RBP Fund Update

The Retiree Benefit Program (RBP) is a negotiated entitlement available to qualified retired members covered by the Nurses' Bargaining Association (NBA) collective agreement. It is a unique program that is funded exclusively from the one (1) percent market adjustment of payroll collected from employers by the HEABC and subsequently transferred to BCNU on behalf of the NBA. Registered Nurse (RN) and Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) members have contributed to the RBP fund since its inception in 2008.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) members began contributing to the RBP fund on April 1, 2024, in line with language negotiated during 2022 – 2025 round of NBA bargaining. The purpose of the fund is to help provide retirees with retirement benefits and inflation protection.

Plan Design Review Process

The RBP Committee is responsible for administering the RBP fund. In the spring of 2023, the committee commenced a Plan Design Review process to identify benefits options for eligible retirees for the future use of the fund. The Plan Design Review process included a member survey to help the RBP Committee determine the health benefits members value most.

The RBP Committee has learned from the member survey that our retired members highly prioritize health benefit options that are not taxable to the members. Following the survey, the RBP Committee identified a Health Care Spending Account as a possible plan design for the RBP.

BCNU, on behalf of the NBA, recently submitted a request for an Advance Income Tax Ruling with the Income Tax Rulings Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The request is to confirm the tax treatment of the RBP fund to support the RBP by providing the health benefits covered through a Health Care Spending Account on a tax-free basis. During the estimated three to four months during which CRA will be reviewing the request for the Advance Income Tax Ruling, no changes will be made to or benefit payment paid from the RBP Fund. Additional updates will be provided to members as this work continues.

LPN Committee Member Appointed

The RBP Committee engaged in a governance review to identify options to increase LPN representation on the committee. The review determined that one position on the RBP Committee would be allocated to a retired LPN member and the other to an active LPN member.

The RBP Committee welcomes Marlene Goertzen, retired LPN member and retired regional council member from the Central Vancouver region to serve on the committee. Goertzen joins Danette Thomsen, regional council member from the North East region, who was appointed in December as the committee’s active LPN member.

Goertzen and Thomsen will serve alongside fellow committee representatives appointed by BCNU and one representative appointed by the Health Sciences Association. Committee work includes monitoring RBP fund investments, determining member benefits, reviewing appeals and overseeing service providers contracted to administer the program. The committee meets a minimum of four times a year at BCNU’s head office in Burnaby.

Retired LPN members wishing to serve on the RBP Committee were invited to submit an expression of interest form no later than Jan. 14, 2025, at 12:00 noon PST. The committee wishes to thank those who put their name forward for consideration.