Due to high demand, the Extended Health Benefits (EHB) Fund is anticipating running out of funds for the summer 2026 term. The EHB Fund is crucial, with many members relying on it to cover essential medical needs that go beyond our Sun Life benefits plan coverage, which is why immediate measures must be taken to preserve the fund, namely returning to a previous reimbursement formula.
The Formula
Based on discussions at the May 19 General Membership Meeting, the Executive Committee has instructed the EHB Committee to return to their previous disbursement formula: fully reimburse the first $1500 of all eligible expenses and 25% of any remaining expenses (up to the annual limit). This formula was used by the EHB Committee before 2024–2025 and originally implemented when the Fund’s annual per-member maximum was raised to $5000.
Current and Summer Applications
The EHB Committee will continue to accept and adjudicate applications, reimbursing both pending and incoming claims according to the formula above. While these measures are necessary, the Executive Committee and EHB Committee recognize that this may unfortunately have potentially concerning implications for those who anticipated all eligible claims to be fully reimbursed. Members’ continued understanding is greatly appreciated while everyone involved collaborates to find the best possible solutions to address this anticipated shortfall and prevent it from happening again. Further discussion of the EHB Fund’s shortfall will take place at upcoming membership meetings.
Next Steps for the Fund
Using this disbursement formula will allow the remaining money in the fund for this year to last longer and be distributed among more members. However, even with this adjustment, this year’s EHB fund will be depleted sometime before the end of summer 2026, until its next allocation in the fall. To alleviate this shortfall, involved members are investigating possible ways to transfer additional money into the fund to support members’ health needs.
For any questions related to current EHB issues, please contact the EHB Committee at ehb@cupe3903.org or Tareq K (Vice-President Unit 1) at vpu1@cupe3903.org.