2026 Rates Available
The Benefits Premium Rates for 2026 have now been published on the GSI website.
You may access them on the Premium Rates page.
Treasurers' Info Session: What Would You Like to Know?
In January 2022, GSI hosted a three-day online conference called “Learn and Explore.” This conference was open to Treasurers and Plan Members and covered a range of topics relevant to GSI. Participation was excellent, and the response was positive.
About the Session
We think now might be a good time to run a short version of this conference again, but this time covering topics of relevance to Treasurers. (Council/board members will also be welcome to join.) It will be called Treasurers Together, as we are all in this together! It will be offered online in the evening, for approximately two hours, early in 2026.
Topics will cover a range of Treasurer responsibilities, such as enrollments of new employees, terminations, life events such as disability and marriage, and T4 completion. We will also explore the role of GSI and how it can be helpful for Treasurers and congregations, as well as for Plan Members.
Your Input Requested
Here’s where you come in. To ensure that the session is as useful as possible, would you complete a one-minute survey?
Questions:
- Is this type of session of interest to you?
- What dates might work for you?
- Are there particular topics that you would like to learn more about?
Registration for Treasurers Together will happen in January.
Selection of Benefits Module for 2026
As the year comes to a close, members will have the opportunity to review their benefits and choose a benefits module that will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Members wishing to make a change may move to an adjacent module (e.g., from Green to Teal) by completing a Group Benefits Enrollment Form and submitting it to the GSI office no later than Monday, December 1, 2025.
Please note that if a Member changes modules, their claims history will carry forward. This means that benefits with maximums extending beyond single year (e.g., vision care with a 24-month limit) will not reset when moving to a different module in the future.
Why Do Premiums Keep Increasing?
The 2026 health module premium rates and Life Plus premium may be found on the Premium Rates page of GSI’s website. The ELCIC Group Services Benefits Plans are a group plan; plan members across the country all share in the costs and benefits as one community.
ELCIC Group Services Inc. works with a consultant each year to negotiate lower rates for the health plans than those originally proposed by Manulife. For 2026, the consultant negotiated $150,000 in savings over Manulife’s initial proposed rate increases.
The 2026 Life Plus premium (coverage for parental leave, short- and long-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, and life insurance and employee family assistant plan) has increased 15.3%, and the health module has increased approximately 16%.
The 2026 Life Plus premium increase has been mitigated with a subsidy from the benefits reserve fund. Although we had noted in the Fall 2024 Treasurers newsletter that the subsidy would not likely be available for 2026, fortunately a small subsidy has been able to be be funded. Without the subsidy, the Life Plus premium increase would have been 28.6%.
We are grateful to our members of the National Retiree Health Plan, whose premiums paid throughout their many years working helped to build the reserves that have being drawn on to subsidize premiums for 2026 and previous years.
The deficits in the Life Plus plan were created in 2023 when we experienced a high number of claims, and we are now paying back those deficits, even with fewer plan members contributing (322 in 2023 vs 281 as of September 30, 2025).
There are various other costs impacting the 2026 renewals:
- speciality drugs, including those for new rare diseases and gene therapies
- slowing economy
- tariffs
These same factors will likely continue to impact rates in the future as well. We will continue to work hard to keep increases as low as we can and offer a premium subsidy if possible; however, for 2026 and beyond, there is no guarantee that this will be available.
A Few Reminders for Treasurers
Life Events
It is extremely important that you contact GSI whenever there are any employment transitions. The benefits contracts and pension regulations have specific requirements that we are bound by, and it can create liabilities if they are not followed.
Taxable Benefits on Life
GSI will be emailing a report (if applicable) to all Treasurers with the amount that should be included as taxable benefit on the T4. We expect to send this report in the second half of December.
There is a taxable benefit calculation worksheet on the Forms and Worksheets page of GSI’s website that should be used in calculating the 2025 taxable benefit. There will be a slight change for the 2026 taxable benefit calculation: the life insurance premium will change from .398 to .435.
Employer Receipts
A report detailing the 2025 contributions and premiums GSI has received will be emailed in the later part of January 2026. Please watch for it and match it to your records.
NB: If there are differences, between this report and your records, contact our office.
Salary Calculation forms
Updated salary calculation forms for 2026 may be sent to GSI as soon as the salary is approved. We recommend approving the salary prior to its effective date in order to avoid complex retroactive calculations.
Vacation & Sick time
We recommend that employers keep records of vacation and sick time. Often when employees have a medical absence that transitions to a short-term disability or when the employee resigns, employers find that determining these entitlements and making appropriate and correct calculations is challenging.
Eligibility for pension & benefits is the monthly 25% of YMPE (no hours requirement). Once eligible, enrollment is required with no waiting period.
This applies to all people for whom the employer remits statutory deductions (tax+CPP+EI). The YMPE for 2026 can be found on Life Events — Employers page of the GSI website (under the Employee Eligibility and Enrollment Dates tab).
Pulpit Supply
Pension contributions are required if the pastor is a member of the ELCIC Pension Plan. If unsure, you may contact our office.
Monthly Invoices
Invoices are emailed on the second last Tuesday of the month. Please review your invoice each month to ensure it is correct.
Continuing Education Plan (CEP)
Members who have CEP funds should be accessing it for life-long learning. As the employer, you are encouraged to remind employees who have this benefit to use their funds for education and to track their continuing education hours.
We welcome your questions & feedback!
please write to us: admin@elcicgsi.ca
or call toll free: 1-877-352-4247 (in Winnipeg 204-984-9181)
information and resources can also be found on the GSI website