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Nova Scotia Public Service (NSPS) LTD Plan Trust Fund moves to Manulife Financial Nova Scotia — The Nova Scotia Public Service Long-Term Disability Plan Trust Fund provides income replacement protection and a range of disability services for more than 12,000 employees in the Nova Scotia Public Sector. The Plan has made a successful transition to Manulife Financial as its claims administrator. The intent to move the program was announced publicly on September 5, 2003 after unanimous approval by the LTD Plan Board of Trustees. All files were transferred on October 15. The decision to move the NSPS plan followed a thorough market study. Charles Bruce, NSPS LTD Plan Executive Director, working with a committee appointed by the Plan Sponsors, launched a review of providers and services late last spring. Working in partnership with Bill Luedey of Luedey Consultants INC, Bruce conducted a thorough analysis of coverage options, support resources and service approaches before compiling his report for the Board Of Trustees. As part of the analysis, the process required detailed presentations, lengthy discussions with members of each carrier’s service teams and site visits. “It was far from an easy decision,” says LTD Plan Executive Director Charles Bruce, “We completed the full review in ninety days and we were very demanding. Participants knew we had high expectations when we invited them into the discussion – and even then, I doubt they imagined what paces we’d put them through. We wanted to be certain our members’ needs would be well met without compromising the financial requirements of our plan.” “While pricing always has to be one of our key concerns, we didn’t simply issue a set of specifications then go looking for the lowest bidder,” he explains, “We knew this program had to work well for members who were receiving benefits, for the servicing and benefits staff who work with those employees and for the rest of our covered population. Presented with a thorough analysis of the plan’s objectives along with the market climate, the Board of Trustees unanimously supported the recommendation. “Getting to that stage represented a major milestone,” Bruce explains, “But once we had that, we moved right into the business of transition since we were committed to making this change quickly and efficiently.” Preparing to make the move required a series of concurrent communications to all the plan’s constituents – servicing and benefits professionals, employees receiving benefits and members of the covered population. An introduction and training event was organized for servicing and benefits professionals to be sure they were prepared to answer questions from Nova Scotia Public Sector members. Employees eligible for benefits were advised of the pending move and are receiving personal phone calls to address any concerns they have about the change process. The successful transition to Manulife Financial was completed thoroughly, quickly and efficiently, setting a strong foundation for NSPS LTD Plan moving forward. Contact Information: Charles J. Bruce, Executive Director NSPS Long-Term Disability Plan Tel: (902) 461-0421 Toll-free: (877) 461-0421 E-mail: c.bruce@ns.sympatico.ca |
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