Benefits

The collective agreement offers a comprehensive benefits package for all full-time salaried employees and hourly employees who have accrued 2,000 hours of employment. The health plan covers the following:

  • life insurance
  • accidental death and dismemberment
  • long term disability
  • extended health care
  • dental care
  • out-of-country coverage
  • prescription drug coverage

The current health provider is: Alberta Blue Cross

Health and Wellness Spending Account Guidelines and claim form:

September 2021 Health Benefits Plan:

The Banff Centre and CUPE 4318 would like to address the recent renewal of our plan. Each year Alberta Blue Cross reviews our usage of benefits and depending on the usage of the benefits, our rates are adjusted accordingly. Supported by our benefits advisor – Mercer Canada, the originally proposed increases by Alberta Blue Cross were reduced through the use of Mercer’s data bank of comprehensive benefit comparators and their specialized expertise in benefits management.

This year the proposed increases were higher than normal. The increase is primarily due to two factors; the substantial use of the dental and health benefits and the reduced number of employees in our plan. The usage of our plan by both short-term laid-off employees and working employees, spiked during the last year on a level we have never experienced before. With previously smaller increases, the Health Spending Account added to our last collective agreement, has been able to cover the moderate increases quite successfully.

We are proud that the Banff Centre was able to extend benefit coverage for short-term laid-off staff during a pandemic and that staff were able to use the benefits required during this unprecedented period.

We want to reassure staff that the plan is a healthy and we anticipate returning to normal levels of usage and pooling as we rebuild and recover from the devastating impact of COVID-19.

The plan is an important part of our compensation and a vital and needed part of the health of staff and families at the Banff Centre.

Respectfully
Banff Centre and CUPE 4318 Benefits team