5
for the first 12 months of coverage, unless they have been treatment free for a continuous
period of 90 calendar days. Also see response under question #4.
8)
Do premium deductions begin for a new hire even though they might not be
covered for 90 days?
Coverage for new hires is effective on the date of hire. The only limitation is that they are
subject to the pre-existing condition limitation for the first 12 months of coverage.
Also
see response under question #4 and #7.
9)
Is there another waiting period as of November 1 if the member was hired on
September 1 under the waiting period for the current local plan?
No, members hired September 1 and covered under the current local plan will continue
coverage under the provincial LTD plan design. The pre-existing condition will be
calculated from the member’s original effective date of September 1, 2013.
10) Is a member required to submit a claim if the member is medically disabled during
their first year of coverage?
Yes, the member must submit a claim. The disability analyst assesses the individual
circumstances of each claim.
OTIP would look back on the 2012-2013 school year when we received 1,090 new claims
and 10 of those claims were declined based on the pre-existing condition clause. All
claims will be eligible for additional benefits included in the provincial plan including OTIP’s
Early Intervention (EI) and other services such as CAREpath and FeelingBetterNow
®.
11) Is it up to the member to disclose a pre-existing condition?
No. The provincial plan is mandatory and members are automatically added when eligible
with no Statement of Health required. As part of the LTD claim assessment, the disability
analyst will investigate the possibility of a pre-existing condition when a member stops
working due to medical reasons within the first year of being insured under the plan.
12) What is the timeline? Is it the date of the diagnosis or the first date the member is
unable to work?
The waiting period will normally start with the first date of absence related to the disabling
medical condition. All subsequent related absences will also be used to satisfy the LTD
waiting period, as long as they are not separated by a successful return to work (RTW) of
20 consecutive days or longer. The date of diagnosis will be used if the condition
commences during any scheduled break in activity or within the first 12 months of
coverage under the plan.
13) Once the year is up for the pre-
existing condition limitation, is the member’s
coverage backdated to the date of disability?
Once the member has been insured for one year, the pre-existing clause provisions no
longer apply to any future disability claims they may submit. The member’s LTD coverage
would remain in place as long as the member continues to be eligible for coverage by