Calgary Firefighters (IAFF 255) benefits
View the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Benefit Rate Sheet for 2024
Benefit premiums - 2024 bi-weekly rates
| Plan | Single rate | Family rate |
|---|---|---|
| Plan: Extended Health Care (EHC)* including vision & travel - shared 30% employee, 70% City | Single rate: Employee portion: $19.18 City portion: $44.74 |
Family rate: Employee portion: $44.70 City portion: $104.27 |
| Plan: Dental - shared 20% employee, 80% City | Single rate: Employee portion: $5.98 City portion: $23.91 |
Family rate: Employee portion: $17.42 City portion: $69.69 |
| Plan: Basic group life insurance | Single rate: City pays 2X annual salary at $0.03692 per $1,000. Employee pays optional 1X annual salary at $0.03692 per $1,000. |
|
| Plan: Optional life | Single rate: Employee paid, per table rate | |
| Plan: Short-term disability (S&A) | Single rate: City paid through payroll | |
| Plan: Long-term disability (LTD) | Single rate: Employee paid at 1.406% of base salary, service pay and statutory pay | |
* The EHC rates also include an increment for employment insurance (EI) rebate.
Pension Contributions - 2024
| Plan | Employee contributions |
|---|---|
| Plan: Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP) | Employee contributions: 7.45% of earnings up to YMPE* 10.65% of earnings over YMPE* *2024 Yearly Maximum Pensionable Earnings ($68,500) |
| Plan: Calgary Firefighters Supplementary Pension Plan (FSPP) | Employee contributions: 2.55% of earnings |
IAFF benefit summary
Extended Health Plan
Insurance carrier: Alberta Blue Cross
For more information on the "usual and customary fee limits", contact Alberta Blue Cross at 1-800-661-6995
| Plan | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Plan: Prescription drugs | Coverage: 100% coverage with $5 dispensing fee cap- least cost alternative drugs -pay direct card Vaccines covered to $250 per person per year Smoking cessation drugs covered to $200 per person per lifetime |
| Plan: Hospital | Coverage: 100% private or semi-private room |
| Plan: Health services | Coverage: 100% on medical supplies and services with some limits on specific services |
| Plan: Paramedical services | Coverage: Usual and customary fee limit per visit to a $500 maximum per year/per person/per practitioner for: Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Massage Therapy, Naturopathy, Osteopathy, Podiatry/Chiropody, Speech Language Therapy |
| Plan: Physiotherapy | Coverage: Usual and customary fee limit per visit to a $1,000 maximum per year/per person |
| Plan: Psychologist/master social work | Coverage: Usual and customary fee limit per visit to a $1,000 annual maximum per person Limited to 1 visit per day except for assessment |
| Plan: Vision | Coverage: $400 every 24 months per person for prescription eyeglasses or sunglasses, contact lens & intraocular lens and laser eye surgery |
| Plan: Out of province/country emergency medical travel plan | Coverage: 100% coverage for the first 90 days, $5 million maximum per incident |
| Plan: Annual maximum | Coverage: $2 million per person for all of above services, excluding out of province/country emergency medical travel plan |
Dental Plan
Insurance carrier: Alberta Blue Cross
| Plan | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Plan: Basic services | Coverage: 100% coverage, subject to Usual & Customary Fee Guide with some limits on specific services |
| Plan: Extensive services | Coverage: 80% coverage for crowns, dentures and some periodontal services |
| Plan: Annual maximum | Coverage: $1,750 basic and extensive combined per participant |
| Plan: Orthodontia (child only) | Coverage: 50% coverage with lifetime max $2,500 per dependent ages 7 to 19 |
| Plan: Preauthorization amount | Coverage: $800 |
Life Insurance Plan
Insurance carrier: Sun Life Financial
| Plan | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Plan: Basic | Coverage: 2X base pay to maximum of $600,000 P 921 - Basic - Change of Beneficiary form |
| Plan: Supplemental | Coverage: Additional 1X base pay available at hire only; combined with basic life maximum; 100% employee paid |
| Plan: Employee and spouse optional life | Coverage: Employee coverage available in $10,000 units to a maximum of 4x pay or $600,000; Spouse coverage in $10,000 units to a $200,000 maximum; completion of medical questionnaire required; 100% employee paid based on age, gender and smoking status. P 922 - Optional - Change of Beneficiary form |
