Evidence of meeting #106 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was benefits.
A video is available from Parliament.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Is it one step forward in terms of coverage here federally, and then one step backwards in terms of access in a province like Alberta?
Is that a fair depiction?
11:55 a.m.
Seth Sazant
Again, I'm not an expert in terms of exactly what's happening in Alberta.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Gotcha.
I want to ask you about another change: the reimbursement of pharmacy dispensing fees capped at eight dollars per fee.
Can you speak a bit about that and how we arrived at that specific number?
11:55 a.m.
Seth Sazant
Thank you for the question.
Again, the pharmacy dispensing fees used to be unlimited. This was something that was changed in the negotiations. This was something that was, again, insisted upon by the employer. It was an employer proposal to decrease the pharmacy dispensing fees.
In the overall context of negotiations, again, our goal was always to improve the benefits as much as possible. However, as with any negotiation, there was going to be some give-and-take. This was something the employer brought forward and pushed very hard for. Ultimately, it's part of the final deal.
Noon
Liberal
Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
I want to ask you about digitization. There's a significant difference in claim resolution times between paper and digital submissions.
Can you talk about how the membership feels about digital submissions? Have you heard feedback? Has there been an increase in the digitization of services and whatnot through Canada Life?
Noon
Seth Sazant
Thank you for the question. I think there are a few aspects to this.
The plan covers active members or employees. It also covers retirees, some of whom will have different levels of comfort with digital methods. I think this is also underpinned by a number of failures in terms of people being able to adequately submit electronically. There have been all sorts of problems with people being able to make their submissions.
Our primary concern is ensuring that our members get their benefits provided and that they're reimbursed in a timely way by whatever means is going to be most convenient for them.
Noon
Conservative
Noon
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Further to my colleague's question about whistle-blowing, would you please share the response from your membership relative to the legislation at the Senate currently, Bill C-290?
Noon
Seth Sazant
I want to make sure I understand your question.
How do our members feel about that legislation?
Noon
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Yes, what is their reaction to the contents of the bill? Do they feel it goes far enough or not far enough? Are there changes they would be interested in making?
Noon
Seth Sazant
I think this is a critical and important question, and I know it's one that PSAC is highly engaged in. We have submissions that we have prepared in the past on this. Because I don't have those with me, I wouldn't want to speak out of turn and be inaccurate in terms of what positions we've taken on that, precisely.
If it would be acceptable to the chair and the honourable member, I would love to be able to provide those submissions to the committee.
Noon
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Sure. That sounds good. It's further to the documentation you're providing for my colleague Mr. Genuis.
Noon
Seth Sazant
Yes.
Noon
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Are you receiving regular updates from Treasury Board as to the administration and changes relative to the plan itself? How are those communicated, please?
Noon
Seth Sazant
Thank you very much for the question.
We receive biweekly reports on certain call centre and administration metrics. We are continually engaged in meeting with them to ask further questions and to clarify and refine some of that data with respect to how things are moving there.
Yes, we are made aware, but we believe that, as new problems crop up, there are continually new questions we need to have answered.
Noon
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
How was communication set up between Canada Life and members to ensure the transition would be as smooth as possible?
Noon
Seth Sazant
Communications were discussed quite substantially. There are committees that discuss the aspects of communications we believe need to be sent out to members. Again, it is an obligation of the employer to ensure members are made aware. This was a decision made unilaterally by the employer—by Treasury Board—to change from one insurance provider to the other.
Regarding the communications that needed to go out, those decisions were made by the employer.
Noon
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
It's very concerning to me that this decision was made unilaterally.
Were members made aware of when they would require additional documentation to receive the same coverage for certain drug prescriptions?
Noon
Seth Sazant
On many of the changes to the benefits, there are submissions that are required to ensure that they meet the requirements of the plan.
We have been engaged in constant conversations about different aspects of the plan where there may be different information required by Canada Life compared with Sun Life. Some of those, of course, relate to the negotiated changes in the plan, but on other provisions, we're hearing that there is documentation required by Canada Life that's different from what used to be required by Sun Life, and that's of significant concern to us.
Again, I think we're getting very deep into the weeds on some of the issues we see there. We are consistently in communication, and when we hear from our members on anything related to this, these are issues that we raise. We ensure that we do whatever we can to clear their path forward to getting those benefits.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Right. It may be deep in the weeds, but I think it's a fundamental question relative to access to the reimbursement. In my experience, far more documentation is required.
Ms. Hart, in your experience as general counsel for PSAC, have you ever formally approached the Prime Minister or ministers in relation to the substantial increase we've seen of the use of outside consultants—60% in fact—in this government? Have you ever raised, on behalf of your membership, with a minister or the Prime Minister this significant increase in the use of outside consultants, as has been brought to light with ArriveCAN?
12:05 p.m.
Seth Sazant
I will preface my answer by saying I have been at PSAC for six months now, so I can speak only to that short period of time.
That's certainly a point I've made here that I'm happy to provide more information on in terms of how our leadership has escalated this issue up at the political levels. I'm happy to make inquiries internally about that. However, I can say that, even in the short time I've been here, I've seen it is a major priority for PSAC, both, as my colleague said, at the bargaining table and in the other forms of advocacy that we're engaged in.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Chair, I know my time is up, because I used this incredible thing called a stopwatch. Would I be able to ask Ms. Hart to please submit that in writing?
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
