By Marie Navarro, Communications Coordinator (Ottawa)

SISIP Financial Services (SISIP FS) is an entity of the Department of National Defence through the Canadian Forces Personnel and Family Support Services. Since 1969, SISIP FS has been the Canadian Forces (CF) delivery arm of financial products and services for serving and former CF personnel and their families. Also turning 40 this year, is the SISIP FS Long Term Disability (LTD) plan, a premium based insurance program which provides financial benefits and vocational rehabilitation to medically releasing and totally disabled CF personnel.

Introduced as an optional replacement income protection plan in response to the lack of adequate benefits for CF personnel in the event of total disability for non-service-related injuries and illnesses, it has undergone substantial enhancements through the years.

A BRIEF HISTORY

1969:
Introduced as an optional plan, providing CF personnel with replacement income protection for total disability due to non-service-related injuries and illnesses;

1976:
Coverage is expanded to include CF personnel with service-related injuries and illnesses;

1982:
The plan becomes compulsory for all Regular Force and Reserve Force Class C personnel;

1999:
Plan enhancements to provide an entitlement of up to two years of benefits should CF personnel become unable to perform their “own occupation as a soldier”, and medically released due to injuries or illnesses whether service-related or non-service-related.

CHANGES – 01 April, 2009

As officially announced by the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, the Government of Canada (GOC) will fully cover the SISIP FS LTD insurance premiums for service- related injuries and illnesses. Until now, Regular Force CF personnel paid 15% of premiums for service-related and non-service-related injuries and illnesses, with the GOC paying the remaining 85%.

With the announced changes, the GOC will pay 100% of the premiums for service-related injuries and illnesses for Regular Force personnel. The latter will continue to pay 15% of premiums, but only for non-service-related injuries and illnesses, with the GOC paying the remaining 85%.

These changes to the premium structure do not affect the process for members, whether released for medical reasons or not, to qualify for benefits or Vocational Rehabilitation Program, which remains status-quo.

For Primary Reserve on Class A or B service or Reserve Force personnel on Class C service, the GOC continues to pay 100% of premiums.

| PREVIOUS ARTICLE | NEXT ARTICLE |

MW Team Updates • Director General Personnel & Family Support Services
May 2009 • Serving Those Who Serve • www.cfpsa.com