Privacy & Disclosure Policy

Introduction

It is the intent of the Board of Trustees that the Plan shall be administered in an open and transparent manner; that persons insured under the Plan, beneficiaries, sponsors and other stakeholders shall be provided with all necessary information appropriate to their interest and that plan members' privacy shall be safeguarded. No information in a member's file shall be released to any person or organization without the express written authorization of the member. The only exception to this rule shall be where the Trustees are obliged to release a member's personal information pursuant to legal requirements. The Plan also has obligations under the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and obligations at law generally.

1. ROUTINE DISCLOSURE

The Trustees shall maintain a website on which the following documents shall be posted.

A. Plan Documents

1) Trust Agreement
2) Plan Document
3) Operational Guidelines
4) Appeal Guidelines
5) Privacy and Disclosure Policy 

B. Financial/Actuarial Documents

1) Triennial Actuarial Report
2) Annual Report of the Board of Trustees, including audited financial statements
3) Statement of Investment Policies and Procedures
4) Quarterly Investment Performance

C. Administrative Information

1) Listing of covered employers
2) Listing of members of Board of Trustees
3) Schedule of meetings of the Board of Trustees
4) Contact information for LTD Plan office 

Plan members who do not have access to the website shall be entitled to receive a physical copy of each of the above, at no charge, once per year. If a document has been amended, members shall be entitled to a copy of the original document and all amended versions, within one calendar year.
The Trustees may at their discretion levy a charge for provision of any of the above documents to persons other than members. 

2. INFORMATION RELEASED UPON WRITTEN REQUEST.

A. Member Information

1) A plan member (including both a contributing member and person receiving benefits) is entitled to receive, without charge, a copy of his or her file maintained in the LTD plan office and/or in the office of any third party claims administrator.
2) Whether or not any individual is in receipt of LTD benefits shall be confidential to the Plan, the employee, the employer and the union, if applicable. 

B. Reports, Studies

Any analyses, reports, studies or similar documents, and email, letter, telephone communications from suppliers, prepared by, for or on behalf of the Board of Trustees providing advice or recommendations regarding the Plan and/or its operations shall be made available after a period of five years after their presentation and/or delivery to the Board. The Board may at its discretion reduce or eliminate this period of confidentiality for any specific document. It may also increase the period of confidentiality for any specific document.

3. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Any document not identified above shall be considered confidential unless the Board of Trustees rules otherwise.

In order that Trustees may feel free to express opinions and openly debate issues that come before them, the minutes of all meetings of the Board of Trustees or Committees of the Board shall be confidential. Any notes made by a trustee during a meeting shall be the property of the trustee and shall be confidential.

4. REVIEW

The Board of Trustees shall review this document at least once annually and shall reconfirm its terms or amend as the case may be.