FAQs

How to Submit

Submitting a claim online is easy, simply click on the e-Courier button located on the Submit Claim page. Then enter your email address and provide a description of what you’re sending. After you have entered your information attach all relevant files (such as receipts, forms, payment cheques) and enter a brief message. Once you’re done attaching all your files and writing your message simply click the ‘Send Secure e-Package’ button, when you see “e-Package successfully sent” you are done.

If this is your first time using e-Courier it will ask you for your phone number, simply for account verification purposes. Please make sure the phone number you provide is the same one we have on file for you, so that we can verify your account.

What to Include

Sending a claim online is no different than sending a claim by mail. We still require a completed claim form, copies of all relevant receipts and, if you’re on a pay-as-you-go plan, a company payment cheque. YES, we can process an image (or picture) of a payment cheque!

e-Courier is not just for claims, you can send in any sensitive information you would normally send by mail or fax such as VOID cheques for direct deposit, Eligible Claimant Information forms or Pre-Authorized Debit forms.

Privacy Concerns

e-Courier is committed to keeping your information safe and secure. e-Courier encrypts your data end to end ensuring that your information can only be seen by you and your intended recipient. For more information on e-Courier click here or to view their privacy policy click here.

Who is e-Courier?

e-Courier is a cloud based secure email and file transfer service. They are Canadian owned and operated and are based out of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Claims Submission Process

What do I have to send in?

Generally, Brock Health Administration requires original receipts for our records. We do recognize they are not available in some circumstances and we will accept photocopies of receipts on occasion. We do not suggest you send photocopies routinely. We do strongly recommend you make photocopies of the receipts, as postal mail does on occasion get misdirected.

We can return the original receipts to you of any disallowed expenses, if requested.

Who can we include on the claim form?

You can mix children and spouses on the same claim form. The reimbursement cheque is addressed to the payee shown on the top of claim form. You would only submit separate claim forms if you want separate cheques. For example, if a Covered Employee paid for his own dental work and the spouse of the Covered Employee paid separately for their own dental work. If two claim forms were submitted, Brock Health Administration would issue two separate cheques made out to each spouse. When submitting payment for multiple claims, you can send a single cheque to cover all claims.

What is the deadline for submitting a claim?

Unlike RRSP transactions, Brock Health Administration operates our PHSP service on a transaction date model. We expect to receive all expense claims on or before your year-end date. This allows us time to prepare your annual summary and tax receipt and deliver it to you in time for your tax advisor to do your corporate tax return. Generally, submissions should be postmarked by the last day of your fiscal year, otherwise it will be processed as a claim for the subsequent fiscal year. If you are expecting a large expense near your year end, please email us to make special arrangements to keep your file open for a short time.

Can I include multiple fiscal years on one claim form?

It is the transaction date with Brock Health Administration, not the medical service date that determines to which fiscal year to which the expense will apply. The medical service date is only used to ensure it is after the Effective Date of your plan. Once your fiscal year closes, you will receive a tax receipt that will be deductible against your taxes for that fiscal year. The Brock Health Administration transaction date is recorded as the day the claim is received at our office. If you miss a particular health expense it can always be claimed the following year, but it will apply to your business taxes in the year it was claimed.

I have a larger than expected expense, what can I do?

It is an eligible expense so the Covered Employee can submit the expense in chunks (multiple times) over several years until it is fully reimbursed. For example, she can claim her regular expenses this year and then with any room she has at year end she can claim it against this large expense. After a few years, she will have recovered her expense while not exceeding the company budget for the PHSP. Of course, this only applies as long as the individual remains an employee of the planholder.

How often can I submit claims?

At Brock Health Administration, you can submit as often as you like for any amount you like. We have no minimum claim amount nor frequency restrictions. The cost is simply a percentage of the claim so it does not affect the timing. There are no surcharges or hidden fees if you make small claims or submit numerous times.

Do you need the credit card transaction receipt?

No. You only need to submit the health expense receipt from your medical practitioner. Your method of payment has no bearing on your PHSP claim. In fact, we would prefer if you did not include your Visa or MasterCard receipts as that financial information is private and is not required in the course of our PHSP business. Our claims staff shreds those credit card slips when they arrive.

