBRANT CARP COMMUNITY
Chapter members have been busy in this – CARP’s 30th anniversary year. From East to West, our 60 Chapters have flagged issues important to their community and members at large. For example:
Toronto Chapter
(Adina Lebo, Chair) has put words into action with their older workers Job Fair held in February 2014.
Mississauga Chapter
(Murray Etherington, Chair) is invested in Elder Abuse Prevention, working tirelessly with the Peel Elder Abuse Prevention Network.
National Seniors Day
Mark your calendars: October 1, 2014 is National Seniors Day in Canada. Pictured: our
Fredericton Chapter celebrating in 2013 with a flag raising ceremony at Fredericton City Hall.
Halifax Chapter
(Bill VanGorder, Chair) has taken a stand on Seniors Care and Long Term Care issues.
Edmonton Chapter
(Bernice Rempel, Chair) is focusing on their provincial drug plan.
North Fraser, BC Chapter
(Bruce Bird, Chair) has brought the main issues of older drivers to the forefront.
Want to be involved?
CARP Chapters across
the country are looking to
engage new community
leaders to volunteer.
To find out more, contact
Community Development Officer,
Elise Kayfetz, at
[email protected]
Beyond the headlines for real social change.
CARP’s demands for change help ensure all Canadians can enjoy a secure retirement, have access to health care, and are free from discrimination.
Health Care - CARP provided direct input into the Ontario Seniors’
Health Strategy and continues to call upon the other provinces for an integrated system that follows patients and their needs.
Ending Mandatory Retirement - Although mandatory retirement
became illegal in 2012, professions such as firefighters and police still force retirement. CARP is advocating for these individuals.
Elder Abuse Sentencing - Along with advocating for increased
sentences for convictions, CARP calls for resources to better detect, investigate, and prosecute offenders, and provide support for victims.
THE CARP POLL
™
The CARP Poll™ lets members’
voices be heard on the important issues of the day. It is a key part of our
advocacy mandate, communicates members’ views to those
in power, tells our policy positions and serves as fertile ground for new ideas.
A Taste of What CARP Members are Thinking:
» On The Fair Elections Act:
80% of CARP members disapprove of the act, believing the law would do more to suppress voters than to limit fraud.» On Fraud:
Close to half our members know someone who has been, or have themselves been defrauded, while reporting that most fraud occurs with someone in a position of trust – like a financial advisor or lawyer.» On Energy Costs:
On average, members claim to pay about $270 per month; 10% of their income for winter energy costs, with 20% saying they had to choose between paying for their energy bills or other necessities.» On Retirement Security:
An overwhelming 88% of CARP members say they support CARP’s advocacy for a supplementary Universal Pension Plan.Stay up-to-da
te and receive the CARP Poll™. Sign up for
CARPAction Online:
www.imakenews.com/carp
The End of Your Company Benefits?
A
re you about to lose your employer-sponsored health care benefits or life insurance? If you haven’t applied for personal coverage in years, you may find that your age or current health condition will make it difficult to obtain coverage. As a result, you may have to pay out-of-pocket for services and benefits not covered by your provincial health plan. What’s more, you may be unable to protect your family’s financial future. Programs like the FollowMe™ Plans let you maintain health carebenefits similar to your company plan, and keep life insurance coverage up to the amount you had under your group
insurance plan; to a maximum of $200,000.
If your company benefits are ending,
you must apply inside of 60 days.
• You can enjoy uninterrupted coverage without a waiting period - if you apply within 60 days of the loss of your employer-sponsored plan. • No medical exam or
questionnaire are needed at the time of application. • Acceptance for coverage
is guaranteed*.
Happy
Retirement!
Are you ready?
Make sure your benefits will be following you!
FollowMe
™Health
1.877.551.5566
FollowMe
™Life
1.800.396.4389
Visit:
carpinsurance.ca
™/® Trademarks held by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company. *Acceptance subject to receipt of initial premium payment
The right time to
protect my health is
when I’m healthy!
S
earch online for pet insurance, and you’ll likely see many articles asking, “is it worth it?” In 2009, Statistics Canada said households spent $420 on average for pet health care. But an accident or illness could send costs skyrocketing - up to $3,000 for treatment of broken bones, $10,000 or more for cancer treatments. If you factor the costs for blood tests, medications, and accommodations, even treatment for a routine virus could reach $5,000.2 out of 3 dogs and cats will
develop a significant health
problem in their lifetime.
• Pet insurance can both protect you from unexpected health care costs, and help you budget for your pet’s annual health care expenses. • If you wait until your dog or cat is
sick or injured, it will be too late to apply for coverage as there will be pre-existing condition exclusions. • Premiums will be affected by the lifetime maximums and coverage levels you choose.
• Read the policy terms, conditions and limits to learn what is and isn’t covered - BEFORE you buy!
You can manage the financial risk
while protecting their health, with
Pet Insurance for CARP Members.
Click: carpinsurance.ca
Call: 1.877.851.4522
Pet Insurance
The McLennan Group Insurance Inc. and The McLennan Group Life Insurance Inc. work with a number of trusted Canadian insurers. Auto & Home Insurance Program and Pet Insurance Program offered by The McLennan Group Insurance Inc. Life and Health Plans are offered by The McLennan Group Life Insurance Inc. Group rates and certain products may not be available in all jurisdictions. Certain conditions and restrictions apply. Please refer to your policy wordings for complete details. The McLennan Group Insurance Inc. respects your privacy. Please visit our website to review our Privacy Commitment.
When it’s easy to protect yourself from whatever life brings your way, you can deal with CARP’s trusted provider for all of your insurance needs, and their program partners are experts in the design of innovative coverage solutions for Canadians 50-plus...
It’s insurance simplified.
carpinsurance.ca
•Visit us online for complete plan details
.
Our free, easy-to-use app makes insurance simple to understand. Check the features and download for free at:
carpinsurance.ca
.FREE
MOBILE
APP!
1.888.432.3284
Auto & Home
1.877.851.4522
Pet
1.877.551.5566
Health & Dental and FollowMe™ Health
1.877.851.4520
Critical Illness1.800.461.5796
Accident (AD&D)1.800.396.4389
Guaranteed Issue Life and FollowMe™ Life
1.866.943.6017
Travel
1.855.460.3631
Term Life
1.877.851.4520
Long Term Care and Simplified Issue LTC
Proud to Be CARP’s Trusted Insurance Provider Since 1993
