Frequently Asked Questions

Emergency Travel Insurance

Emergency Travel Insurance is included in all Comprehensive Coverage plans, as well as in the Total Health, Ultimate Health and ARTARx+Travel extended health care plans.

You will have to submit evidence of good health if you wish to add the Emergency Travel benefit after your qualifying period (i.e., if it is more than 60 days following termination of your group benefits coverage).

ARTA’s emergency travel plan underwriter is Beneva, and travel assistance provider is AXA Assistance. ARTA has partnered with AXA Assistance to continue to provide you with market leading travel benefits now and into the future. Beneva is known for their efficient and world-renowned claims and customer service through their emergency travel provider assistance team.

All ARTA Benefit Plan emergency travel claims must be directed to Beneva, at the following number:


1-844-996-9003 in North America, or collect from anywhere in the world at 1-519-342-0142.

General

ARTA only accepts premiums payments via direct bank withdrawal. Credit card companies charge processing fees with each transaction, and as a non-profit organization, ARTA operates with cost-effectiveness in mind. All revenues generated by the ARTA Benefit Plans are used to improve the plan and increase value for members. By diverting these revenues to pay processing fees, the strength of the plan would be lessened.

In the event that the spouse of a primary plan member passes away, we require a death certificate and can change the coverage level from couple to single.


If the primary plan member passes away, we require a copy of the death certificate and a suriving spouse application form. These documents will be used to transfer the membership into the primary name of the surviving spouse and adjust coverage level.


If you are on individual coverage and pass away, the executor of your estate will need to provide us with a copy of the death certificate and your benefits coverage will be terminated.

Dependant children may include natural children, legally adopted children or children living with the adopting parents during a period of probation, stepchildren, children under legal guardianship, and foster children of the member or the member’s spouse.


To be considered a dependant, the child must be unmarried, not employed on a regular and full-time basis, and under 21 years of age. A child up to the age of 25 will be considered a dependant if in full-time attendance at an accredited school, college or university and is dependant on you for support, including students attending school outside their normal province of residence.


A dependant child who is beyond any limiting age and, who is mentally or physically disabled and is incapable of self-sustaining employment and who is wholly dependant upon you for support and maintenance, is also eligible.

Yes. Once your benefits are effective, you can visit myarta.net to access your benefits coverage and to submit claims online.

  • The ARTA Perks discount program which offers discounts with a large number of businesses and services
  • ARTA news&views magazine
  • ARTAfacts email newsletter
  • Scholarships for family members
  • Access to special rates from ARTA’s home and auto insurance partner, Orbit Insurance Services
  • Access to a Life Insurance plan specifically for ARTA members through Orbit Insurance Services

The plan texts for each of the benefits coverage options offered are available here


You may also call the ARTA Member Support Centre at 1-855-444-ARTA (2782) and speak with a Member Services Adminsitrator regarding questions specific to the ARTA Benefit Plans.

Enrolment

If you are currently covered under a group benefits plan, your coverage is effective the day following termination of coverage under your group plan – there can be no lapse in coverage.

If you are a late entrant to a plan that includes Emergency Travel Insurance, your coverage is effective on the date that Allianz approves your coverage based on your completed declaration of insurability.

Yes, you must be an ARTA member to participate in the ARTA Benefit Plans. Your employment history and pension determine your type of membership, what your membership fees are and the method of payment. Use our eligibility tool to find out if you are eligible to join ARTA.


For more information, please contact ARTA toll-free at 1-855-212-2400.

This means that you are required to complete a medical questionnaire and may, as a follow-up, be asked to have a medical examination. This is required if you are eligible to apply for benefits, but do not submit your application to enrol in an ARTA Benefit Plan that includes Emergency Travel Insurance within 60 days of losing your group extended health care benefits.

You should put June 30, as the date of termination for your benefit plan coverage. If you apply within 60 days of that termination date, your new ARTA Benefit Plan coverage would be effective the day after the termination of benefit coverage date—July 1. You can send your application to ARTA a month or two in advance of retirement/termination of coverage indicating the date your coverage will end.

You have 60 days following termination of your group benefits coverage to join the ARTA Benefit Plans without needing to submit medical evidence of insurability if you want to participate in one of the plans with 92-day Emergency Travel. Following this 60-day period, you need to provide medical evidence of insurability to participate in any of the Extended Health Care plans which include 92-day travel. 


In addition, if you want to add Dental Care coverage and it has been more than 60 days since you lost group benefits coverage, your Dental Care benefits will be prorated for the remainder of the current calendar year.

