Association Takes Legal Action on Public Service Health Care Plan Changes

March 02, 2015

On February 27, 2015, the law firm Gowling Henderson Lafleur LLP filed a Notice of Application in the Federal Court of Canada on behalf of the National Association of Federal Retirees and some of its members.

The Notice of Application seeks to have the Federal Court declare the Government of Canada’s actions regarding the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) unlawful.

On March 26, 2014, Treasury Board President Tony Clement announced that he approved an agreement for the Public Service Health Care Plan or PSHCP that would see the retiree contribution rate go from 25 percent to 50 percent. Although it was characterized as a negotiated deal, the Association believes that the government did not honour the spirit or principles of negotiation. The National Association of Federal Retirees’ Board of Directors decided, in December 2014, to take legal action in response to the government’s decision to unilaterally proceed in increasing the costs pensioners pay for their Public Service Health Care Plan.

The National Association of Federal Retirees will keep all of members apprised of the Notice of Application and its developments as appropriate.

If you are a member, you can help by providing the Association your email address and full contact information. It’s the fastest way for our members to become aware of new developments, or to participate in our advocacy campaigns. You can also watch for more on this issue on our website, in Sage magazine, and by regular mail.

If you haven’t yet joined the National Association of Federal Retirees, enroll today. As a not-for-profit advocacy organization, we have strength in numbers and your membership matters. The larger our Association becomes, the stronger our voice – and the more effectively we can speak on behalf of federal retirees. 

The National Association of Federal Retirees is the largest national advocacy organization representing active and retired members of the federal public service, Canadian Armed Forces, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and retired federally-appointed judges, as well as their partners and survivors. With 185,000 members including more than 60,000 veterans and their families, the Association has a 50-year history of providing independent advocacy on issues affecting the financial security and health and well-being of our members and Canadians.