UBCM Group Benefits Plan annual renewal negotiations with Pacific Blue Cross (PBC) have now completed and renewal letters will be sent out to participating plan members this week. Premium rates will take effect on October 1, 2021.
Each year UBCM engages an actuarial consultant (George & Bell Consulting) to negotiate the annual renewal on the Plan’s behalf. The objective is to review claims usage and demographics to determine whether rates proposed by the insurance carrier, Pacific Blue Cross, are appropriate and competitive at the aggregate level and that they are in accordance with Plan governance.
COVID-19 had a significant impact on extended health and dental plans beginning March 2020. Dental, Massage Therapy, Chiropractic, and Physiotherapist offices experienced closures in spring 2020 and the Plan observed low usage during these months. In response, PBC provided invoice credits to provide some relief to employers. As COVID-19 restrictions began loosening in July 2020, the Plan observed a change to typical claims utilization patterns for extended health and dental benefits. Some employers experienced spikes in usage which was attributable to the shift in timing of claims due to service disruptions. During the renewal process, our actuary worked with PBC to ensure that our Plan is projecting claims experience appropriately when rating our group.
In April 2021, we announced a change in the service model under the Plan. Our aim is to provide excellent service and timely responses to inquiries from participating members in our Plan. In addition to the change in UBMS’s service model, we have also negotiated a Service Performance Standard Agreement with PBC. This agreement ensures that our members receive superior service and turnaround times for claims adjudication services, plan sponsor and member inquiries, and various other service metrics.
We want to thank all of our participating Plan members for your continued participation in the UBCM Group Benefit Plan. We are proud of our improved service levels and plan growth over the past year and excited about new initiatives moving forward. If you have any concerns regarding the renewal rates for 2021 or want information for bargaining, plan design changes, or have specific issues or general inquiries UBCM is here to provide assistance, detailed analysis and expert advice. We can assist with how to manage increasing costs, ensure service level performance and handle any concerns or issues you may have and we provide the service to all members of UBCM.
If you have any questions and want further information, please contact:
Elvira Khismatullina
Group Benefits Administrator
604-270-8226 ext. 111
Groupbenefitsplan@ubcm.ca