Inactive Members

If a member is absent from work due to an approved Maternity and/or Parental Leave, they are eligible for continued insurance coverage for the duration of the period allowed by the Employment Insurance Act.

GroupSource recommends continuing all benefits (including Disability coverage) during Maternity and Parental Leaves. Cost-sharing arrangements must be maintained during the health-related portion of the leave. The health-related portion is defined as 6 weeks for a natural delivery, and 8 weeks for caesarian section, or longer, if medically substantiated.

If your plan includes Short Term Disability (STD), a member may submit a claim for STD during the health-related portion of a Maternity leave. If a member has claimed STD for the health-related portion of their Maternity Leave, the member is not able to terminate benefits part way through their Leave of Absence, the decision must be made at the start of their leave.

During the remaining (non-health-related) portion of the Maternity and Parental Leaves, a member is not eligible to claim disability. However, if they are medically unable to return to work on the scheduled return-to-work date, they may then submit a claim, provided Disability premiums have continued throughout the entire leave.

There are three options available to a member on Maternity and Parental Leave:

1. Maintain all benefits for the entire period of approved leave (*recommended)
2. Discontinue all benefits for the entire period of approved leave (*not recommended)
3. Maintain all benefits except for disability for the entire period of approved leave (*not recommended)

Notify your Billing Administrator of any members taking Maternity and/or Parental Leave, by providing the following information:

• Last active day at work and type of leave being taken (Maternity, Parental, or both)
• Expected date of return to active work
• Actual date the member has returned to work (at the end of the leave)

For members that terminate their benefits, when the member returns to work after the approved Maternity and/or Parental Leave, and does so within the the legislated period, reinstate any discontinued benefits without applying the waiting period.

If a member is absent from work for longer than the approved Maternity and/or Parental Leave period, upon return to work the member will be treated as a new member with all of the conditions that apply, including serving the waiting period.  The approved leave can be extended to include vacation time or approved time off, please indicate the reason for the extra time when requesting that the employee be reinstated.