Your Bridge Series Disability Income Protection Standard Issue Plan
This overview is intended to help you understand your Bridge Series Disability Income Protection Standard Issue Plan. It is not a contract or an offer to provide insurance. This overview is written in plain language and does not include all terms and conditions included in your policy. In the event of a discrepancy between the language of this overview and your policy, the language your policy as issued will prevail. You may request a sample policy from us through your employer before the policy is issued.
If a policy is issued, you will have ten days from the day you receive your policy to examine its provisions. If you are not satisfied, you can return it to RBC Life Insurance Company and any premium paid will be refunded. You may also cancel your policy (without refund) at any time after that 10-day period.
Your Disability Insurance Coverage
Personal income contributes to our quality of life in a variety of ways. It makes it possible to buy products and services that we need and value, and affords us the pride and self-esteem that comes from working to earn an income. It makes sense that people will seek out ways to protect their income.
In general, there are three ways a person risks loss of income that have a practical insurance solution.
| Three Ways Income Could End: |
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Income Ending Event |
Financial Solution |
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Person Dies During Working Years |
Life Insurance |
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Person Retires and Out Lives Resources |
Retirement Savings and Annuities |
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Person Becomes Disabled |
Disability Insurance |
The Bridge Series policy provides quality coverage at an affordable price. Its modular design and selection of benefit options allows customization of a disability income protection package to meet the needs of both employers and employees.
Your Bridge Series policy is guaranteed renewable to age 65. Contract provisions are fully guaranteed to age 65 while premiums may be subject to change. Your policy alone may not be singled out for premium change. Any adjustment to premiums will be made for an entire group of policy owners who share common characteristic(s). After age 65, your coverage can be annually renewed with a reduced benefit period while you remain actively and regularly employed full time. After age 65, your premium will be based on the attained age and current rates.
Income Replacement Benefits
Total Disability
You are considered totally disabled if, as a result of an injury or sickness,
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You are unable to perform the essential duties of your occupation; |
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You are not working in any gainful occupation; and |
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You are under physician’s care and receiving appropriate treatment. |
After receiving benefits for 24 months, you will continue to receive benefits if, due to injury or sickness:
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You are unable to work in any occupation suited to your training, education or experience, and prior economic status. |
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You are under physician’s care and receiving appropriate treatment. |
While you are totally disabled, you will receive monthly benefits for the duration of the maximum benefit period of the policy. The monthly benefit is payable after you have satisfied the elimination period.
Commencement Date
The commencement date is the date when the benefits begin during a continuous period of disability. Periods of disability from the same or related causes, separated by 12 months or less, will be accumulated and deemed to be continuous in order to determine the Commencement Date.
Recurrent disability
If after benefits have become payable, a period of disability ends but you become disabled again within 12 months from the same or related causes, we will consider your disability a continuation of the prior period of disability. The benefit period will continue from the first day of such recurrence.
Presumptive Total Disability
Total disability will exist if you irrecoverably lose the use of both hands, or both feet, or one hand and one foot, or if you suffer the total loss of hearing in both ears, or of sight in both eyes, or of speech, regardless of whether or not you are working. We will pay this benefit from the date of loss for as long as the loss continues.
Survivor Benefits
If you die while receiving a disability benefit, your beneficiary receives a cheque for three times the last monthly benefit you were receiving at the time of your death.
Cosmetic or transplant surgery benefits
You may receive your monthly benefit if you are totally disabled as a result of cosmetic or transplant surgery.
Waiver of Premium
We recognize the significant strain a disability will have on your finances. In addition to providing a source of income during disability, we will also waive any premiums that becomes due while you are receiving disability benefits from us. As well, we will refund premiums paid during the elimination period.
Focus On Ability vs. Disability
Return-to-work assistance benefit
Starting from the first day of injury or sickness, we may provide some assistance in returning you to work or enhancing your ability to work.
Our assistance may include such services as:
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Co-ordination of physical rehabilitation services; |
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Financial and business planning; |
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Vocational evaluation; |
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Education; and |
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Job placement for a new occupation. |
In addition, we may provide work site modification which could include such things as:
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Ergonomic furniture and/or equipment; |
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Mobility enhancing equipment; and |
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Visual and/or audio devices. |
If we approve the services prior to the costs being incurred, we may pay some or all of the costs of these services or approved item(s) provided you are not entitled to payment of the costs from any other sources.
Your Premiums
Your premium amount will be set once your coverage is underwritten. The amount of your initial premium will be specified in your policy when it is issued.
While you remain employed with your current employer, premiums are payable monthly. If you leave your current employment and continue your coverage under this policy, you will then have the option of paying your premiums monthly or annually. The monthly premium will be calculated by multiplying the annual premium by 0.09.
If you wish to change from Smoker rates to Non-smoker rates after your policy is issued, or if you wish to reinstate your coverage after it terminates due to non-payment of premium, we reserve the right to request evidence of insurability satisfactory to us. A service fee may apply.
