Group Life Insurance

Death Benefit

The death benefit provides for payment of the amount shown in the Schedule of Benefits to your designated beneficiary.

Terminal Illness

A special advance payment may be provided if you are suffering from a condition which is expected to result in death within 12 months of your request for such payment. The payment must be requested in writing and will be the lessor of $50,000 or 50% of your group Basic Life coverage.

Waiver of Premium

If you become totally disabled prior to your 65th birthday, and remain disabled for a period of 6 months, insurance coverage is continued without payment of premium from the first of the month following the date of disability, provided that proof of total and continuous disability is submitted as required. Blue Cross defines total disability as a state of continuous incapacity, resulting from illness or injury which wholly prevents you from performing the regular duties of any occupation for which you would earn 60% or more of your predisability earnings and for which you are reasonably qualified, or may so become, by training or experience.

Regular duties are defined as those work related activities which are considered essential to the performance of your occupation and which proportionately take the majority of time to complete.

The availability of such occupations, jobs or work will not be considered while assessing your disability.

The loss of a professional or occupational license or certification does not, in itself, constitute disability.

However, if you are entitled to receive any Long Term Disability benefits under this plan, you will be considered to be totally disabled for the waiver of premium benefit.

In the event you recover from a total disability and become disabled again due to the same or related cause, the second period of disability will be considered a continuation of the first disability; unless, the periods of disability are separated by an interval of at least 6 months during which you returned to work on a permanent basis.

If a period of total disability is considered to be a continuation of a previous total disability, then premiums will be waived without the application of another 6 months of total disability.

Extension of Insurance

In the event of your death within 31 days following termination of employment, the Group Life Insurance benefit will be paid to your designated beneficiary provided that any Individual Policy issued under the conversion privilege is surrendered.

Conversion Privilege

If you terminate employment prior to your 65th birthday, you may convert to an individual Policy issued by Blue Cross, without evidence of insurability. Written application must be made and the required premium submitted during the 31 day period immediately following the date of termination.

If your Group Life Insurance coverage ceases on or before attaining age 65 because of retirement, termination of employment or termination of membership in a class of employees eligible for insurance under this plan, then you may purchase Individual life insurance in an amount not to exceed the lesser of:

• the total amount of Group Life Insurance for which you were covered in the group plan on the
  termination date, or
• $200,000 or the maximum amount prescribed by applicable provincial legislation.

This conversion option also applies to scheduled reductions or termination of coverage which become effective at specified ages.

Termination of Insurance

All Group Life Insurance will terminate on the earliest of:

1. the date that you cease to be eligible for Group Life Insurance under this policy, or
2. the date of termination of this provision, or
3. the day on which you attain the age limit specified in the Schedule of Benefits, or
4. the end of the grace period for which any premium has not been paid in full.