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The Benefit Specialists Corp. is more than willing to answer any questions you or anyone you know may have had. If you know
someone who has questions regarding the insurance industry or anyone
who wants to join our mailing list please contact me, or forward this
email to them and get them to click the join our mailing list button
below.
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July 2010 Retraction:
The address indicated on the July 2010 bulletin for TBSC was incorrect. The new address is:
339 Tuscany Estates Rise NW
Calgary, AB T3L 0C6
Please be sure to correct it in your files.
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TBSC Tidbit
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The TBSC BlogThe TBSC website has added a new feature! Check out www.beneco.ca to sound off on issues from HR to Group Benefits to new medical technologies. |
Join Inn from the Cold in an Incredible Grassroots Movement...
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by Lindsay Pollon
Manager of Volunteer Services
Inn From the Cold
Inn from the Cold serves the needs of
Calgary's most vulnerable citizens through the provision of shelter, help and
hope. At the Inn, homeless families and others in need find a place of compassion
- where their immediate needs are met. Through our emergency family shelter and
community-based temporary emergency shelter program, families and singles begin
to rebuild their lives and end the cycle of homelessness, while becoming
equipped with the skills and resources to build an independent and successful
future.
With over 13 years of experience, Inn from
the Cold is a community leader on the unique challenges and issues facing
homeless families. We are proudly partnered with Calgary's 10 Year Plan to End
Homelessness and together, we are moving closer to fulfilling our vision of "a
community where no family is homeless". We invite and challenge all Calgarians
to get involved in ending family homelessness in our community and to get "INN".
Volunteering is a great way to get involved as our
volunteers are a vital resource to Inn from
the Cold. In many ways, they are the heart and soul of our organization. In
2009, over 6000 volunteers provided over 74,000 hours of their time and support. You can make the difference in the lives of homeless children and their
families, and give them hope for a brighter tomorrow by joining our volunteer
team. We welcome volunteers of all
ages and backgrounds, including children eight years and older. Our
volunteers are integrated at every level within the Inn
and we have many opportunities to match the diverse schedules, skills, talents
and interests of our community.
Our Invitation - Are You INN?
We invite you to be part of this
extraordinary campaign and event that will impact our community in a positive
way. Our desire is to raise awareness about ending homelessness in our city and
raise funds for the supports and services offered at Inn
from the Cold's Emergency Family Shelter. We invite you to be part of one of
this year's most extraordinary grassroots movements. Together, we can
demonstrate our collective commitment to making change happen and create a
better community for all.
Our Campaign - Change Matters
Don't think you can't make a difference?
Think again! "Change Matters" continues until our celebratory "weigh-Inn" at
Southcentre Mall on October 2, 2010. At the heart of this campaign is the
message that every cent donated to Inn from the Cold brings us one step closer
to ending homelessness in our community. Schools, kids clubs, organizations,
associations and the faith community are invited to get involved in this
grassroots initiative that celebrates how we can change lives - forever!
Our Event
- Playing for Change
Our "Change Matters" campaign will reach a
crescendo when Calgarians of all ages come together for the Inn's presentation
of the high-energy Playing for Change family concert event at the University of Calgary's MacEwan Hall on October 13,
2010! Playing for Change is an internationally acclaimed group of
talented musicians who are former and current street buskers - a natural fit
for Inn from the Cold! We are thrilled to
invite our community to come together for this celebratory event. Tickets are
$35 with group and family rates also available. Watch our web site for details.
www.innfromthecold.org
Pepsi Refresh Everything
Inn
from the Cold is proud to partner with Pepsi for the Refresh Everything
project. This vote-driven campaign runs July 1 - August 31 and could net the Inn
$100,000! A simple click can help homeless families in our community! Get INN to the Refresh today!
* To vote simply visit: www.refresheverything.ca/innfromthecold
* Vote once daily
per email address
* Spread the word to your network and help Inn
from the Cold in this national competition
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Travel
Insurance: A Necessary Luxury
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| by Jennifer Creighton, BA
TBS
Travel insurance
may seem like an extraneous and unnecessary addition to your travel costs, especially if you are travelling within Canada, but it is actually a responsible purchase. While we have excellent
Provincial Health Care plans here in Canada, there are gaps in coverage that
you may not be aware of until in an emergency situation. In addition, Provincial Health Care may only
pay portions of health care expenses like practitioners fees or various forms
of treatment. Though it is important to
know about what your Provincial Health Care plan covers, it is even more
important to be proactive and get coverage to fill in or top up the areas where
your Provincial plan lacks. Travel
Insurance, as a rule, cannot commit to cover anyone unless they have a
Provincial plan in place because they essentially "top-up" on what the Province
will pay.
