How to Submit Suggested Changes to ARTA Health Benefits Committee

One of the primary ways the ARTA Health Benefits Committee gets ideas for plan design changes is from the covered members.

The Committee has committed to review every submission from members to determine if the suggested plan change would make sense to be covered under ARTA’s Benefit Plans.

The first consideration made by the Committee is to determine if the suggested item is allowed to be covered under the ARTA Benefit Plans – there is a specific list of what is allowed to be covered under a benefit plan in Canada – as long as the item is considered to be a Medical Expense Tax Credit, it may be covered under the benefit plan. This is why ARTA’s Benefit Plan doesn’t cover things like gym memberships, for example – because they are not considered eligible income tax credits.

Items submitted by members are reviewed at each quarterly meeting. If the submitted idea is one which the Committee has deemed to be a good potential change, they are brought forward to the Committee’s summer meeting, at which time the Committee reviews a report for each potential change. The report includes more information on the suggested change, coverage recommendations provided by medical journals or agencies such as the Canada Drug Agency (formerly known as the Canadian Association for Drugs and Technology in Health), and a rate impact analysis.

Plan changes that are approved by the Committee are then submitted to the Board of Directors as recommendations to amend the plan at a scheduled meeting held each August. The Board reviews each proposed plan design change and makes motions to amend the plan for each approved plan change, and the changes themselves are made effective the next November 1.

In order to submit suggested changes to the plan, you can email them to [email protected], with a suggested subject “Attention ARTA Health Benefits Committee”. All personal identification information is redacted from the submission prior to it being posted on the Committee’s agenda.

Many of the plan changes that have been implemented over the years have come directly from member submissions, especially if a lot of members are submitting the same changes, so please continue to submit changes you think would be beneficial.

Gary Sawatzky | Chief Operating Officer

After working in group benefits consulting for twenty years, Gary joined ARTA to serve as Chief Operations Officer in November 2017. Gary has his certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation.