Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a quick reference guide to some of the most common questions asked by members and prospective members. Don’t see the answers you need? Please click below to contact us.

Get in Touch

How do I update my BCRTA membership info such as address and contact information?

You can change your address with the BCRTA by:

  1. Visiting our website at bcrta.ca and choose menu item UPDATE MEMBER INFO where you can provide a change of address, phone number, email, branch affiliation, request Membership No. , update email preferences, arrange for fee payments, or get a message to the BCRTA in the comments section.
  2. Calling the office at 604-871-2260 or toll free at 1-877-683-2243 or email to office@bcrta.ca

Please note that for privacy reasons we do not forward address changes to the Teachers’ Pension Plan and vice versa.

TPP can be reached at retired@pensionsbc.ca or by calling 1-877-876-8877 for retired members. The Teachers Pension plan may advise Green Shield of your new address but it is a good idea to contact Green Shield yourself.

Johnson or MEDOC policy holders should contact Johnson directly at 1-866-799-0000.

How can I make sure I receive my copy of PostScript Magazine?

The best way to keep receiving the magazine and to help us to avoid wasted postage costs by keeping your address up to date. Use the Update Member Info form at https://bcrta.ca/update-member-info/.

If your membership fees are not up to date you will not be on the mailing list.

Have more than one member in your household? If you prefer to receive just one copy, please let us know and we will arrange to send only one copy.

How do I join Membership Advantage programs for discounts?

There is no extra fee to benefit from our Member Advantage Partner offers. Your membership is your ticket in. Many of our Advantage Partners do require that you share your membership number with them when activating a discount.

To learn most about our Advantage Program Partners, visit https://bcrta.ca/members-advantage-program/.

To stay current with offers, keep your mailing address and email up to date.

If you do not want to receive emails about current promotions and prefer to OPT OUT please email us at office@bcrta and we will take you off the list and unsubscribe you.

If you let your membership lapse, you are no longer eligible for Advantage Program offers or discounts, including Johnson Insurance plans.

Should my spouse join the BCRTA? What benefits does my spouse get?

Many BCRTA members have a spouse who is also eligible for membership as an educator. When you both have memberships, you are both eligible to participate fully in the association. A person who is a spouse but not a member cannot hold any office in the BCRTA.

A spouse who does not fall under any of the ACTIVE or ASSOCIATE categories related to the education sector may join as an ASSOCIATE member as the spouse of an active member and as such be eligible for any of the member benefits.

When one of you is a BCRTA member, both the member and their spouse are eligible for any of the Member Advantage programs, including MEDOC without their own membership.

* If a couple plans to purchase the Johnson Prestige Insurance, the main applicant MUST be the BCRTA Member. Johnson will advise of this requirement at time of purchase and insurance quote.

How do I inform the BCRTA of a member who has passed away?

If you are a direct family member or Executor only please contact the office directly at 604-871-2260 or email office@bcrta.ca to provide the date of death.

We are here to support the family at a difficult time with whatever support we can give, including:

  • details about other contacts you should inform,
  • a helpful Checklist for Executors,
  • publishing the deceased’s name in our Postscript Magazine.

If a surviving spouse wishes to continue membership in BCRTA, they are eligible to continue as an Associate Member. We can assist with that process.

Remember that you also will need to contact the Teachers’ Pension Plan directly by calling 1-866-876-8877 and arrange to provide a death certificate.

For security and privacy reasons we do not receive information about members from anyone other than family members or executors.

How do I get information about Health and Dental coverage through Green Shield?

General Info

The Teachers’ Pension Plan administers the group benefit plan currently provided by Green Shield Canada.

Green Shield is responsible for determining eligibility, important deadlines for signing up, applications, change of address, adding and changing dependents, termination of coverage, deducting premiums. For more information from the TPP about their program follow this link: Health Coverage with TPP.

For further information you can contact the TPP at 1-866-876-8877.

You can also contact Green Shield toll free 1-888-711-1119 Mon. to Fri. 5:30am to 5:30pm or email: customer.service@greenshield.ca.

For Claims, Questions about Coverage and Complaints

Green Shield customer service Line can answer those questions: 1-888-711-1119

You may also want to visit their website at: https://www.greenshield.ca/en-ca/home

Complaints? If you have escalated your support and are still not satisfied with the response, Green Shield offers this resource: http://www.greenshield.ca/en-ca/get-in-touch/we-re-happy-if-you-re-happy

The Teachers’ Pension Plan provides the following link to Green Shield’s policy booklet: https://onlineservices.greenshield.ca/publicbooklets/tpp.pdf

Where can I find out about Johnson Insurance EHB, Dental and MEDOC?

If you are a BCRTA member you have direct access to quotes and customer service from Johnson at http://bcrta.johnson.ca/.

You can also call their customer service directly at 1.888.739.1209. Make sure you let them know you are a BCRTA member.

Which plan is better for me, Johnson or Green Shield?

To help you understand the details of each plan, we have prepared a comparison of the two plans. Access this document by clicking here.

Johnson Insurance is also committed to give BCRTA members “Best Friend Advice” and will help you determine the choice that is right for you.

How do I cancel Green Shield coverage and apply for Johnson Prestige EHB?

We recommend that you proceed with care to any change in your coverage. Contact both insurers and discuss your options before switching.

You may email Johnson   at pbservicewest@johnson.ca  for a detailed discussion regarding your coverage.

To cancel Green Shield you need to contact the Teachers’ Pension Plan directly who are the administrators of the group benefit, provide a secure direction to cancel and find out the termination date.

How does COVID 19 affect support for the BCRTA members?

During the COVID19 event, BCRTA remains active and on the job for our members.

We are not accepting visitors to our office at this time.

However our phone line (604.871.2260) and email office@bcrta.ca are functioning normally, and we will provide full member service per normal.

Our office hours are 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Monday to Friday.

For up-to-date information on the operations of our Member Advantage Partners, contact the Partner directly. We have links on our website to all our partners at: https://bcrta.ca/about-us/members-benefits/