Pharmacare for Alberta? the Cost to Seniors
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Winter 2013 PharmaCare for Alberta? The cost to seniors. Expand Members Save Your world on Worldwide Travel Collette Vacations, a major provider of guided travel since 1918, is offering ARTA members the chance to save on trips to all seven continents. From Italy to Australia to the wonder of South America and beyond, embrace your dreams. We seamlessly handle the details – you experience the world. This member benefit can be used on the purchase price of both the land and air portions on any Collette Vacations Tour. How does it work? Call your local agency and advise the booking agent that you are travelling with Collette Vacations. OR Call Collette Vacations at 855.694.8687. In both cases provide your ARTA Member code: R844-AX1-918 Hong Kong Experience another way of life as you savour a culinary and cultural adventure 3 MYANMAR CHINA VIETNAM Chiang Rai through Thailand. Uncover an ancient world of one-of-a-kind markets and 2 LAOS 4 Chiang Mai unique spiritual sites while experiencing the rhythms of a bustling city and THAILAND the quiet of a misty riverside. 0 200 miles 0 200 kilometers PACIFIC Angkor Wat Bangkok** 6 OCEAN 3 Siem Reap CAMBODIA ** Land only 1 Overnight stay* Flavours of Thailand Special Offer: $1424 Visit Gulf of Standard tour Thailand Option Hong Kong 14 Days – 24 Meals * Option Angkor Wat Regular Price: $1649 Land only Flight *–number indicates length of stay **–with Option Angkor Wat length of stay is 7 July 18, 2014 Highlights... Reclining Buddha, Jim Thompson House, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Travel provided by Klong Tour, Bridge Over the River Kwai, Death Railway, Golden Triangle, Hall of Opium, Khantoke Dinner and Show, Hill Tribes, Maesa Elephant Camp, Alms Giving More departure dates available; call for details. **Special offer is valid on new bookings only made from 12/1/13 - 1/12/14 for travel from 5/1/14 - 4/30/15. Offers can expire earlier due to space or inventory availability. Space is on a first come, first served basis. Offers are not valid on group or existing bookings or combinable with any other offer unless otherwise indicated. Other restrictions may apply. *Land only, per person, double occupancy. Also applies to Special Offer rate. Special Offer rate includes ARTA member benefit and is not combinable with any other offer. Travel Industry Council of Ontario Reg#3206405 BC Reg#23337 For more information, contact your local agent or call Collette Vacations at 855.694.8687 and mention promo code CAS0-AX1-918. Or visit www.collettevacations.ca The Magazine of the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association Winter 2013 Vol. 22:2 news & views Table of Contents Editor Robin Carson President’s Assistant Editors Columns From the Branches Message Vi Oko 5 Bev Sawyer Second Wind Executive Comm/Tech 6 2013 Graphic Designer Director’s Report 23 Hazel Adair 7 What Are We Doing Now? PDARTA ARTA Liaison Letters to the 10 Workshop Jerry Stefanyk 8 Editor 39 Perry Dorgan Printing news & views 14 NEARTA Central Web and Privacy 8 Diane Britton 41 Celebrates Its news & views is published 22 Volunteer Award four times a year by the In My Opinion Winners Alberta Retired Teachers’ 9 Lynne Butler Association (ARTA). 26 Contributions to In Memoriam ERTA Gala th news & views 17 50 Anniversary 44 are welcome. They may be sent to Information 409, 11010–142 Street NW, History of PARTA Articles Edmonton, AB T5N 2R1 Office 28 or email Information Waiting for the [email protected]. 2 History of CDRTA 29 Second Shoe to 4 Deadline for submissions Contests Drop for the spring issue is History of FRTA 3 January 25, 2014. 30 2014 Photo History of AGM Highlights Tel.: 780‑822‑2400; Contest 12 Alberta only: 37 32 NEARTA 1‑855‑212‑2400; Classified History of Elections at the fax: 1‑780‑447‑0613; AGM email: [email protected]; 44 Advertisements 34 NWARTA 13 website: www.arta.net 50th Anniversary Travel Scholarship Return undeliverable 36 Wrap-Up Report 23 Information Canadian addresses to 409, 11010–142 Street NW, Nubian Temples ARTA Gala Edmonton, AB T5N 2R1 18 38 24 Scholarships Features Vacation Supply 27 of Medication AXA Assistance: 4 Waiting 7 Foundations 40 A Friend in Need for the Grandpa and Second Prescription 42 the Glacier Shoe 14 Drugs to Drop in Alberta ARTA Launches 43 Facebook news & views Deadlines Spring Issue: January 25, 2014 ARTA Office News Summer Issue: April 25, 2014 Autumn Issue: July 25, 2014 Winter Issue: Holiday Hours October 25, 2014 Your letters and ARTA (1-855-212-2400) ideas are welcome. Please send them to Closed 12:00 pm December 24, 2013, to January 2, 2014 [email protected] We will have limited access to email and voicemail during the holidays, but will do our best to respond to any urgent matters in a timely fashion. