By Marie Navarro, Communications Coordinator, Communications and Marketing, SISIP Financial Services

To quote André Bouchard, President SISIP Financial Services (SISIP FS): “As we prepare to celebrate our 40th anniversary, our team of dedicated professionals remains truly committed to continue enhancing the financial health of serving and former Canadian Forces (CF) personnel and their families”. Indeed, since 1969, SISIP FS has been the delivery arm of financial products and services for the CF community.

Also turning 40 this year is the SISIP FS Long Term Disability (LTD) plan, a premium-based insurance program which provides financial benefits and vocational rehabilitation to medically releasing and totally disabled CF personnel. This plan was introduced as an optional replacement income protection plan, in response to the lack of adequate benefits for CF personnel in the event of total disability for non-service-related injuries and illnesses. Through the years, it has undergone substantial enhancements:

A BRIEF HISTORY

1969: Introduced as an optional plan, providing CF personnel with replacement income protection for total disability due to non-service-related injuries and illnesses;

1976: Coverage is expanded to include CF personnel with service-related injuries and illnesses;

1982: The plan becomes compulsory for all Regular Force and Reserve Force Class C personnel;

1999: Plan enhancements to provide an entitlement of up to two years of benefits should CF personnel become unable to perform their “own occupation as a soldier”, and medically released due to injuries or illnesses whether service-related or non-service-related.

CHANGES – 01 April, 2009

As officially announced by the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, the Government of Canada (GOC) will fully cover the SISIP FS LTD insurance premiums for service- related injuries and illnesses. Until now, Regular Force CF personnel paid 15% of premiums for service-related and non-service-related injuries and illnesses, with the GOC paying the remaining 85%.

With the announced changes, the GOC will pay 100% of the premiums for service-related injuries and illnesses for Regular Force personnel. The latter will continue to pay 15% of premiums, but only for non-service-related injuries and illnesses, with the GOC paying the remaining 85%.

These changes to the premium structure do not affect the process for members, whether released for medical reasons or not, to qualify for benefits or Vocational Rehabilitation Program, which remains status-quo.

For Primary Reserve on Class A or B service or Reserve Force personnel on Class C service, the GOC continues to pay 100% of premiums.

	Types of Injury and Illness Insurance Coverage	OLD Premium Percentage Paid By:		NEW Premium Percentage Paid By:
		Government of Canada	CF Member	Government of Canada	CF Member
Regular Force	Service-related injuries and illness	85 %	15 %	100 %	0 %
	Non-service-related injuries and illness	85 %	15 %	No Change
Reserve Force	Service-related injuries and illness	100 %	0 %	No Change
	Non-service-related injuries and illness	100 %	0 %	No Change

This article is for general information purposes and reflects solely the opinion of the writer.