Protection Plus Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
Protection Plus Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
You can get a quote in seconds by clicking ‘Get a quote’ on this page. The price is impacted by several factors, including the amount of coverage you select and your sex at birth, age, and use of tobacco products.
The risk of dying and/or being diagnosed with a critical illness increases with age. To manage this risk, your premiums change when you enter a new age band. After age 25, age bands are in 5-year increments (i.e. 25-29, 30-34, 35-39 and so on). We’ll always advise you prior to making a change to your premium.
When thinking about how much coverage you need, you should consider your income, financial obligations, dependents, and health care needs.
Your Protection Plus Benefits coverage is portable and will continue automatically if your NPF membership changes (i.e. advancement, termination, etc.). Premiums will continue to be deducted via your preferred payment method, and you will remain eligible to submit claims, assuming that all other terms of the coverage are met. No action is required unless you decide to cancel.
To apply for coverage, you need to be actively at work. You cannot apply during an open enrolment while on leave. When you return to work, you can obtain up to the Guaranteed Coverage Amounts with no medical questions asked, if you apply within 31 days of the date you return to full time work at your usual place of employment, according to your regular work schedule.
If you apply between November 4th and December 16th or you apply within 31 days from your first day of work with the RCMP/NPF, you do not need to provide medical information to secure up to certain amounts in coverage. This amount of coverage is ‘guaranteed’.
If you were eligible during the time-limited period but decide to wait until after this period had passed to apply or were on leave during the time-limited period, then you will need to answer medical questions as part of your online application to secure any amount of coverage, unless you experience a qualifying life event.
The medical questions will simply appear as part of your application. Your application is still completed online and if more details are required based on your answers, Blue Cross Life will reach out to you to obtain this information.
If you buy coverage for an amount that DOES NOT require answering any medical questions (i.e. amounts up to and including the Non-Evidence Limit), your coverage is effective on the first day of the month following receipt of your electronically signed application form by Blue Cross Life.
For example, if the Non-Evidence Limit is $100,000 and you submit your signed application for $100,000 of coverage on January 1, or any date in January thereafter, your coverage will be effective on February 1 (the first of the month following receipt of your signed application).
If you apply for an amount that DOES require answering medical questions (i.e. amounts over the Non-Evidence Limit), your effective date is split in two. Your coverage for amounts up to the Non-Evidence Limit is effective on the first day of the month following receipt of your electronically signed application form by Blue Cross Life. The effective date for coverage for amounts higher than the Non-Evidence Limit will be communicated to you once your application has been processed and approved.
For example, if your Non-Evidence Limit is $100,000 and you submit your signed application for $150,000 of coverage on January 1, or any date in January thereafter, $100,000 of your coverage will be effective on February 1 (the first of the month following receipt of your signed application), and the remaining $50,000 is effective on the date this additional amount is approved by Blue Cross Life.
Most commonly, coverage for you, your spouse and/or your dependent children will end the earlier of when:
- You terminate your coverage
- Your premiums are not paid within 31 days of their due date
- You or your spouse or your dependent child(ren) are no longer a full-time resident of Canada
- Your spouse or your dependent child(ren) no longer meet the eligibility requirements
- You or your spouse turn age 70, or your dependent child(ren) turn age 21 (age 26 if a full-time student)
- The maximum amount payable under this policy has been paid
- You or your spouse or your dependent child(ren) commit fraud against Blue Cross Life
- You or your spouse or your dependent child(ren) die
Full details on when coverage ends are provided in the policy.
The Basics
Protection Plus Benefits is supplemental insurance you can buy at a preferred rate as a Member of the NPF. You can choose Critical Illness, Life Insurance or both. Accidental Death & Dismemberment is available as an add-on when you buy Life Insurance. All benefits pay out a lump sum for you to spend as you wish.
As a Member of the NPF, you qualify for rates that are typically lower than you might find on your own. The application process is simple: you can do everything online and, if you’re within the open enrolment period, you don’t need to answer medical questions for certain coverage amounts.
If you’re not adequately insured, the financial impact of an unexpected accident or illness can be devastating. In time of need, the Critical Illness benefit will put a tax-free, lump sum cash payment in your pocket to help pay unexpected costs or protect your hard-earned savings during your recovery. You can use the money however you want.
Our Critical Illness covers 36 conditions – more than most products on the market.
You can find full product details here:
You can apply for Protection Plus Benefits coverage for yourself and/or your spouse. Your child or children can only be covered if you or your spouse are also covered. One rate covers all children—independent of the size of your family—and we won’t ask medical questions about your children.
Please note that if both you and your spouse are both members of the NPF, the guaranteed coverage amounts are per insured person and cannot be combined. For example, you cannot obtain $150,000 in Life insurance coverage ($100,000 as a Member and $50,000 as the spouse of a Member) without providing medical information.
What does that mean?
The NPF has a special introductory period known as “open enrolment”, during which time we waive medical questions for coverage under a certain amount (known as the “Non-Evidence Limit”). The open enrolment period for you as a Member of the NPF runs from November 4th and December 16th.
Qualifying for coverage without having to answer medical questions can be a real benefit—and lets you apply in minutes—but open enrolment only lasts for a limited time, so take advantage while you can.
If you want even more financial protection, you can apply for coverage amounts above the Non-Evidence Limit; you'll just need to answer medical questions during the application process.
The Non-Evidence Limit is the amount of coverage you can purchase without answering any medical questions.