There are other
reasons why you, as a traveler, should consider travel insurance. Most plans include a provision for baggage
insurance, meaning that in the event that your baggage is lost or stolen while
travelling, you would be protected. Another component is trip cancellation or trip interruption
insurance. If you had scheduled a flight
and booked hotel rooms accordingly, and then were forced to cancel or abandon
your trip, you would be covered under this provision. Emergency medical insurance is possibly the
most important part of your travel insurance package because of the peace of
mind it imparts Should an accident
occur on your vacation, costs including prescription drugs, ambulance service,
hospital room fees and other health care expenses will be covered.
Citizenship and
Immigration Canada recommend that all Canadians purchase travel insurance
especially when travelling abroad. Even
some countries abroad are making travel insurance mandatory. As of May 1, 2010, the Government of Cuba
mandated that travelers would have to produce proof of travel insurance in
order to enter the country.[1]
Even travelers
to Canada can benefit from purchasing travel insurance. The following is an excerpt of Rosie's
medical emergency:
"Rosie, a retired mother from the Philippines who
wanted to spend time with her son in Alberta, did the smart thing when she booked her trip to Canada. She
bought travel insurance. She opted for
[a] $50,000 plan, which gave her coverage for hospital confinement, medical
services, and other benefits like Ambulance Services, Return Home and
Prescription Medication...The first month went well for Rosie. She spent time
with her son and quickly adjusted to life in Canada. Then one day she suddenly collapsed and was
rushed to the hospital. The doctors determined that she had suffered from a
stroke. Rosie spent nine days in the
hospital (five in the intensive care unit) and had to undergo acute rehabilitation
before being released. During that week
and a half, TIC's [Travel Insurance Coordinators] assistance team spoke daily
to the doctors and nurses for medical updates. They kept Rosie's family
informed about her progress and worked with the hospital's finance office to
arrange direct billing to TIC.[2]"
Planning
for a vacation may be hectic, and costly. Adding travel insurance can cost you as little as a couple dollars a day
and is quick to set up. Contact The
Benefit Specialists Corp. for more information on travel insurance, or go to
our website, www.beneco.ca
to request a free quote through the Atlas Travel Series icon.
[1]Foreign Affairs and International
Trade Canada. Travel Report: Cuba. March 17,
2010.
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=69000
(accessed March 30, 2010).
[2] James Arnold, "Visitors to Canada Need
Travel Insurance." http://www.travelinsurance.ca/travel/newsRoom.php Travel Insurance Coordinators News
Room. Online. Accessed July 24, 2010.
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BeneCo Blurb
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While many items are covered under a Cost Plus plan, there are a couple items which we receive a lot of questions about. The following items are not covered by your Beneco Cost Plus Plan, unless they are medically necessary: Broadly speaking, eligible expenses include all reasonable and customary expenses for
medical, dental, vision and general health care, provided by licensed
facilities and administered, prescribed or supervised by licensed
practitioners.
Detailed information is found on the Revenue Canada website, in the medical expenses area under Section 118.2 (2) of the Income Tax Act,
and Revenue Canada Interpretations Bulletins IT339R2 and IT519R.
Other exclusions include:
Experimental treatment, or treatment prohibited by law.
Expenses eligible for reimbursement by Government Health Insurance or
other Government assistance programs.
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Sean Murray
The Benefit Specialists Corp.
sean.murray@beneco.ca
(403) 547-5236
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The information contained in
this bulletin is for general information purposes only. The articles published
in this bulletin have been collected by The Benefit Specialists Corp. (TBSC) and
we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about
the completeness, accuracy, reliability or availability with respect to the
information, products, services, or related graphics contained. Any reliance you place on such information is
therefore strictly at your own risk. In no event will we be liable
for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential
loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or
profits out of, or in connection with, the use of the information contained in
this bulletin. Through this bulletin you are
able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TBSC. We have no control over the nature, content
and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not
necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. |
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