What is the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP or the Plan)?
The PSHCP is a voluntary health care plan for federal employees, federal retirees and their eligible dependents. It reimburses members for allowable health care services and products. Sun Life Canada provides coverage for the PSHCP.
Federal retirees must apply for the PSHCP. See the Pensioner Application form for more information.
What claims are eligible?
The PSHCP covers a wide variety of health-related services and products. These include vision care, physiotherapy, nursing services and prescription drugs to name a few. Reimbursements are generally at 80% of eligible expenses or stated maximums. However, to be reimbursed, members must first maximize the benefits provided by their provincial/territorial or third-party health care plans. The PSHCP Plan Document specifies the amounts covered for each service or product.
The PSHCP reimburses eligible expenses on a “reasonable and customary” basis, as defined by the Plan. This ensures that the claims are within reason for the geographic area where they were incurred. The amounts are updated regularly.
A licensed physician must prescribe all eligible services and products in the jurisdiction in which the prescription is made. Any exceptions are noted in the Plan.
How can I learn more?
To learn more about Sun Life Financial's coverage, check out the following e-tutorials:
Disclaimer: the information in the e-tutorials provides an overview of the site and functionality. The values and benefit information described in the tutorials are not specific to the PSHCP.
PSHCP members can also visit the PSHCP website for more information or refer to the PSHCP Plan Document.
Information and Assistance
Use your ID and password to log onto the website at www.sunlife.ca/PSHCP for up-to-date information. For help, please contact the Sun Life Financial customer care centre at 1-888-757-7427 (toll-free) or 613-247-5100.
Calling the Pension Centre
What you’ll need when you call:
- Your full name
- Your pension number, your personal record identifier (PRI) from your pension statement or pay stub, or your social insurance number
- Your mailing address and telephone number
- Your email address
If you’re calling on behalf of someone else, such as a spouse or parent, the Pension Centre needs their permission to speak to you. The pensioner can provide that over the phone, or they can send a signed letter that authorizes you to obtain information on their behalf. It’s also okay to make calls together. For example, a daughter and her father can use a speakerphone together to speak with a Pension Centre representative.
Additional tips:
- The Pension Centre commits to answering your call within 180 seconds, 80 per cent of the time. If the wait time is longer you’ll hear an automated message as soon as you reach the toll-free number.
- November and December and from late January to March are busy times when you can expect longer wait times.
- Whenever you connect with the Pension Centre, make sure your contact information is up-to-date.
- It’s always okay to ask the person you’re speaking to for more information, a simpler explanation or for an answer in writing.
- If you’re unhappy with how your call is proceeding or a decision that’s been made on your file, you can ask to have your call escalated to a supervisor.