The Non-Evidence Limit amounts available to NPF Members are as follows:
Critical Illness Insurance
- $40,000 for you; and/or
- $40,000 for your spouse; and
- $10,000 for your child(ren)
Life Insurance
- $100,000 for you; and/or
- $50,000 for your spouse; and
- $10,000 for your child(ren)
The Non-Evidence Limit is only in effect during the open enrolment period.
There are certain circumstances that enable you to change your coverage (for example, to increase your coverage amounts, or to add a spouse or dependent) as if you were in an open enrolment period. In other words, you can apply for amounts up to the Non-Evidence Limit without answering medical questions.
These “Life Events” are:
- marriage or common law union;
- birth or adoption of a child;
- divorce or legal separation;
- death of a dependent.
You must apply within 31 days of the Life Event occurring. If you apply after 31 days, you’ll need to answer medical questions.
Your beneficiary is the person (or persons) who will receive the proceeds of your life insurance. You can add one or more beneficiaries to your Life coverage. If you’ve chosen spousal or child life insurance, you’re designated as the beneficiary.
If you don’t assign a beneficiary, your life insurance proceeds will be paid to your estate.
*Please note: in Quebec, if you designate your spouse as a beneficiary, they’re considered an irrevocable beneficiary (unless you’ve specifically requested that they be considered revocable). Making changes to an irrevocable beneficiary designation (either to remove their name as beneficiary or to change the allocation percentage) requires the written consent of the named irrevocable beneficiary.
Your contingent is the person (or persons) who will receive your life insurance benefits in the event your designated beneficiary is deceased. If you don’t assign a contingent, benefits will be paid to your estate.
If you choose a beneficiary or contingent who is a minor, you must designate a trustee. If the proceeds of your Life insurance are paid while your beneficiary/contingent is a minor, this trustee will retain legal control of these proceeds until your beneficiary/contingent reaches the age of majority.
Your trustee must be the age of majority. Your primary beneficiary can't be named as the trustee for a contingent.
*Please note: If your named beneficiary is a resident of Quebec and a minor at the time of your death, Blue Cross Life will pay the proceeds to the named child’s parent(s) (or other legal guardian, if applicable), and not to anyone else who you might name as the administrator/trustee of the proceeds. If you wish to have another person administering the child's proceeds, you should have the proper provisions in your will. You may also want to consult with a legal counsel to determine whether there is some estate planning steps you can take to support your wishes.
Applying for Protection Plus Benefits
It’s easy! You can get a quote in seconds and apply in minutes by clicking “Get a Quote” on this page and typing in your access code, NPFFPN that is unique to the NPF. Simply select who you want to cover, and the coverage amount you want – rates appear in real time, and you can adjust your amounts of coverage to suit your needs and budget. Select the coverage that works for you and your family to complete the online application. It’s that easy!
No; you can complete the application in stages, if that works best for you. After the first step of the application (we’ll ask your name, email address and birth date), you’ll be emailed a unique link to your application so you can continue the process at a later time or from a different device—you can start your application on your work computer and continue it at home on your tablet.
If you apply between November 4th and December 16th or you apply within 31 days from your first day of work with the RCMP/NPF, you do not need to provide medical information to secure up to certain amounts in coverage. This amount of coverage is ‘guaranteed’.
If you were eligible during the time-limited period but decide to wait until after this period had passed to apply or were on leave during the time-limited period, then you will need to answer medical questions as part of your online application to secure any amount of coverage, unless you experience a qualifying life event.
The medical questions will simply appear as part of your application. Your application is still completed online and if more details are required based on your answers, Blue Cross Life will reach out to you to obtain this information.
In the quote calculator, drag the slider to adjust the amount of coverage you want. Your maximum coverage amounts will be visible at the end of the slider. Coverage amounts for adults increase in units of $10,000. For children, the amounts increase by $5,000 at a time.
The amount of coverage you can purchase during the open enrolment period without answering any medical questions (the Non-Evidence Limit) is as follows:
Critical Illness Insurance
- $40,000 for you; and/or
- $40,000 for your spouse; and
- $10,000 for your child(ren)
Life Insurance
- $100,000 for you; and/or
- $50,000 for your spouse; and
- $10,000 for your child(ren)
If you’re applying for Life insurance, you’ll be given the opportunity to designate one or more beneficiaries. You’re not obliged to specify one—benefits will be paid to your estate if you don’t choose one. However, we recommend you do designate at least one beneficiary. This simplifies claims payment (since resolutions for estate settlements can be a lengthy and time-consuming process) as well as ensuring the benefit goes directly to your beneficiary rather than being added to your estate holdings, which may then be used to pay off debts and other fees.
If you name a minor as your beneficiary, the proceeds of your Life insurance cannot be paid directly to that child. In these cases, a trustee retains legal control of these proceeds until your beneficiary reaches the age of majority. See the ‘What is a trustee?’ question to learn more about trustees.
If you’re applying during the open enrolment period, you’re automatically approved for amounts under the Non-Evidence Limit.
For coverage amounts above that limit, or for applications submitted outside the open enrolment period, we’ll be in touch to let you know whether your application has been approved or declined.
I have a question that wasn’t covered above.
Please give us a call!
For any questions regarding Protection Plus Benefits, including applications and quotes, or existing coverage, claims, and premiums:
1-844-949-3809
I have a question that wasn’t covered above.
Please give us a call!
For any questions regarding Protection Plus Benefits, including applications and quotes, or existing coverage, claims, and premiums:
1-844-949-3809