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Flexible Benefit Enrolment and Rules

Management and Professional Staff

Flexible Credits and Options Overview

The flexible group benefit plan is comprised of three components: flexible options and spending accounts, core benefits, and voluntary benefits. Each benefit component has a variety of options to choose that best suits individual needs.

 

Flex Options and Spending Accounts

  • Health (five Options to choose from) - flex credits are used to pay for Health
  • Dental (five Options to choose from) - flex credits are used to pay for Dental
  • If the annual price of health and dental options selected cost less than your annual flex credits, excess credits can be allocated to a health spending and/or wellness spending account
  • Basic Life (three Options to choose from) - you pay for this benefit through payroll deductions
  • Long Term Disability (three Options to choose from) - you pay for this benefit through payroll deductions. If you become disabled and your long term disability is approved, your benefit payment will be non taxable

Base Benefit

Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) principal sum of $100,000 for all Management and Professional Staff members without having to provide any medical evidence of insurability. The benefit provides 24-hour coverage should you experience an accident resulting in death or serious injury. The amount that is paid will depend on the type of injury.

The premiums for this coverage is fully paid for by the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½.

Voluntary Benefits

Available on a voluntary basis for you and/or your family: 

  • Optional Life Insurance
  • Voluntary Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) 
  • Voluntary Critical Illness (CI)

You pay for these benefits through payroll deductions. Medical evidence is required for some benefits.

Review the rules of the Flexible Group Benefits Plan below prior to making your choices.

Scroll down on this page to review the enrolment and lock in rules. For detailed information about the plan components, coverage options, and cost, go to the MaPS Group Benefits page.

Learn more

Benefit Enrolment Process

The provision of the benefit plan is subject to the terms outlined in the Management and Professional Staff Terms and Conditions of Employment. To be eligible for benefits under the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ group plans, you must have valid Canadian provincial health care.

Acquire Employee IC (UCID) Number

After you accept an offer of employment and you are entered into the system, your employee ID (UCID) will be emailed to you. Some of the links on this page require login to access and will only be available once you receive your UCID.

Complete Benefit Enrolment 

Soon after you accept an offer of employment you will receive an email notification which provides instructions for benefit enrolment. You must complete your benefit enrolment within 14 calendar days of your date of hire in a benefit eligible position. Benefit ID cards will be mailed to your home address within 4-6 weeks of your completed enrolment. Be sure your home address with the university is correct. Any eligible expenses incurred prior to receiving your ID card can be claimed for reimbursement once your account is set up.

Once you receive the Benefits Enrolment email from DoNotReply@ucalgary.ca, navigate to > All about me > My benefits > Benefit Details > Benefits Enrolment.

Watch for this email as it will be sent to your primary email account, which may either be your personal email account or your new ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ email account.

For assistance with your enrolment, refer to the Group Benefits Enrolment Reference Guide.

You must enrol your spouse and all of your eligible dependents, allocate your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) credits and designate your beneficiaries as required. There is a six month waiting period for Long Term Disability coverage but you must make your option selection during your enrolment. Premium deductions will not begin until your waiting period ends.

You must make your benefit selections within 14 calendar days from your hire date, otherwise you will be placed in the default options which will be in effect until the next flex re-enrolment, unless you experience a qualified Life Event (e.g. birth of a child, marriage, divorce, substantial gain/loss of spousal or common-law coverage).

Medical evidence of insurability is not required at initial enrolment. If you select a higher option at re-enrolment, Medical evidence of insurability will be required.

Default options are as follows:

  • Basic Life - Option 2
  • Long Term Disability - Option 1
  • Health - Option 3
  • Dental - Option 3
  • Excess Flex Credits will automatically default to the Health Spending Account

Details on your coverage choices for the Flexible Group Benefits Plan and Enrolment Rules.

Keep in mind that Flex Credits are pro-rated based on your hire date. When you select your benefits, you will see annual Flex Credits and deductions; however, your excess credits to allocate to a spending account will be pro-rated

Complete All Beneficiary and Voluntary Coverage Forms 

While you can view your designated beneficiaries in PeopleSoft, the paper Group Benefits - Beneficiary Designation Form on file with Human Resources will be the binding beneficiary designation in the event of any Life Insurance, Optional Life Insurance, AD&D or Voluntary AD&D claim. Complete all beneficiary and voluntary coverage forms required for your benefit choices and submit signed originals to Human Resources.

Alberta Blue Cross Identification (ID) Cards for health and dental expenses are typically mailed 2-3 weeks after you finalize your benefit enrolment.   If it has been at least 2 weeks since you have completed your event, you can contact  at 1-800-661-6995 to request their support to electronically obtain access to your Alberta Blue Cross account and print temporary ID cards.  You will be required to verify your identity with Alberta Blue Cross prior to them providing you your policy and ID numbers. For reference, all ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ plans have the Group/Policy Number: 18953.  Once you have access to their member site you can print temporary cards and make online claims.    