To enrol in an ARTA Benefit Plan, you are required to become a member of the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association. Teachers and other members of the education sector have voting rights within ARTA.


As an affiliate member, you enjoy all the benefits of being an ARTA member, but you don’t have voting rights.

Provincial Seniors Drug Coverage

The Alberta Coverage for Seniors plan covers many commonly used drugs; however, you pay a portion of the cost which would be covered by the ARTA Benefit Plans, which also includes coverage for many other supplies and services, such as Emergency Travel Coverage, physiotherapy, and prescription glasses. Applying for an ARTA benefit plan would be dependent on your individual overall health needs.


If you require more coverage than what your provincial plan offers, consider an ARTA plan.

Prior to turning age 65 you will likely receive a request for proof of age from Alberta Health for enrolment in the Alberta Health Care Plan for Seniors. If Alberta Health already has proof of age on file, you will simply receive a new Benefits ID card for the Seniors plan.


If you do not recieve this application from Alberta Health, please contact Alberta Blue Cross 1-877-644-9992 for information regarding the Alberta Coverage for Seniors plan as they administer this plan on behalf of Alberta Health. 


Note: You must register your coverage with your pharmacy(ies). The ARTA Benefit Plan is second payor to the Alberta Seniors’ Drug Plan.

Eligibility

If you can provide supporting documentation that your deceased spouse would have otherwise been eligible and you are age 55 or older, you are eligible to participate and enrol without evidence of good health in the ARTA Benefit Plans as long as you apply for coverage within your qualifying period.

Since you have met the eligibility criteria, if you have benefit coverage through your employer’s benefit plan (in your new job) which provides similar benefits, including Emergency Travel Insurance, you would be eligible to join the ARTA Benefit Plan without providing evidence of good health, provided you apply within 60 days of the termination date for benefits you have through your current place of employment.

Yes, you can join the ARTA Benefit Plan within 60 days of the termination of your spouse’s employer-sponsored benefit plan if it provides similar benefits, including Emergency Travel Insurance, without providing evidence of good health.


If you apply for coverage after this 60-day period from the date your spouse’s employer benefit plan coverage terminated, then evidence of good health will be required, and you may be declined for Extended Health Care and Emergency Travel Insurance coverage.

Yes, but if you are now retired and if your group benefits terminated more than 60 days ago, you are considered to be a late entrant, which means you can either enrol in the Primary Health plan (if you are under age 65), or a plan without Emergency Travel Insurance.


If you choose a Comprehensive plan or a Build Your Own plan that includes 92-day Emergency Travel Insurance, you will have to provide evidence of insurability, meaning your coverage may be declined.

We encourage you to use our "Check Your Eligibility" tool on this website, or to view the particular eligibility requirements by viewing the "Participating Organizations" section of this website, found in the footer navigation.


If you are still unclear whether you are eligible to join ARTA, please contact our office to speak with a member services administrator, toll-free at 1-855-212-2400. 

Prescription Drugs

ARTA believes that prescription drugs are extremely effective in treating many medical conditions, and it is important that the ARTA Benefit Plan receives the best value for the prescription drugs members purchase; therefore, the plan includes a Least Cost Alternative provision. This means that if your doctor prescribes a brand name drug and there is an approved interchangeable generic version, the plan will pay to the equivalent cost of the generic product. You may purchase the higher cost alternative; however, you are responsible for paying the difference in price.


To find out about the coverage of specific drugs, please call 1-855-444-ARTA (2782) with the DIN number which is found on the prescription label.

Once you are covered by the ARTA Benefit Plan, simply visit MyARTA.net, log into your account, go to the “MyARTA Claims” tab and then click “Access Claims portal,” and click “Drug Look-up”.

A Step Therapy Program encourages covered members (and their physicians) to try a less expensive, therapeutically advantageous, and/or safer product in an effort to protect and optimize treatment to the patient, as well as manage benefit plan costs. Special authorization requests would be available for covered members who cannot take a first-line (less costly) drug.

Covered prescription drugs include those medical preparations approved for use by ARTA. Certain drugs which are paid by federal or provincial programs are not eligible for payment under ARTA (for example, cancer drugs).


Experimental, cosmetic, and natural health product drugs are not covered. 


Certain lifestyle drugs (for example, erectile dysfunction treatment, hair loss medication, and weight loss medication) have limited coverage under some of ARTA's plans, but are not included in all of the plans.


Over-the-counter drugs are not eligible drug expenses under any plan. Cannabis products are not covered under the ARTA plans.