Frequently asked questions: Royal Canadian Mounted Police pension

Yes, your pension is indexed to take into account increases in the cost of living. Your pension will be adjusted every January 1, based on increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). For information on how the indexing rate is calculated and to find this year's rate, see the Indexing Explanation.

Your surviving spouse or common-law partner may be entitled to survivor benefits when you pass away. Your children under age 25 may be entitled to a child's allowance or to a student's allowance.

Your survivor and children may be eligible to apply for coverage under the Public Service Health Care Plan and the Pensioners' Dental Services Plan.

For more information, you may also consult the Retired Member When Death Occurs life event and the Survivor/Dependent Becoming a Survivor life event.

If you marry after age 60, your spouse does not automatically receive a pension. However, you may choose, within the first year of marriage, to provide your spouse with a benefit at the time of your death. You may choose to provide a survivor's benefit of 30%, 40%, or 50% of your current pension. Your pension will be reduced immediately in order to fund a survivor's benefit payable in the future.

Further information may be obtained from the Government of Canada Pension Centre.

Contributions and benefits under the RCMP Pension Plan are coordinated with those under the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP). As a result, the RCMP Pension Plan provides for the payment of a lifetime pension and a temporary bridge benefit amount. When you reach age 65 or if you start receiving CPP or QPP disability benefits before age 65, the bridge benefit portion of your RCMP pension stops.

The bridge benefit is intended to supplement your retirement income until you are entitled to receive an unreduced CPP or QPP pension. This is why the bridge benefit ends at age 65 or when you start receiving CPP or QPP disability benefits.

Choosing to receive CPP/QPP benefits before age 65 will reduce your total pension income by an amount equal to the CPP/QPP reduction.

As a retired plan member, if you have any questions about your pension or health and dental insurance benefits, you may contact the Government of Canada Pension Centre. If you have questions about your life insurance benefits, you may contact SEB Administrative Services Inc.

The Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP):

If you are a newly retired RCMP member you must apply for Pensioner coverage under the PSHCP.

You will need to:

1. complete a paper application form, Public Service Health Care Plan - Pensioner Application Form and send it to the Government of Canada Pension Centre (Pension Centre)
2. complete your positive enrolment with Canada Life. This is required before you can claim the reimbursement of eligible medical claims. Positive enrolment entails providing information to the insurer about yourself, your spouse/common-law partner and each eligible child, including full name, address, gender and age, and whether you or any of your dependents have coverage under another group health care plan

If your dependents were members of the PSHCP while you were an active member, they will maintain the same Certificate Number and you will not need to complete positive enrolment with the plan administrator.

Please note that eligible "survivors" have to complete the positive enrolment even if they were covered as a dependent before.

To complete positive enrolment online, please consult the Canada Life website. To request a paper positive enrolment form, contact Canada Life 1-855-415-4414 (toll free in North America).

The Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan (PDSP):

1. request the "PDSP Form" from the Government of Canada Pension Centre
2. complete and sign the form and return it to the Pension Centre
3. complete your positive enrolment with Canada Life. This is required before you can claim the reimbursement of eligible medical claims. Positive enrolment entails providing information to the insurer about yourself, your spouse/common-law partner and each eligible dependent, including full name, address, gender and age

The procedure for submitting claims can be found under:

The PSHCP

• When purchasing eligible prescription drugs and certain medical supplies at the pharmacy, you should present your PSHCP benefit card. If your card is accepted, you will only have to pay your share of the cost and won't need to submit a claim. If you have any problems with your benefit card, contact Canada Life at 1-855-415-4414 (toll free in North America)
• For other types of eligible health care expenses (including prescription drugs purchased without your benefit card), complete a Public Service Health Care Plan claim form and mail it to the address indicated on the form along with your original receipts

The PDSP

• Your dentist can submit the claim electronically to Canada Life. In this case, it is your responsibility to authorize your dentist to submit the claim on your behalf and to ensure that your dentist has your current information including your plan and certificate number
• If your dentist does not submit the claim electronically on your behalf ask your dentist to complete his/her section of the PDSP Claim Form, then complete your section and:
  • mail it to the address indicated on the form
  • submit your claim electronically by visiting the Pensioners' Dental Services Plan and click on the "Submit a Claim" button. You will need an email address and password to access these links
• If you wish to have a form sent to you, contact Canada Life at 1-855-415-4414 Toll-Free

The PSHCP covers participants and their eligible dependents for up to $500,000 (Canadian) each in eligible medical expenses incurred as a result of an emergency while travelling.

Eligible expenses mean the reasonable and customary charges in excess of the amount payable by a provincial or territorial health insurance plan, if they are required for emergency treatment of an injury or disease which occurs within 40 days from the date of departure from the province or territory of residence.

The PSHCP also provides a toll free number which gives members 24 hour access to a world-wide assistance network. The numbers can be found on the back of your PSHCP benefit card. Remember to always travel with your PSHCP benefit card.

Members of the PSHCP and Public Service Dental Care Plan (PSDCP) can access via the internet their personal accounts, including claims information for themselves and their dependants.

The online services available include the ability to:

• obtain coverage information
• download and print personalized claim forms
• download and print the PSHCP and PSDCP benefit card
• view the status of claims and print details of past claims
• determine eligibility for the next vision care claim (PSHCP) or the next dental examination (PSDCP)
• update positive enrolment information (PSHCP)
• sign up for direct deposit and paperless Explanation of Benefits (for example claim statement)
• view and elect for paperless PSHCP Bulletins with email notification

An email address and password is necessary to enter each of the websites. These can be obtained by registering online at the Web addresses listed below:

• Public Service Health Care Plan Canada Life Member Service
• Pensioners' Dental Services Plan

For information about:

Health care claims under the PSHCP

• Consult Canada Life Member Service on the Canada Life website and use your email address and password to log in or
• Call Canada Life with your certificate number on hand:
  • 1-855-415-4414 (toll free in North America)

Dental care claims under the PDSP

• Consult Pensioners' Dental Services Plan website on the Canada Life website and use your email address and password to log in or
• Call Canada Life with your certificate number on hand:
  • 1-855-415-4414 (toll free in North America)