Health Benefits
Gary Sawatzky | Chief Operating Officer, ARTA
ARTA Retiree Be
Response to the
COVID-19 is an unprecedented
event, affecting nearly every aspect
of business around the world,
including the Alberta Retired
Teachers’ Association. ARTA has
taken a number of measures to
ensure the ongoing safety of our
members and employees in this
trying time. We have worked
extensively with our partners
to meet our members’ needs,
facilitating access to benefits and
ensuring appropriate coverage is in
place wherever feasible.
In response to the COVID-19
pandemic, we have implemented
the following changes to the
ARTA Retiree Benefits Plan to
enable continued access to the
plan’s benefits:
1. Members with Extended Health
Care coverage normally can claim
a maximum of five dispensing
fees for maintenance medications.
There are nine categories of
maintenance medications (for
example, anti-hypertensive
medications used to treat
high blood pressure), and this
maximum encourages covered
members to purchase three
months of medications at a time
to minimize dispensing fees.
In late March, however, the
provincial governments of
Alberta and British Columbia
(among other provinces)
advised pharmac
maximum thirtyprescription
drug
protect the drug
of this advisory,
suspended the m
of dispensing fee
and the plan will
cover your dispe
you are only able
thirty-day supply
medications at o
2. To reduce the
you need to leave
mail claim forms
adjudication, we
to be submitted v
already working t
submission of all
learned this is a l
Since the system
electronically is n
members can sub
and scanned rece
address. We will
toward the electr
of all claims and
share with you in
3. Covered mem
services of eligib
paramedical prac
as psychologists,
speech therapists
services virtually
FaceTime, Zoom
electronic means
claims covered.