How come I have to submit payment for the entire medical expense amount?

You must submit the whole amount of your claim including the medical expenses, administration fee and GST/HST. The reason for this is there are three legal entities involved in two separate transactions. Your business is paying Brock Health to administer your health benefit plan and Brock Health is reimbursing the Covered Employee. If there is not a full payment by the employer under the PHSP, then the reimbursements would not be tax-deductible. Interpretation Bulletin IT-339R2 Section 3 explains the basic elements of a PHSP and the indemnification of one party (the Covered Employee) by another party (the PHSP Planholder)

Do I get my receipts back?

No. Brock Health Administration keeps digital copies of the receipts in secure storage for seven years. This is for any investigation that Canada Revenue Agency might launch against any of our customers. We cooperate fully with CRA in those circumstances. However, if you need a copy of a receipt, for example in warranty issues with a device, we will be happy to provide them to you free of charge. We do encourage you to keep photocopies of all receipts before they are submitted, in case they are lost in the Canada Post mail, or in cyberspace, or arrive unreadable.

Do you accept credit cards for claim payments?

Yes. Effective January 3rd, 2017, Brock Health Administration accepts credit cards for claim and invoice payments. We do charge a 3% convenience fee for all transactions made by credit card. Please visit Make a Payment for full details.

Does it matter if I used my business credit card to pay for the medical expense?

You wouldn’t use your business credit card in this instance. The medical services were delivered to real human beings not a business entity; they are the Covered Employees, so they can pay the medical practitioner by any means, including their personal credit cards.

How quickly will I receive my reimbursement payments?

You should expect to see your reimbursement within two weeks of us receiving the claim. There will be some situations where it may take longer or shorter than this such as mail delivery to you, banking holidays, incomplete claims, or other issues that may arise during the normal processing of a claim. Brock Health Administration will contact you should there be any issues in processing your claim. We will also send an automated email when we receive the claim as well as when we issue the reimbursement with an expected direct deposit date (or mailed date for cheque reimbursements).

I have multiple claim form pages, can I send one lump sum payment?

Yes, you can send one lump sum cheque for the entire claim, regardless of how many pages. One small hint: if you are using the MS Excel electronic claim form you can put the “Total Claim” (not the Total Fee Payable”) from your first page as “Balance Forward” on the first line of the subsequent page. Then the last page of the spreadsheet will have the correct fees, taxes and “Total Fee Payable” for the entire claim.

Eligible Deductions

Can I claim expenses that are not covered by my spouse's insurance?

Yes this is a common and acceptable usage of a PHSP. Your Brock Health PHSP is supplementary to your spouse’s benefit plan. The process would continue just as it is now. Once you receive the statement from the insurance company indicating the amount that was not covered by the Insured Plan, you simply send that insurance carrier’s statement to Brock Health, circling the claimed amounts, along with a business cheque and claim form. You will be reimbursed for the disallowed amounts under the spousal plan. Any expenses that were only partially covered by the Insured Plan or were totally ineligible can be considered for a claim under your Brock Health PHSP. If you know beforehand that a particular service is not covered by the spousal plan, you can speed up your reimbursement by submitting a claim directly to Brock Health. If you know it will be deemed ineligible there is no point in sending it to the other insurer first. And once you have reached your annual limit on any limited service (such as orthodontics) with the Insured Plan, you can submit the remainder of those receipts directly to us.

I am divorced and my child lives with my ex-spouse, can I claim his/her expenses?

No. Covered Employees may only claim expenses for individuals who are living in their household. Your household means your principal home at a single address where the full time occupants, regardless of age, are dependent on you for their living expenses. This is not the same definition as “Dependent” used in many other tax related discussions.

My parents live with me full time, can I claim their expenses?

Yes. Covered Employees may only claim expenses for individuals who are living in their household. Your household means your principal home at a single address where the full time occupants, regardless of age, are dependent on you for their living expenses. This is not the same definition as “Dependent” used in many other tax related discussions.

Should I include sales tax and/or other fees when making a claim?