Short Term Disability (S&A) Plan
Claims Manager: Homewood Health
| Plan | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Plan: Benefit | Coverage: 90% base pay to 119 days |
| Plan: Attending Physician Statement (APS) FD1355 S&A information sheet |
Coverage: Required for more than 2 consecutive working days of absence for those on platoon schedule. Required for more than 5 consecutive working days of absence for all others. APS faxed direclty by employee or physician to Homewood Health at 1-866-460-4645. 100% of the cost of the APS, up to a maximum of $150 per statement, can be reimbursed through the Extended Health Plan. |
Long Term Disability (LTD) Plan
Insurance carrier: Sun LIfe Financial
| Plan | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Plan: Benefit | Coverage: 67% of the first $2,250 monthly earnings + 55% of the next $7,500 monthly earnings + 50% of the balance to $15,000 maximum benefit |
| Plan: Earning definition | Coverage: Basic Schedule 1 wages and salaries including statutory holiday pay (statutory holiday pay under Article 12.02 is excluded), and service pay, that is due annually, based on the classification or position in effect on the date the disability occurred. |
| Plan: Ellimination period | Coverage: 119 calendar days of uninterrupted disability |
For more information contact HR Service Centre, Pensions & Benefits at 403-268-5800 (Option 1).
Eligibility provisions
Employee
- an employee is eligible upon date of hire
- all employees eligible for coverage under this plan must complete the application forms within 30 days of hire
- benefit coverage commences on the first day of hire.
- coverage ends when you:
- terminate employment
- retire
- attain age 60 for long term disability
- attain age 70 for optional group life
- attain age 70 for out of province/country emergency travel plan
Dependent eligibility
(extended health & dental and optional life only)
- spouse – the person to whom the employee is legally married or a partner who has cohabited with the employee for a minimum of 12 consecutive months and represented as the employee's spouse or domestic partner.
- children - unmarried and financially dependent:
- biological, adopted, or legal ward, less than 21 years of age
- step or common-law less than 21 years of age who reside with the employee for a minimum of 12 consecutive months
- less than 25 years of age who are in full time attendance at an accredited post secondary institution
- dependent because of a physical or mental infirmity that commenced prior to age 21
- benefit coverage for eligible dependents will begin on the same date as the employee's coverage. Should an eligible dependent be added later, dependent benefits will commence on the date of notification.
- only one spouse or partner may be covered at a time. If the employee terminates coverage for their current spouse, a new spouse may be added effective the date of marriage or after the employee has lived with a new partner for a minimum of 12 consecutive months.
- if a dependent is deleted from coverage, a life event (i.e. marriage, involuntary loss of spouse's benefits coverage, attendace full-time at post secondary institution) is required to add dependent back on coverage or employee must wait one year to add an eligible dependant back on coverage.
- upon the death of an employee, Extended Health & Dental coverage may continue for a surviving spouse and dependents for up to one year at no cost. The spouse and dependents must have been previously covered on the plans.
Conversion option
- upon termination or retirement, an employee may convert their basic or optional Life Insurance coverage up to a maximum of $400,000 combined, to an individual policy by contacting Sun Life at 1-877-893-9893 or go to Sun Life Financial. Application must be made within 31 days of termination.
- optional spouse life may also be converted to an individual policy up to a maximum of $200,000.
The benefits information on this web site summarizes the important features of the group plans for IAFF 255 members. It is prepared as information only and does not constitute an Agreement. The exact terms and conditions of the group benefits program are described in the Group Benefits Contracts held by The City of Calgary.