Legal action on PSHCP changes continues

December 10, 2015

The Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) legal action, launched earlier this year, is moving forward. 

On February 27, 2015, a Notice of Application was filed in the Federal Court of Canada on behalf of the Association and some of its members. The legal action seeks to have the courts declare the Government of Canada’s actions regarding the PSHCP unlawful.

The file is under case management by the Federal Court, and legal representatives have canvassed for a precise schedule for filing documents, cross examining affidavits and a tentative date for a hearing.

The Association’s law firm, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, made the Association’s filings. The Crown has until mid-December to file its documents – but given the 2015 federal election and change in government, the Crown may request a delay which would likely be granted. If no delay is sought or granted, we should expect a hearing in late summer 2016. 

We’ll continue to keep Association members informed of the legal proceedings. If you are a member, you can help by logging in and updating your contact information with us. 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, join 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.