Yes. The full cost of eligible health expenses including GST, HST and/or PST should be included on your claim.

You can also include fees such as dispensary fees or any other extra fees charged by a medical professional.

Is parking an eligible expense?

No. That is not a health services expense.

Are travel vaccinations an eligible expense?

Yes, provided they are prescribed & delivered by a nurse or doctor licensed in your province.

Can I claim healthy lifestyle expenses such as gym membershipts, yoga, or fitness classes?

No. A PHSP is intended to cover the cost of health services and treatments provided by medical practitioners. It is not legislation designed to influence healthy lifestyles.

Can I claim travel and/or travel insurance to a foreign country if it is done for a medical reason?

Yes, travel insurance for personal injury or medical expenses is an eligible expense. Other travel related insurance that is not specifically for health expenses is not covered. Things such as flight cancellation insurance, or liability insurance are not eligible expenses.

Are health insurance premiums an eligible expense?

Yes. This is an eligible expense. It does mean that employees will not have any funds left over for 100% coverage of the routine expenses.

What does 'Medical expenses for which you are reimbursed or are entitled to be reimbursed from other plans' mean?

The “entitled” clause refers to claims which are submitted to a medical plan or PHSP for tax deduction and then subsequently submitted to another medical plan or PHSP for reimbursement. It is basically outlawing ‘double-dipping’.

What is a medical practitioner?

In layman’s terms, a medical practitioner is an individual registered as such by the appropriate provincial or national governing body for that profession, such as a College or Association. Further clarification is provided by the CRA Income Tax Folio S1-F1-C1.

Registration

How far back can I go for a start date of the plan/employees?

You as the Planholder can specify the Effective Date. The farthest we recommend you go back is the beginning of your current fiscal year. Corporations can select any date throughout the year to be their fiscal year end. Sole proprietorships and most partnerships use December 31 as their fiscal year end date. If you don’t know you fiscal year end, please speak with your accountant or tax advisor.

On the registration application form do you want the postal address of the business, or our personal postal address?

The registration application should show your business mailing address of the Planholder. This is where Brock Health Administration will send all tax receipts and correspondence. We do not send business information to the employees. It is always sent to the business address.

On Appendix A you would put the mailing address for each employee. This is the default address where the reimbursement cheques will be mailed for that employee. If the employee moves or wishes to switch to electronic deposit, please forward another Appendix A to update their information

I am a sole proprietor and I have an expense that will go over the total allowable limit, can I claim the remaining amount next year?

Yes, you can submit an eligible expense over multiple years until it is fully reimbursed.

Our company has some employees and some shareholders and some who are both. How do we ensure our PHSP is set up according to the rules?

A PHSP is designed as an “employee” benefit and not a “shareholder” benefit. All members of the PHSP must be employees, so workers who are “shareholders-only” should establish themselves as employees as well. For businesses who are one-person companies and use dividends for the bulk of their compensation, they should pay themselves at least some salary to meet this definition. Lump sum employment bonuses paid at year end will avoid payroll administration. Consult your accounting or taxation advisor for advice on this matter.

Who do I list on the Appendix A?

Only “Covered Employees” need to appear on the Appendix A form, although both spouses can be listed if they are both employees. Any expenses for you, your children and your spouse can all be claimed under you as the Covered Employee. It covers any member of your household related by blood, marriage or adoption. Only unincorporated businesses need to list their family members and will use Appendix C for that.

How do we control the costs of health benefits using a PHSP?

While no employee can be excluded from participating in your PHSP, the Planholder can contain the costs of operating a benefit plan. This is accomplished by assigning your employees into classes of coverage. Those employees which have a key role in the company such as the owner or principal can have a higher limit; middle management or supervisory level employees can be grouped with slightly less coverage. Clerical or labourers can have a class with lower coverage. And temporary, seasonal or part-time employees can be managed with probation periods, minimum hour limits and lower coverage. You can also make your PHSP optional with the choice of opting out.

How much should I set as my class coverage limits?

