Health Benefits
Gary Sawatzky | Chief Operating Officer, ARTA
Changes to the ARTA Retiree Benefits
Plan Effective November 1, 2020
Each year the ARTA Health Benefits Committee reviews the long-term vision of and
proposed changes to the ARTA Retiree Benefits Plan. Plan changes are determined by
responses to legislative changes and suggestions made by covered members. This process
ensures that the plan provides ARTA members with the best retiree benefits available.
Once a potential change is approved by the Health
Benefits Committee, the committee makes a
recommendation to the ARTA Board of Directors,
which then reviews and votes for the potential changes
they think are most beneficial to plan members.
The following changes become effective November 1,
2020, for all members covered by the ARTA Retiree
Benefits Plan’s Extended Health Care Plan:
1. Statin medications (used to treat high cholesterol)
will be subject to Therapeutic Alternative Referencebased
Pricing (TARP) due to the addition of a
number of drug categories subject to similar policies
implemented by the Government of Alberta in
December. These new drug categories added by the
government’s policy changes largely duplicate the
drug categories that are subject to TARP under the
ARTA Drug Benefit List, except for statins. This should
have a minimal effect on covered members since
the reference medications subject to TARP pricing
(rosuvastatin and atorvastatin, the generic equivalents
for Crestor and Losec, respectively) are those already
used most frequently by ARTA’s covered members.
2. Walker repairs are added to the list of extended
medical benefits under the current maximum for
walkers.
3. Prolotherapy is now covered when provided by a
licensed health care practitioner, to a maximum of
$250 per year, included under the annual paramedical
practitioners’ coverage maximum.
4. Access to the Home Care benefit now only
requires that an invasive procedure is completed,
with prior approval from the plan administrator and
the physician. Currently, a covered member must be
hospitalized for twenty-four hours to access Home
Care; however, many procedures, including invasive
procedures, are now being done on an outpatient
basis.
5. Frequency limits associated with crowns on the
same tooth are removed. Currently, a crown cannot be
replaced within three years; however, a person’s body
could reject the crown before this.
6. The purchase of pessaries is covered to a maximum
of $100 every 36 months.
7. Members who have cancelled EHC coverage will
not be allowed to re-join for one year. In extenuating
circumstances, an appeal process will determine if a
member can re-join.
8. Usual and Customary charges are being updated
to reflect the marketplace charges for certain medical
aids, devices, and services claims submitted over the
past year.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, ARTA’s
emergency travel plan saw many trip cancellation and
interruption claims. However, these costs were largely
offset by the reduction in health and dental claims
paid. This means overall health care and dental
rates can be reduced for one year starting
November 1, 2020. More detailed information will
be included in your annual renewal statements in
October.
Detailed information on these coverage changes
will be reflected in the updated plan booklets available
online at arta.net.
ARTA will continue to review potential plan
enhancements, while keeping the plan affordable
for our covered members. Please continue to submit
plan change suggestions for the Health Benefits
Committee’s consideration. Suggestions may be mailed
to the ARTA office or emailed to info@arta.net.
news&views AUTUMN 2020 | 11