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ASEBP (1-855-444-2782) Early closure (at 1:00 pm) December 24, 2013 ARTA 780‑822‑2400 Closed December 25, 26 and 27, 2013 Toll‑free: Early closure (at 1:00 pm) December 31, 2013 1‑855‑212‑2400 Email: Closed January 1, 2014 [email protected] news & views AXA Assistance can be reached for travel emergencies 24 hours a day, [email protected] or every day during the holiday season. news & views 409, 11010–142 Street NW 1-888-W996-9003 (from Canada/United States) Edmonton, AB T5N 1R1 1-514-285-0142 (collect from any other country) ATRF 780‑451‑4166 Toll‑free: 1‑800‑661‑9582 Email: [email protected] CPP & OAS Benefits Toll‑free: 1‑800‑277‑9914 ASEBP Claims: 1‑855‑444‑2782 TW Insurance (Home and Auto) 1‑855‑894‑2782 Pension Deposit Dates (Third last business day of the month; early at Christmas) Dec. 20 Jan. 29 Feb. 26 March 27 April 28 May 28 June 26 July 29 Aug. 27 Sept. 26 Oct. 29 Nov. 26 2 Winter 2013 Contests by Chyrisse Dekker Thank you to all who We’re happy to announce that the ARTA Member Benefits Account is now available to all ARTA entered Contest 17. We Retiree Benefits Plan members. Through our partnership with the Alberta School Employee Benefit apologize, but because of Plan (ASEBP), we are proud to be able to offer this online resource that will allow you to manage a late draw, the names of many features of your benefits plan at your own convenience. the winners of that contest With the online ARTA Member Benefits Account, you can: will be given in the spring • View your extended health and dental care claims history issue of news & views. (for claims paid on or after January 1, 2013) • View your benefit coverage information • Request ARTA Benefits ID cards, or print your own Contest 18 • Manage your personal information, including your mailing address, phone number and banking Once again, TW Insurance information has generously donated • Access reliable health information and e-services, such as health risk assessments, via Apple-a-Day, through a partnership with ASEBP and Organizational Health Inc. two $50 gift cards for the How to register two winners of Contest 18. 1. Visit www.arta.net Answer the two questions 2. Click on the ARTA Member Benefits Account icon, located under Featured Sections on the below correctly. Submit homepage. The icon looks like this your correct answers to ARTA before the deadline date of January 20, 2014. 3. This will open a new browser window with a login and registration page. 4. Click on the registration button and you will be walked through the process of signing up for an 1. Which of ARTA’s four account. plan options offer travel insurance? If you have difficulty registering or have questions about the ARTA Member Benefits Account, please contact an ARTA Benefit Plan Coordinator at 780-989-8709 in the Edmonton area, or toll-free at 2. When was Alberta 1-855-444-ARTA (2782). You may also contact an ARTA Benefit Plan Coordinator by email at [email protected], or visit ASEBP’s office Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. established as a province? Mail your answers to: ARTA Contest #18, Contact news & views: 409, 11010–142 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5N 2R1 To change your mailing address, call Jerry Stefanyk at 780‑822‑2400 or The contest officially (toll‑free) 1‑855‑212‑2400 closes January 31, 2014, General information: [email protected] at 4:00 pm. The contest is Editor: Robin Carson [email protected] (not advertising) open to all ARTA members Advertising: Call Jerry Stefanyk at 780‑822‑2400 or (toll‑free) in good standing, both 1‑855‑212‑2400 regular and affiliate. Submissions of letters, articles and pictures are always welcome at Entries received after the news & views. We also consider poetry and very short stories. Articles closing date and time will should be no more than 1100 words, and are appreciated by email in doc, docx and rtf formats only. You may also send a hardcopy of your article to not be considered. The news & views, Room 409, 11010–142 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5N 2R1. decision of the judges is Please expect that your work will be edited both for length and mechanics. final. Email entries are not Please submit your material to [email protected], or to considered. [email protected] Winter 2013 3 Waiting for the Second Shoe to Drop by Noel Somerville Chair, Seniors Task Force, Public Interest Alberta The first shoe fell with the by leaks from government healthy and out of March 2013 provincial budget that the new plan will not hospital, it also ignores announcement that the Seniors be introduced on January 1, the fact that prescription Drug Plan would be terminated 2014, but there is no indication medications are an integral part and replaced with a means-tested of when the new plan will be of our health care system as pharmacare plan on January 1, implemented.