A grace period of thirty-one-days will be allowed for late payment of any premium.
When Coverage Takes Effect
The Policy becomes effective when all of the following events have occurred:
| 1. |
The Policy has been delivered to the Owner; |
| 2. |
All conditions for delivery to the Owner have been completely satisfied; and |
| 3. |
There has been no change in insurability since the application was signed. |
Limitations and Exclusions
To help keep costs affordable the Bridge Series includes a number of cost containment items.
Integration of benefits
To ensure benefits are coordinated with other sources of income received during disability, an integration of benefits provision has been included in this policy. Benefits for disability will be reduced by any amount that the sum of the benefits for disability, current earnings, and other income or disability benefits, exceeds 85% of your pre-disability income.
Other income benefits include disability benefits from provincial or federal government plans such as: CPP/QPP and Workers' Compensation legislation or insurance intended to provide similar benefits, as well as automobile insurance, any group or association long-term or short-term disability or weekly indemnity insurance or plans and salary continuation plans.
If the policy has been in force for more than 12 months, we will not reduce benefits for disability under this provision below the lesser of 25% of the monthly benefit, or $1,000.
Specific Conditions Limitation
The following conditions are covered by the Bridge Series policy, however, this coverage is limited to a cumulative maximum of 24 months. This limitation applies for all such periods of disability that are associated with:
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Soft tissue injuries and degenerative disc disease |
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Mental, psychiatric, psychological, or emotional disorders or sickness (such as depression, anxiety stress or burnout) |
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Chronic fatigue syndrome, Epstein Barr syndrome, chronic pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, fibrositis, environmental illness and multiple chemical sensitivity. |
A separate 24 month cumulative maximum is provided for each of these 3 categories.
Residency Limitation
If you become disabled, or are receiving disability benefit payments while primarily residing outside of Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom, for longer than 12 months, your benefits will cease after the 12 months. If you again establish your primary residence in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom, we will resume benefits upon proof that you have remained continuously disabled and have been receiving appropriate and regular treatment for your condition. No new elimination period will apply to the continuing claim. However, the continuing claim will be subject to the original maximum benefit period and no benefits for disability will be payable for or in respect of the period of residency outside of Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Unemployment/Minimal Hours Limitation
There are special limitations that apply if at the start of disability, you are:
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Unemployed; or |
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Working less than 20 hours per week and less than 35 weeks per year. |
In these instances, benefits will be payable providing:
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As a result of injury or sickness, you are unable to work in any occupation suited to your education, training or experience and prior economic status; and |
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You are under physician's care and receiving appropriate treatment. |
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If you qualify for benefits, the benefit period will be limited to 24 months. |
Leave of absence Limitation
There are special limitations that apply if at the start of disability, you are:
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A seasonal worker who is between jobs; |
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On sabbatical; or |
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On a scheduled leave of absence. |
In these instances, benefits will be payable providing:
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As a result of injury or sickness, you are unable to work in any occupation suited to your education, training or experience and prior economic status; and |
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You are under physician's care and receiving appropriate treatment; |
However, after the date you are scheduled to return to work, you will be considered disabled if:
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As a result of an injury or sickness, you are unable to perform the essential duties of your occupation; |
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You are not working in any gainful occupation; and |
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You are under physician's care and receiving appropriate treatment. |
Exclusions
We will not cover disabilities that result directly or indirectly from:
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Intoxication by drugs, alcohol or otherwise |
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Abuse of prescription or non-prescription drugs or alcohol, or other substance abuse |
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A suicide attempt or other intentionally self-inflicted harm |
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Any act of declared or undeclared war, any riot or insurrection or any other form of public disturbance |
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Infections or sickness that physicians commonly associate with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), if the person insured tested positive for AIDS or HIV before coverage begins |
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Injuries that occur while committing or attempting to commit a crime |
We will not pay benefits:
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While you are in a jail or otherwise imprisoned. |
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For any disability resulting from a normal pregnancy or childbirth. This plan, will however pay benefits for disabilities caused by complications of pregnancy or childbirth |
Pre-Existing Condition Limitation
A pre-policy period is a period just prior to policy issue and a post-policy period is a period just after policy issue. Pre-policy and post-policy periods are determined as part of the plan design and are usually 24 months or less. We will not pay any Income Benefits, for any portion of any period of Disability which results, directly or indirectly, from any injury or sickness, or any medical condition or symptom(s) in respect of which, at any time during the pre-policy period:
| 1. |
You have incurred any health-related expenses on the advice of a physician or any other health care practitioner; |
| 2. |
You have taken any prescribed medication; |
| 3. |
You have consulted a physician or any other health care practitioner; |
| 4. |
You have received any health-related care, advice or treatment from a physician or any other health care practitioner; or |
| 5. |
A reasonable prudent person with such injury, sickness or medical condition or symptom(s) would have consulted a physician or any other health care practitioner. |
However, this limitation does not apply to disabilities commencing after the post-policy period.
Riders Which May Be Available On Your Plan
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