You can equate $2000 to a one dollar per hour pay raise over a 2000 hour working year for your employees. From our experience, an average family of 4 spends about that much in routine expenses each year. So depending on your generosity and ability of your company to pay the costs of your PHSP you can consider that as your middle level class. Management could be higher and operating staff could be lower. You can operate for some time and determine if that works for you. You, as the Planholder can lower or raise these limits at any time simply by letting us know your intentions.

What is the meaning of 'total income'?

For the purpose of PHSP eligibility, your total income is the amount from line 150 of your income tax return, (before you deduct any amounts for a PHSP); minus the amounts you entered on lines 207(RPP Deductions), 212(Union Dues), 217(Business Investment Losses), 221(Carrying Charges), 229(Other Employment Expenses), 231(Clergy Residence Deductions), and 232(Other Deductions).

For the purpose of PHSP eligibility, your income from sources other than self-employment is the amount from line 150 of your income tax return, (before you deduct any amounts for a PHSP); minus the amounts you entered on lines 135 to143(Business, Professional, Commission, Fishing, Farming Incomes excluding business losses which reduced the net amount reported on those lines), 207(RPP Deductions), 212(Union Dues), 217(Business Investment Losses), 221(Carrying Charges), 229(Other Employment Expenses), 231(Clergy Residence Deductions), and 232(Other Deductions).

If I register, how can I be sure you're trustworthy and legitimate?

While we are as legitimate as all other PHSP providers in Canada, we will need to earn your trust to keep your business. To be prosperous we need to have a long, positive relationship with your business. Long relationships can only be built on trust.

We’ll protect your privacy. We’ll provide a valuable service at a fair price. We’ll help you reduce your health benefit expenses. We’ll be frank and honest with you. If you can be served better by one of our competitors, we’ll recommend them to you. We’ll succeed when all of our customers succeed. If we continue to do all those things, then we’ll have earned your trust.

Are you a member of the Better Business Bureau?

Yes, we are an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau. You can click on the BBB icon below the menu on any page on the Brock Health website. That will take you to our BBB Reliability Report. It confirms no complaints have ever been received.

Why should I switch to Brock Health from my traditional insurance?

Benefit premiums have risen over the last few years and are set to rise again. Limits to coverage, partial reimbursement and fee guides all limit what you get back. In general, benefit plans are structured for providers to make a 10-30% profit margin over actual claims costs. This means that few people actually claim sufficient amounts to cover the premiums they pay. By having a PHSP you pay for only what you use and this can add up to significant saving each year on top of the potential tax savings.

In addition to cost savings, a PHSP has a number of other advantages over traditional benefit plans, including more comprehensive coverage, 100% reimbursement, greater flexibility, and simplicity.

I currently have a PHSP with another provider. Why should I switch?

Brock Health has one of the lowest administration fees in Canada (5%) and provides great service with a guarantee of claims processing within 5 days. In addition, if you are transferring a PHSP from another provider, we will waive the $100 registration fee.

PHSP Concepts

Why am I paying twice for the same medical expense?

A PHSP does not provide free health benefit coverage. If you are comparing it to premium-based health insurance, there are some differences. In both cases, the medical practitioner is paid in full at the time of service. Insured Plans, however, will charge you a fixed monthly premium whether you make a claim or not. When you make a claim, the insurer pays it from their pool of premiums collected. On the other hand, with a PHSP, your business does not pay premiums of any kind. You submit your company business payment to us with your PHSP claim. Brock Health Administration uses that money to pay the reimbursement immediately to you or your Covered Employees.

I thought you also needed to purchase insurance to have a PHSP. How come Brock Health Administration doesn't sell insurance?

Should the definition of a PHSP in section 248(1) of the Income Tax Act be interpreted in a casual way, one could be confused in thinking insurance is required to qualify as a PHSP. However, that confusion became apparent to Canada Revenue Agency and that is why the Interpretation Bulletin IT-339R2 was released in August 1989 to address the matter. This Interpretation Bulletin is entitled “Meaning of private health services plan” specifically to clear up this confusion. Section 3 of this document clearly states a PHSP is a “plan in the nature of insurance” and it goes on to enumerate five sub-points of which the Canada Revenue Agency believes describe that “nature”. Furthermore, Section 6 specifically illustrates how the “cost plus” model of a PHSP should function.

