Optional Upgrade Package three-month premium holiday begins in August

Beginning in August, there will be a three-month premium holiday for your Optional Upgrade Package (OUP) plan in response to impacts of the pandemic on utilization. No action is required from you.

As communicated to you by the Government of Ontario in April 2022, a three-month temporary premium holiday will be implemented for the retiree-paid Emergency Out-of-Country plan (Optional Upgrade Package (OUP)) from August 1, 2022, to October 31, 2022.

Retirees who elect to participate in the OUP plan during this premium holiday will not pay the monthly premiums during this three-month period but will continue to have access to this coverage. During this period, the Government of Ontario will pay for your premiums. You will receive an adjusted statement of earnings and deductions that will show the change in your monthly pension.

OUP premiums will come back into effect on November 1, 2022 and will be reflected in that month’s pension statement.

Retirees can choose to enrol in the OUP at any time following retirement, however if you decide to terminate the OUP coverage, you must provide OPB one month’s notice in writing by submitting a completed OPB1137 - Supplementary Life Insurance and Optional Upgrade Package Change form through your e-services account(opens in a new tab), or by mail. Once terminated, you will not be able to enrol in OUP in the future.