Evidence of meeting #44 for Veterans Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was program.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9 a.m.
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Thank you very much.
I hope you and your families have a good Easter as well.
9 a.m.
Conservative
9 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Yes, Chair, I am.
I would like to thank the witnesses for coming today. I know it's been an extremely busy time, so I'm glad we were able to lock in this meeting.
I just want to confirm some information.
First, what SISIP offers to members is that when they release, if they have an injury due to service or not due to service, SISIP is there for them. It's there for them for the first two years, and if it's a disability from which they cannot return to work, it's there until the age of 65. Would that be right?
April 2nd, 2015 / 9:05 a.m.
Phil Marcus Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
Yes, that's absolutely correct. Any initial benefit for service-related or non-service-related disability benefit is up to 24 months, and they will continue to age 65 if the person is totally disabled and incapable of engaging in either vocational rehabilitation or of returning to work.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
This is particularly valuable because it covers non-service-related injuries.
9:05 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
That's correct.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Okay. So the person is in the service, but their injury could have been due to a car accident at a shopping mall on a Saturday afternoon. It was not service-related, but they were injured while they were with the military. They're covered by SISIP.
9:05 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
Correct. It's the same as the public service coverage.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
All right.
During those first two years, or up to the age of 65, SISIP covers 75% of their salary before they left...or just as they were leaving the forces.
9:05 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
Correct.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
What happens when someone is medically released and they have an injury related to service? They actually have a choice, I would guess; or maybe you could explain this to us. They could go to SISIP, because they have an injury that is related to service—you cover that as well—or they could go to VAC.
What's the step forward for that? What does the member normally choose? Is it completely up to them? What does the system say to them?
9:05 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
I understand your question.
According to Treasury Board, and according to the program arrangement or agreement that was signed between the Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada in 2006, re-signed in 2012, Treasury Board's agreement on this issue is that because this is the employer-sponsored disability program, the SISIP LTD program is first payer.
So if anyone is eligible for those benefits, they must, or they should, come to SISIP first.
9:05 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
Obviously we have no control if people choose to do other things and are accepted into other programs. We can't control that.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
So DND is the employer and SISIP is a DND-managed program. VAC programs are other programs.
9:05 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
Correct.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
And you're saying that most or all cases will go through SISIP first, and then transition into VAC.
9:05 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
Correct.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Okay.
Now, DND is the owner of SISIP, but we see Manulife on the forms. What's the role of Manulife with respect to DND and the administration of SISIP?
9:05 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
In all government-supported disability plans—I'm reading from the Treasury Board cover page on public service benefit plans—Treasury Board is the benefit plan sponsor. In all of these plans, they pay the lion's share of premiums to the different insurers who cover employees of different departments.
In addition to that, each group benefit plan has a principal administrator. In this case, SISIP was created to administer this plan on behalf of the CAF members and an insurer; in this case, Manulife is the LTD insurance provider.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Who has the most interaction with the veteran? Is it SISIP? Is it Manulife? Is it DND? Is there a coordinated response?
If I'm a veteran, and I'm injured either due to service or not due to service, and I want to start interacting with SISIP, who will I be talking to, let's say, first, second, and third? How is that coordinated for the veterans so they have a clear understanding of what SISIP is doing for them?
9:05 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
It depends at which stage of their injury they're at. Do you want to discuss the initial stage?
9:05 a.m.
Associate Vice-President, Operations Policy and Product Management, Department of National Defence
I would refer you to Colonel Blais, and then we'll take on the last stage prior to release.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