You will find the bulk of the PHSP service providers in Canada, including Brock Health Administration operate under this exact “cost plus” model. The ‘Why Choose Brock‘ page will point you to all the major PHSP providers where you can compare and confirm this fact.

Do you have any references for existing customers of Brock Health Administration?

Yes, references are available by simply calling our office.

How long has Brock Health Administration been in business?

Brock Health Administration is an established PHSP provider in Canada. The business was started in late 2005 after observing the Private Health Service Plan market could be served by a low cost, yet fully comprehensive PHSP product offering. We spent about 8 months in research, staffing and development. We launched the company, the business, the website and our sales efforts in late 2006 with zero customers. We now have over 5000 customers from coast to coast to coast in every province and territory.

Our family has significant health care costs and writing such a big cheque will affect my business cash flow. How can I handle that?

You do not need to wait until the end of your fiscal year to make a claim submission. If you are concerned about the effect of delays in turnaround on the reimbursement cheque on your business cash flow, we suggest you submit smaller claims more frequently; say quarterly or monthly. We do not have minimum amounts or charge anything extra for multiple claim submissions.

What are the major advantages of a PHSP for a small business?

Some of the major advantages of a PHSP include:

• Tax Effective – Make your health and dental expenses 100% deductible by your business and tax-free to the employee to reduce your taxes
• Broader Coverage – Get a comprehensive range of coverage that is often excluded by traditional benefits plans
• 100% Reimbursement – 100% of eligible benefits claims are reimbursed up to the limit you set
• Works with Other Plans – Deduct any eligible expenses not covered by a spouse’s plan or submit premiums from insured plans to your PHSP to make them deductible and reduce taxes
• Greater Flexibility – You can allocate your benefit dollars to where you need them most. Each employee uses the particular benefit that is needed not the insurance company.
• Simple. Benefit plans have become increasingly complex. A PHSP is an easy way to manage your Health and Dental costs. Pay for only what you use.

What are the advantages of a PHSP over covering my health expenses 'out of pocket'?

By establishing a PHSP, you are able to deduct your Health and Dental costs as a business expense in a similar fashion to phone, office supplies, or parking expenses. This will save you a significant amount of money by making your health and dental expenses 100% tax-deductible through your business.

Families typically spend between $1,500-$3,000 on Health and Dental per year. For an individual with a 30% marginal tax rate this would mean a savings of $450-$900 per year versus compared to using post-tax dollars.

Your savings will depend on the many factors that make up your marginal tax rate, how much you spend in a year and your tax rate. Ask your tax advisor about a PHSP.

Our family has coverage under a traditional benefits plan. Is a PHSP still useful for me?

Yes. You can use your PHSP as a “top-up” plan. Any eligible Health & Dental expenses not covered by your traditional benefits plan are eligible to be claimed under your PHSP. For example, if your spouse has an employer sponsored benefits plan, submit any non-reimbursed amounts from that plan as eligible expenses for your PHSP. Simply submit a copy of the Explanation of Benefits statement received from your other plan in place of the receipts to Brock Health. Insured premiums from other benefit plans such as travel medical insurance, health or dental benefit premiums, and catastrophic insurance are also eligible for reimbursement through a PHSP.

PHSP Cost

Does it cost anything to change my list of Covered Employees to add or remove employees?

No. You can simply send us an email with the changes on an Appendix A form or include your changes with your next claim and we will update the records at no charge.

Is the $100 registration fee an annual charge?

No. The $100 registration fee is “one time only” to cover the costs of setting up the plan in our systems. There are no annual fees at Brock Health Administration.

What are the other unadvertised fees at Brock Health Administration?

We have no unadvertised charges of any kind. There are no annual renewal fees at Brock Health Administration. Similarly, we do not charge any fees for you to terminate your plan. Our $100 registration fee and our 5% administration charge are the only two costs you will ever have at Brock Health Administration.

How come Brock Health Administration doesn't charge GST/HST on the Application Registration Fee like some other providers?

Services to arrange the issuance of health benefit policy are exempt from GST/HST. The discussion of this subject by Canada Revenue Agency is under “Exempt Supplies” in GST/HST Memorandum 17.9 -Insurance Agents and Brokers.

