CHAMBERS PLAN OVERVIEW

The Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan started in 1970 in response to demand from the members of Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade across Canada. Traditional insurers would not insure small businesses and the Chambers Plan was created specifically for small businesses in Canada. It was created to provide a stable and flexible employee benefits solution for small to medium sized Canadian businesses.

The Chambers Plan is Overseen by the Chambers of Commerce Insurance Corporation of Canada, a not-for-profit entity which is operated by a volunteer board of directors.  Its sole purpose is to provide comprehensive, cost effective benefits to Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade members and their employees. And as a not-for-profit, all surpluses stay in the Plan to help lower premiums and keep rates stable and predictable. Desjardins Insurance, CHUBB Life Insurance and Western Life are the primary insurers for the Plan. Arete provides the Employee Assistance Program and Business Assistance Service, and Best Doctors provides its services to all insured participants.

The Chambers Plan is the largest benefits plan of its kind in Canada, endorsed by more than 900 Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade. The Chambers Plan currently insures over 30,000 businesses, and is a unique offering in the world of group and employee benefits.

Administration for the Plan is handled by the Johnston Group, a third party administration company headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Johnston Group has been selected as one of Canada’s Top 50 Best Managed Companies every year since 2001.

The Chambers Plan has been delivering a complete selection of outstanding employee benefits and is always evolving to meet the needs of it’s customers.

Your plan can be customized with the following benefits:

• Extended Health Care

• Dental Insurance

• Prescription Drug Coverage

• Group Life Insurance

• Long Term Disability Insurance

• Critical Illness Insurance

• Short Term Disability Insurance

• Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)

• Health Care Spending Accounts

• Business Overhead Expense Insurance

• Employee Assistance Program

• Group Retirement Solutions (RRSP / DPSP)

A Chambers Plan includes the following benefits at no cost:

• Best Doctors

  • Best Doctors® helps employees make important medical decisions by connecting individuals and their treating physician to world renowned specialists. It provides employees one-on-one support to help them navigate the healthcare system.

• Business Assistance Service (BAS)

  • BAS helps owners manage their business more efficiently. This confidential service provides owners access to professional accounting, counselling, legal and human resource experts who understand the challenges faced by small business.

• My Benefits Health

  • Every employee has access to my-benefits health®, the Chambers Plan’s health and wellness site, connecting them to health empowering solutions. Whether it’s finding a family doctor or finding patient assistance programs, my-benefits health helps employees choose the best course of action for their family.

Making Benefits Administration Simple

The Chambers Plan makes it easy to administer your benefit plan. With local support and online tools and websites, we can help you manage your plan quickly and accurately.

The Plan provides you with fast, accurate claim payment. Claims are paid promptly, most within 48 hours, and can be deposited directly in your employees’ bank accounts. Prescription drug benefits can be provided instantly at the pharmacy.

The Chambers Plan’s online utility my-benefits® has all the tools and resources you need:

• Receive billing statements online

• Enrol new employees

• Update earnings

• Calculate payroll deductions

You can reduce your workload with the my-benefits app for employees, which provides members online access to their Plan information, claims, booklets, and drug cards. You can access your plan’s coverage from anywhere, any time, on the my-benefits website or mobile app. Employees can even see when they’re eligible for their next check up! my-benefits makes administration simple.

If you need help, the plan’s Customer Service Centre can answer employee questions immediately and your exclusive Chambers Plan advisor will always be there to provide strategic advice and support.

More Reasons to Choose The Chambers Plan

Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, self-employed contract worker, home-based business, not-for-profit, or part of a larger firm, benefits are a very important part of your financial security. The Chambers Plan creates a solid foundation for that security, based on a benefit program designed specifically for small-business owners, just like you.

The Chambers Plan has no industry restrictions, your plan can never be cancelled, as long as you pay your premiums. Plus, the Chambers Plan offers guaranteed coverage for one-person businesses and up.

With most other employee benefit programs, you pay your premiums and at renewal time if you pay more in premiums than you claimed in benefits, the surpluses remain with your benefits provider. If you end up claiming near what you paid or more than you paid in premiums, your rates will skyrocket and can become unaffordable with traditional insurers. The Chambers Plan is different, any surpluses at the end of your contract period go back into the plan which, in turn, helps keep your rates down. The Chambers Plan is run on a not-for-profit basis and premiums are set to cover the cost of the plan’s benefits and administration costs only.

The Chambers Plan can help you avoid drastic changes in your premiums from year to year. This is possible because with over 30,000 companies participating in the program, if one of your employees files a large claim, it’s spread over a large pool – so you’re guaranteed more stable rates from year to year. Why is this unique? With traditional insurers, your group’s own usage dictates your rates at renewal.

Shopping for employee benefits every year isn’t something you want to have to do and if this is the approach your advisor takes, you will eventually run out of options. With the Chambers Plan’s built-in rate stability, you won’t have to.