The Disability Board of Management is responsible for the overall administrative and financial management of the Disability Insurance Plan, including the review of the contract of insurance, review of any financial or service agreement, the financial status of the Plan, the services of the Insurer, the administrative fees and charges, the adequacy of reserves, the premium levels, the disposition of disputed claims, and other matters referred to it by the National Joint Council on the overall operation of the Plan, and for making appropriate recommendations to the National Joint Council.
Committee Advisor: Laura Mackenzie
Quarterly Report to the National Joint Council (December 2025)
Regular Activities:
- The Board of Management has met three (3) times since the last Council meeting and considered ten (10) appeals over the reporting period. The Board agreed with Sun Life’s (SL) decision to decline to provide disability benefits for eight (8) appeals and disagreed with SL’s decision for two (2) appeals.
- In the ten (10) appeal cases reviewed, SL declined to provide disability benefits as it was of the view that the medical information on file does not support a finding of continuous total disability that would prevent the claimant from performing the essential duties of their regular occupation for seven (7) appeals, that the claim was submitted beyond the limitation period for two (2) appeals, and that the information on file does not support a finding of continuous total disability that would prevent the claimant from performing the essential duties of any commensurate occupation for one (1) appeal.
- The Board wishes to note the departure of the Chairperson, Patti Bordeleau, and Employer Side member, Bryan Garber, from the Department of National Defense, and to thank them for their contributions to the Board.
- The Board welcomed a new Chairperson, Sean Ross, and a new Employer Side member, Stephanie Austin, from the Treasury Board Secretariat.
- The Board attended a full-day meeting at the SL Headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, and received presentations on appeal statistics, litigation performance, the DI Salary Adjustment (Wave 3), and the Life of a Claim.
- The Board continues to receive monthly financial updates from SL.
- The Board reviewed their Terms of Reference to reflect additional operational funding and submitted the revisions to the Executive Committee for consideration.
Outstanding Items:
- Twenty-nine (29) appeals. Of these, twenty-five (25) appeals have been received by the NJC Secretariat from SL and are scheduled for review, and four (4) are still under review with SL.
Next Meetings: February 10, 2026; March 10, 2026; April 14, 2026