 If Alberta Blue Cross cannot find record of your enrolment in their system or if you have any other benefit questions, please contact UService.

Flexible Benefits Enrolment Rules

  • All Flex Choices will be locked until the next MaPS Flex Re-enrolment date.
  • Re-enrolment periods are every two years effective Jan. 1 of each odd year (e.g. 2025, 2027)
  • You may change your choices if you experience a Qualified Life Event (e.g. birth of a child, marriage, divorce, etc.), in which case you have 31 days to enter your qualified Life Event in Self-Service. Refer to the Life Events page for details.
  • Annual Flex Credits are provided to you based on your dependent status (Single - just you, Couple - you and one dependent, Family - you and two or more dependents). A dependent is considered either an eligible child or spouse. Annual Flex Credits are applied to the annual cost of the Health and Dental option choices.
  • You must enrol according to your true dependent status - Single, Couple, or Family.
  • You must select one Health Flex Option and one Dental Flex Option You cannot waive coverage even if you are covered under your spouse's group insurance plan. You can coordinate benefits if you have coverage under more than one benefit plan.
  • If the annual price of Health and Dental Flex Options selected cost less than your annual Flex Credits, excess credits can be allocated to a Health Spending and/or Wellness Spending Account. If the Flex Options selected cost more than your Flex Credits, you will be responsible to pay the difference through regular payroll deductions. If you do not allocate your excess credits, they will automatically default to the Health Spending Account.

  • You must select one Basic Life Flex Option. You cannot waive coverage.

  • Medical evidence is not required at initial enrolment or if you select a higher Basic Life Option when you experience a qualified Life Event.

  • You will be required to provide medical evidence of insurability to move to a higher Basic Life Option at Re-enrolment—e.g. moving from Option 1 to Option 2 or moving from Option 2 to Option 3.

  • The cost of providing medical evidence is your responsibility.

  • You must select one Long Term Disability Flex Option. You cannot waive coverage.

  • Medical evidence is not required at initial enrolment or if you select a higher Long Term Disability Option when you experience a qualified Life Event.

  • You will be required to provide medical evidence of insurability to move to a higher Long Term Disability Option at Re-enrolment; e.g. moving from Option 1 to Option 2 or moving from Option 2 to Option 3.

  • The cost of providing medical evidence is your responsibility.

As an eligible MaPS employee, you are automatically insured for Basic AD&D coverage with a principal sum of $100,000 without having to provide any medical evidence of insurability.

  • The Basic AD&D benefit provides 24-hour coverage should you experience an accident resulting in death or serious injury. The amount that is paid will depend upon the type of injury.
  • The premium for this coverage is fully paid for by the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½.
  • You can choose to enhance your coverage by purchasing Voluntary AD&D for yourself and your spouse.

For more information, view the .

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I purchase additional AD&D?

 

Yes, you are able to purchase Voluntary AD&D for either you and/or your spouse at any time. Medical evidence of insurability is not required. The Voluntary AD&D benefit provides 24-hour coverage should you and/or your spouse experience an accident resulting in death or serious injury.

Voluntary AD&D is available in units of $1,000 to a maximum principal sum of $250,000. The amount that is paid will depend upon the type of injury. The premium for this coverage is your responsibility through payroll deduction.

Do I need to provide medical evidence of insurability to enrol in either basic or voluntary AD&D?

No, medical evidence of insurability is not required for either Basic or Voluntary AD&D.

 

  1. Do I need to provide medical evidence of insurability to enrol in either basic or voluntary AD&D?

    No, medical evidence of insurability is not required for either Basic or Voluntary AD&D.

  • You may select any or all of these benefit coverages at initial enrolment or at any time, providing you remain eligible to participate in the benefit plan.

  • Medical evidence of insurability is required for all amounts of Optional Employee and/or Spousal Life.

  • Medical evidence of insurability is not required for Optional Child Life, Optional Employee and/or Spousal AD&D.

  • Medical evidence of insurability is not required for employee and spousal Voluntary Critical Illness up to the guaranteed amounts provided you apply within 31 days of becoming a new MaPS employee, or within 31 days of certain life events including (marriage or meeting the definition of common-law spouse and  birth/adoption, death, substantial gain/loss of spousal coverage).

  • Medical evidence of insurability is required for employee and spousal Voluntary Critical Illness for all levels of coverage above the guaranteed amount or in all situations other than those stated above.

  • The cost of providing medical evidence is your responsibility.

Universities Academic Pension Plan (UAPP)

If your position is eligible to participate in the Universities Academic Pension Plan (UAPP), you are automatically enrolled from your date of hire. The only form you need to complete at enrolment is the Designation of Spouse and Non-Spouse Beneficiary form for the UAPP. It is completed as part of the online self-service benefits enrolment, must be printed and sent to Human Resources.

