HCSA Claims
Health Care Spending Account (HCSA)
HAPPPY NEW YEAR!!! With a new year upon us, most of your benefits reset January 1, 2026.
Health Care Spending Accounts (HCSAs) have been updated January 1, 2026. You may check your HCSA on Manulife’s website.
Claims from 2025 may be submitted to your HCSA remaining amount from 2025 until March 31, 2026. Any unused HCSA from 2025 will be carried to the end of December 31, 2026 and may used during the year.
Note there are a few benefits, such as Vision Care and Dental Care, that reset every 24 months (2 years) rather than annually on January 1.
You may review the benefits coverage on GSI’s website.
Addition to Professional Services under the Benefits Plan
Great news! Occupational Therapy has been added to all health modules and grouped with Physiotherapy / Athletic Therapist / Kinesiologist, starting January 1, 2026.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapy has been added to the list of Professional Services eligible for some coverage under the ELCIC Group Benefits Plan. But what is it, exactly, and how would you know if it might benefit you?
Overview
The following definition is abridged from the one the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) provides on their website:
Occupational therapy promotes health, well-being, and quality of life by supporting access to, initiation of, and sustained participation in the things that clients want and need to do in their daily life. Occupational therapy professionals work with clients of all ages and health statuses, who are, or may be at risk of, experiencing difficulties participating in their daily activities.
Within the collaborative relationship-focused approach, occupational therapy professionals seek to understand and take into consideration the impact of the multidimensional contexts (micro, meso, macro), histories, identities, and experiences of the therapist, the client(s), and the practice context where occupational therapy services are delivered. This collaborative process involves connecting, seeking understanding and defining purpose, exploring occupational participation, co-designing priorities/outcomes/plan, trialing / exploring / redefining plans, and planning for transition.
They stress that “occupation” refers to all the activities you do or want to do in your life — not just at your job.
What Kinds of Challenges Can They Help With?
Registered Occupational Therapists offer a wide range of services. They have extensive education (often a Master’s Degree) and work collaboratively with other professionals to help their patients overcome physical, social, mental, and environmental challenges that make life difficult.
Here are a few examples of people who can benefit from this type of professional service:
- Children: to help with fine motor skills, learning, getting dressed and feeding themselves, emotional regulation, getting along with others
- New mothers: to help with pelvic floor function and other bodily changes that happen with birth, postpartum depression, ergonometrics, stress management, and adapting to new family routines and changing identity
- People with chronic pain: to help with reprocessing/rewiring pain signals, listening to the body’s signals, conserving energy, mindfulness techniques, and adaptive equipment (e.g., wrist splints to reduce repetitive strain)
- People recovering from an injury, illness, or trauma: to help with pain management, adapting to physical or mental changes that come with injury, general rehabilitation, and sleep optimization
- Adults recently diagnosed with ADHD: to help with time management, breaking up tasks into manageable chunks, adapting work environments to make focusing easier, developing planning frameworks, and coping with the emotional ramifications of this diagnosis
What’s the Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy?
There is some overlap between these two professions. Both require extensive education and registration, an understanding of other medical services available where the patient lives, and seek to help patients improve daily functioning.
In general, Physiotherapists tend to be movement experts. They recommend physical exercises that can help a person restore range of motion after an injury or surgery or identify and address other causes of restricted movement.
Occupational Therapists tend to look at the situation more holistically. They can help improve movement through exercises, but they also look at the bigger picture: what are the physical, mental, social, and environmental challenges that are making it difficult for this person to function as they wish to?
WebMD offers this helpful illustration: “A physical therapist would focus on what the person physically needs to do to get through a large store. This could include getting in and out of the car and traveling up and down the aisles. An occupational therapist might help with tasks like making a list, finding items, and handling checkout.”
Note that this information is not intended to be expert medical advice. Please consult your primary care physician or other healthcare provider for advice pertaining specifically to you.
About the Travel Insurance Benefit
January has arrived, the holiday rush has passed, and we are left with shorter days and colder weather. The idea of escaping to somewhere sunny and warm feels pretty tempting right now. Whether you are planning a getaway or travelling for a conference, time away can be refreshing for your mental well-being and offer new perspectives. Before making any travel plans, it is helpful to review what travel benefits are available to you.
What Exactly Is Covered?
The coverage in the ELCIC Group Benefits Plan is health coverage. This means the plan covers costs related to your medical care.
