Government officials communicating with Canada Life leaders to address claims delays

Government officials communicating with Canada Life leaders to address claims delays | Insurance Business Canada

Life & Health

Government officials communicating with Canada Life leaders to address claims delays

Frustration mounts over long wait times

Life & Health

By
Mika Pangilinan

Public servants are still grappling with unprocessed claims and long wait times three months into the federal government’s $514-million contract with Canada Life.

Anita Anand, president of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), addressed question on the delays in the House of Commons last week, calling current wait times “unacceptable.”

In a statement to members of Parliament, Anand said she is communicating with Canada Life’s leadership to ensure that public servants have access to their benefits.

Daily meetings between government officials and representatives from the company have also been ongoing, according to TBS.

Canada Life was granted a grace period during the transition from its predecessor, Sun Life. CBC News reported that it won’t fall under government oversight until the new year.

Amid this transition, one woman said she has been unable to contact Canada Life since submitting her initial claim with the company in July.

“I’m just waiting at this point,” Amy Miville, whose 10-year-old son was born with a rare disease, told CBC News. “I’m going to keep trying to call, but the last time I called, they weren’t accepting any phone calls.”

Miville noted repeated attempts to resubmit her claim have continued to fail. Her son depends on approximately $1,200 worth of medication and equipment covered by her benefits.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) reported receiving numerous complaints from its members about the delays in claims processing.

Alex Silas, regional executive vice-president for PSAC in the National Capital Region, expressed optimism upon hearing about TBS’s meetings with Canada Life executives but emphasized that members need clarity on when the issue will be resolved.

“[Going] through problems accessing your benefits, it adds insult to injury,” Silas told CBC News.

A spokesperson for Canada Life issued a statement to Radio-Canada that said the insurer has taken measures to address increased call volumes and process the 25,000 requests it receives per week.

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