In the first month after hire, a welcome email is sent by the UAPP administrator, UAPP Administration Centre, to new pension plan participants. Follow instructions in the welcome email to setup your access to the secure area of the UAPP website. This will give you access to future annual statements of your pension benefits and the UAPP Retirement Planner, an online tool where you can estimate your current or future pension benefits. 

In order to set up your secure UAPP website access, you must have entered a valid postal code in your address information on – All about me – My info during your initial onboarding. If you did not do that, contact totalrewards@ucalgary.ca.

Frequently Asked Questions

You are eligible to be covered under the MaPS Flexible Group Benefits Plan if you are on

  • a regular appointment working at least 0.4 FTE
  • a limited term appointment for a term 6 months or greater working at least 0.4 FTE
  • a fixed term appointment for a term 6 months or greater working at least 0.4 FTE
  • a temporary relief appointment for a term 6 months or greater working at least 0.4 FTE
    Note: temporary relief appointments are not eligible for Long Term Disability benefits

Employees in Qatar are not eligible to participate in the MaPS Flexible Group Benefits Plan.  MaPS employees in Qatar have expatriate medical coverage in addition to core health and dental coverage through Global XN.

The ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ will provide the same amount of credits based on your dependent status regardless if you are working full-time or part-time as long as you are considered an eligible employee.

For new hire MaPS employees: 

If you do not make and submit your option selections by the deadline, identified when you are invited to enroll in self-service, you will be defaulted into the following coverage levels:

  • Life Insurance - Option 2
  • Long Term Disability - Option 1
  • Health - Option 3 with single coverage
  • Dental - Option 3 with single coverage
  • Any available excess Flex Credits will be allocated to your Health Spending Account (HSA)

For MaPS employees at re-enrolment: 

If you do not make and submit your option selections by the re-enrolment deadline, you will be defaulted into your current coverage levels and any excess flex credits will automatically be allocated to the Health Spending Account. You will not be allowed to change your coverage levels or excess credit allocations until the next re-enrolment, unless you incur a qualified Life Event.

You will have the opportunity at re-enrolment to choose different Flex Options to meet your changing needs. You will receive an email notifying you to re-enrol.

The choices you make will be locked in until the next re-enrolment period which occurs every two years effective January 1 of each odd year. An automatic refresh of the flexible credits for MaPS, including excess credits, occurs on January 1 of even years.

If the Flex Options you’ve chosen still work for you when it’s time to re-enrol, you need to confirm your selections and allocate any excess credits. Should you experience a qualified Life Event before it’s time to re-enrol, you may change your options within 31 days of the qualified event.

You have 31 days from the date of a qualified Life Event to access benefits self-service and update your information. 

As a result of these Life Events you will be eligible to choose new Flex Options. You are not required to make a new choice, but if you feel that the existing options are no longer best for your new situation, you can make a new selection.

  • Adding a dependent through marriage, common-law relationship,
  • The birth/adoption of a child,
  • Losing a spouse through separation, divorce or death,
  • Substantial gain or loss of spousal benefit coverage
  • Change in dependent – when one no longer becomes eligible if there is a change in family status
  • Death of a dependent child if there is a change in family status

If your dependent status and/or options change, your excess flex credits will be adjusted. Any unspent current year credits at the time of the event will be forfeited and will be replaced with new pro-rated credits.

Change in Dependent Status Only:

For the following situations, you are not eligible to change your Flex Option selections, but you will need to confirm or change a dependents’ status:

  • A dependent losing eligibility (for example, a dependent reaches the age of 25 and is no longer covered, but you still have more than 1 eligible dependent)
  • To confirm your dependent child that is over age 21 is still enrolled in an accredited educational institution

If you experience a dependent status change that isn’t a qualified life event flex credits will not be adjusted until the following January 1st.

You must enrol according to your true Dependent Status:

  • Single - means you are single with no spouse (married or common-law) and have no eligible dependent children.

  • Couple – means you either have a spouse (married or common-law) OR have only one eligible dependent child.

  • Family – means either you have a spouse (married or common-law) with at least one eligible dependent child; OR are single (no spouse) with at least 2 eligible dependent children.

Eligible dependents include:

  • Your legal spouse or common-law spouse (whom you have lived with for at least one year). You can only insure one spouse at a time.
  • Your unmarried, unemployed dependent children including natural, adopted, or step children. Children of your common law spouse may be covered if they are living with you.

Dependent children must be:

  • Under age 21

    or

  • Under age 25 if a full-time student attending an accredited educational institution, college or university

    or

  • Became totally and permanently incapacitated (due to a mental or physical disability) for a continuous period while still considered to be a Dependent under points 1 or 2 above .

You should review your beneficiary designation to be sure that it reflects your current intent. If your beneficiary dies before you or if there is no designated beneficiary, the benefit is payable to your estate. If one of your dependents dies while insured, the amount of the benefit will be paid to you. Once you have enrolled, make sure to send the paper beneficiary form to Human Resources as it is required in the event of a claim.

To learn more about death benefits and how they work see Beneficiary Designation Frequently Asked Questions.