This coverage does not include things like
- trip cancellation
- hotels and meals for unexpected overnight stays following a cancelled flight
- a new flight home if you miss your flight
- replacement clothing when a suitcase doesn’t show up on the carousel
If you would like that coverage, you will need to arrange for additional travel insurance with another provider.
Medical Care While Travelling
Manulife uses Global Excel Management (GEM), a Canadian company based in Sherbooke, QC, as its emergency travel insurance provider.
If you require medical care while travelling, it is critical that you contact GEM before seeking treatment. The Canada/U.S. toll-free (1-800-265-9977) and collect numbers are printed on the back of your benefits card. There are also special dedicated numbers for certain countries like Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba and a few others.
GEM’s caring and experienced in-house medical team is ready to help you 24/7.
If you experience a serious medical emergency, seek hospital care right away. As soon as possible — within 24 hours of being admitted and before undergoing any surgical procedure — either contact GEM or ask a family member or friend to contact them for you.
GEM will gather details including information about the emergency and any relevant medical background. Your sharing clear and accurate details will help them support you properly and explain what coverage applies.
Billing and Payment
GEM will try to set up direct billing with the medical provider so you don’t have to pay up front. However, the provider decides whether they accept this, and in some cases, you may need to pay first. If you do, be sure to get an itemized receipt and copies of your medical records to submit your claim.
To get reimbursed, you would:
- Submit the receipt to your government health insurance for partial reimbursement.
- Submit the remaining balance to Manulife.
Out-of-Province Travel
It’s important to know how to access GEM Emergency Travel Insurance — even when travelling within Canada. Since provincial health plans differ in their coverage, your benefits may help cover extra costs. For example, in some cases it can help pay for medically necessary transport back home.
Coordination of Benefits
If you have access to additional travel medical insurance (e.g., through a spousal plan, credit card, or additional plan you purchased), you may be able to coordinate them and further reduce your out-of-pocket medical expenses.
The process is similar to coordinating benefits for your regular prescriptions, dental appointments, and other expenses covered under your Plan. In general, employees should contact their own Primary Carrier (plan) first. Where both Spouses have a plan, the Primary Carrier for their Dependent Children is the Spouse with the first birthday in a calendar year.
If you want to be sure you understand how to coordinate benefits across your Plans before you travel, or if you have other questions about your travel medical insurance, GSI would be happy to help.
Southwestern Salad
Yields: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients (Dressing)
1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove of garlic, coarsely chopped
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black ground pepper
½ cup olive oil
Add all ingredients except for the oil to a blender and blend/pulse until smooth; there should still be bits of cilantro. Add the oil and blend until incorporated.
Ingredients (Salad)
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup shredded cheese (perhaps cheddar or Monterey Jack)
4 green onions, sliced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
½ cup crushed tortilla chips
Preparation
To a large bowl, add all ingredients for the salad. Drizzle with the dressing, and toss to combine.
Navigating a Challenging Work Situation
Expert: Dr. Khush Amaria, PhD, C.Psych.
Ask an Expert Question / Concern:
“I wake up every Monday feeling tense, nauseous, and full of dread. I’m constantly expected to do more with less and criticized when I can’t meet expectations that feel vague and impossible. My whole team is on edge. What do I do?”
Description:
Our workplaces, day-to-day responsibilities, and colleagues can play a huge role in our well- being, for better and sometimes for worse. When you’re navigating a challenging environment at work, the impact can very quickly trickle into other aspects of your life.
Join Kii Health this month as we explore what a toxic work environment might look like, including how to advocate for yourself, manage difficult situations (and people) at work, and protect your well-being.
Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Time: 12:00 – 12:30 pm ET
You can also watch the recording later using the same link.
Barb and Shelley from GSI will be hosting two “Treasurers Together” Info sessions February 4 and 5, 2026. These two-hour sessions will be held over Zoom. Topics will be the same for both sessions.
The sessions will be of particular interest to Treasurers, but members of church councils, clergy, and others who are connected to the ELCIC will also be welcome to join. Topics will cover a range of Treasurer responsibilities, such as:
- enrollments of new employees
- terminations
- life events such as disability and marriage
- T4 completion
- the role of GSI and how it can be helpful for Treasurers and congregations
More information and the registration form is now available on the GSI website. The registration deadline is January 30.
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