Improvements will come into effect on July 1st, 2023 when Canada Life replaces Sunlife as plan administrator.  Here are the main improvements:

• Increasing vision care from $275 every two years to $400 every two years.
• Increasing amounts for massage, osteopath, naturopath, chiropodist/podiatrist from $300 per year to $500 per year.
• Increasing coverage for hearing aids from $1,000 per five years to $1,500 and introducing a new benefit to cover hearing aid batteries (up to $200 per year).
• Removing the requirement for prescriptions for services like massage, physiotherapy, psychological services and speech therapy.
• Removing the physiotherapy member-paid corridor and introducing a maximum of $1,500 per year for physiotherapy.
• Improving acupuncture coverage by removing the restriction to have it performed by a physician and increasing that coverage from $300 per year to $500 per year.
• Allowing foot care performed at community nursing stations to be covered under the podiatrist/chiropodist benefit.
• Improving the Emergency Benefit While Travelling by moving coverage from $500,000 to $1 million and increasing family assistance benefits.
• Increasing the Hospital Level I coverage from $60 per day to $90 per day and increasing Levels II and III to $170 and $250 respectively.
• Establishing important coverage for people living with diabetes, including increasing coverage up to $1,000 per 60 months for insulin jet injector devices, introducing coverage for diabetic monitors without the use of an insulin pump (up to $700 per 60 months), introducing coverage for Type II diabetes testing supplies such as flash glucose supplies and testing strips ($3,000 per year) and introducing coverage for continuous glucose monitor supplies for Type I diabetes ($3,000 per year).
• Introducing coverage for injectable lubricants such as Synvisc to treat joint pain and arthritis at $600 per year.

For further details, visit the National Federal Retirees website here.