Sun Life's group benefits customers enjoy the rewards of online claims

TORONTO - With the click of a mouse and a few simple steps, Sun Life Financial's group benefits plan members can now submit virtually all of their medical and dental claims online.

"The move toward paperless processes is a key priority in Sun Life's strategy for sustainability and the goal of reducing consumption and waste," says Stuart Monteith, Senior Vice-President, Group Benefits, Sun Life Financial Canada. "Achieving real sustainability takes a commitment to investing in the technology and infrastructure that makes these innovative solutions possible."

Sun Life Financial will move a step closer to achieving 100 per cent e-claim capability on January 1, 2010, when the plan members of one of its national clients, Purolator Courier Ltd., will participate in an initiative enabling its employees to submit all medical and dental claims online. This creates a total web-based experience - a group benefits industry first! Already, 95 per cent of all claims received by Sun Life are for medical and dental expenses that can be submitted online, including the most frequent paramedical services, such as physiotherapy and massage. E-claims eliminate the need for millions of paper claims every year.

The e-claiming service significantly enhances the plan member experience, making it easier for plan members to interact with Sun Life Financial by:

- submitting claims through Sun Life Financial's website for real-time processing

- receiving instant claim statements and seeing payments deposited directly into their bank accounts, often the same business day

- not having to fill out paper forms, track their claim's status, and wait for payments in the mail.

"Purolator is excited to participate in Sun Life's innovative program and to make the process of submitting claims and receiving reimbursement for employees more convenient and timely - while at the same time reducing our overall paper consumption," says Stephen Gould, Senior Vice-President, Human Resources, Purolator.

This convenience is possible because the group benefits website is connected directly to Sun Life Financial's claims payment system. Research shows that plan members want to do more online and appreciate the environmental benefits of the paperless experience. Sun Life Financial first introduced group benefits in 1919. Today, the company is one of the leading providers of group benefits in Canada, serving over three million plan members and their dependants.