You mention HST on your website. Do I need to pay HST on the Brock Health Administration fee?

Yes. Brock Health collects HST on transactions with businesses located the four Atlantic provinces and Ontario.  We collect only the GST in the remaining provinces and territories.

Can a PHSP be set up for my employees to help them save money while still providing comprehensive coverage?

Absolutely! You can easily provide your employees with a PHSP having a pre-set spending amount for the various classes of employees, from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per year. The amount is your choice. Like traditional benefits plans from insurance companies, all payments from a PHSP are tax free. However, unlike a bonus or pay increase, a PHSP reimbursement payment to the employees is not deemed as a taxable benefit to the employees. This can save your employees significant dollars compared to providing them with additional earnings (in after tax dollars) to cover their benefits.

A PHSP provides employees the ultimate flexibility, broad coverage and optimizes benefit dollars. While for employers it is a simple way to provide employee benefits and have cost certainty on your benefits plan. A PHSP is a great way to attract and retain employees!

Prepaid Plan FAQs

What are the advantages of using a Prepaid PHSP Plan for employers?

Some of the major advantages of a Prepaid PHSP Plan include:

  • Competitive Advantage – A PHSP offers coverage for substantially more services than typical insurance. Putting the more comprehensive coverage of a PHSP in your benefits package broadens your ability to attract and retain employees you need to make your business succeed.
  • Non-Taxable – PHSP is a fully deductible business expense to you. Furthermore it is not considered a taxable benefit to your employees. It is an effective part of a competitive compensation package that helps dollars go further.
  • Cost Control – You decide the amount you allocate to employees each year, not your insurance company. You do not have to worry about premiums increasing on an annual basis and you can forecast and budget with certainty. Set up payment plans that work for the cycles of your business.
  • Simple – Benefit plans have become increasingly complex. This is an easy, simple way to cost effectively outsource this non-core activity while actually increasing the variety of coverage to your employees. Choose between monthly or annual reporting.

What are the advantages of using a Prepaid PHSP Plan for employees?

Some of the major advantages of a Prepaid PHSP to employees include:

  • Privacy – Employees submit claims confidentially direct to Brock Health. The employer does not see your health details.
  • Direct Deposit – Employees can choose to have reimbursements paid directly into their bank accounts or receive printed cheques in the mail.
  • Great Flexibility – Employees have the flexibility to allocate benefit dollars to specific areas of eligible health services that meet their needs.
  • 100% Reimbursement – 100% of eligible benefits claims are reimbursed and there are no exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
  • Comprehensive Coverage – A greater range of health and dental services are eligible than with traditional benefits plans. Some examples include massage therapy, laser eye surgery, physiotherapy, naturopathy, chiropractic, orthodontics, and travel emergency health insurance premiums.
  • PHSP Can Be Used as a “Top-up” Plan – For example, if an employee’s spouse has insured plan benefit coverage from the spouse’s employer, then any non-reimbursed amounts can be submitted to your PHSP.
  • Works in Combination with Insured Benefit Plans – If employees want an insured benefit plan they can purchase a plan that is right for them and submit the premium amount to their PHSP for reimbursement.
  • Non-Taxable – A PHSP reimbursement is a tax-free payment to employees.

If my employees are submitting directly to Brock Health and being reimbursed immediately how is Brock Health being paid?

Brock Health has introduced an easy way to fund your Prepaid PHSP. It is called the Threshold Plan. Your business provides an initial advance to Brock Health when the plan is opened. You can decide how much of a deposit your business will make. We suggest about 10% – 15% of your annual benefit cost. That corresponds roughly to what your employees might claim in a month. As your employees make claims against your account, they draw down that amount. When it drops below the threshold amount that you establish we will issue an invoice to you. You refill your account with a payment to Brock Health and the cycle continues. Your business can determine how much that refill amount will be. That in turn determines how often you will receive refill invoices from us. Our Threshold Plan is fully under your control. If you prefer to avoid correspondence throughout the year, you can prepay the entire annual amount at the start of each benefit year.