Monday to Friday, 6 am to midnight ET and Saturdays and Sundays, 6 am to 10 pm ET.  

Phone 1-800-957-9777, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET.

Coordination of benefits (COB) is when someone is covered for benefits under more than one insurance plan. The cost of the expenses are shared between the plans.

Industry-wide rules have been established by the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) to identify which plan, and therefore which insurance company, will pay first. Claims must be submitted to insurance plans following these rules to avoid claims processing and payment delays.

In all scenarios, there is a primary payor and a secondary payor. The plan that pays first is the primary payor and the claim must be submitted to that plan first. If the primary plan did not pay the full amount, a COB claim can be submitted to the second plan (the secondary payor) for the balance to be paid.

The combined reimbursement from all plans will not be more than the original claim amount. 

The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) established industry-wide rules that identify which plan pays first. The primary payor is the plan that the claim should be submitted to first. 

Here are the most common scenarios where coordination of benefits is applicable and which plan is the first (primary) payor: 

Scenario 1 

• The patient is covered under their own insurance plan with their own employer: This plan is the primary payor. 
• The patient is also covered as a dependent under their partner’s insurance plan: This plan is the secondary payor.  

Scenario 2 

• The patient is a dependent child covered under both parents’ insurance plans. 
• The parent with the earlier birthday (month/day) is the primary plan.
• The parent with the later birthday (month/day) is the secondary plan.  
• If the parents have the same birthday (month/day), then the parent whose first name begins with the earlier letter in the alphabet is the primary plan.  

Example 1 

The parents are:

• Avery, whose birthday is April 15.
• Darcy, whose birthday is February 2.  

Darcy’s plan is the primary payor because their birthday is earlier in the year. 

Example 2

The parents are Alice and David, and they share the same birthday of October 1.  

Alice’s plan is the primary payor because their first name begins with a letter that is earlier in the alphabet. 

For a complete list of scenarios or to find further information on coordination of benefits, refer to CLHIA’s guide. 

You have 90 days from the date of service to submit an electronic claim to Canada Life. After 90 days, a paper claim must be submitted:  

• Outside of Quebec:  PO Box 3050 Station Main, Winnipeg, MB R3C 0E6 
• Quebec:  PO Box 4592 Station A, Toronto, ON M5W 0L5  

Yes, unless prohibited by the insured member’s policy.

For electronic submissions, the dental office must obtain the patient’s written consent so that their personal information can be sent to Canada Life. The patient only signs the consent form once and it must be kept in the patient’s file. You can find more information on benefit assignment for electronic claim submissions from CDAnet, DACnet or CDHAnet.  

For paper claim submissions, all patients must sign the assignment portion of Part 1 of the dental claim form.  

Canada Life supports CDAnet Version 2 and Version 4.

• Claim (01) 
• Coordination of Benefits (COB) Claim (07)  
• Claim Acknowledgement (11)  
• Claim EOB (21)  
• Claim Reversal (02)  
• Predetermination (03)  
• Predetermination Acknowledgement (13)  
• Predetermination EOB (23)  
• Request for Outstanding Transaction (04)  
• Outstanding Transaction Response (14)  
• Attachment (09)  
• Attachment Response (19)   

To use these transactions, make sure Canada Life (carrier ID 000011) is set up in your practice management software as CDAnet Version 4, TELUS Group B.   

If you need help with your settings, please contact your software vendor.  

You can reverse a claim on the same day it was submitted.

Pending claims can’t be reversed using your practice management software. To reverse a pending claim, please contact Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET.  

Yes. Canada Life may be able to evaluate the predetermination in real time. If so, you will receive a Predetermination EOB response. If not, you will receive a Predetermination Acknowledgement with the message ‘Claim accepted for further processing’.   

To use Predetermination transactions, make sure Canada Life (carrier ID 000011) is set up in your practice management software as CDAnet Version 4, TELUS Group B:  

• Predetermination (03)  
• Predetermination Acknowledgement (13)  
• Predetermination EOB (23)    

Note: multi-page predeterminations are not supported.   

To view the status of the predetermination, visit providerConnect™. Sign in to Secure Services and select Claims Information from the menu. 

If you have questions about the predetermination, call Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET. 

COB claims can be submitted to Canada Life electronically using your practice management software or by paper claim form.  

Step 1: Submit the claim to the primary plan first. Once the claim is processed, the primary payor will send an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) detailing the amount that was reimbursed.

Step 2: Submit the COB claim to Canada Life, only if there is an outstanding balance that was not reimbursed by the primary plan.   

• If you are submitting the COB claim electronically, make sure your practice management software and patient files are set up correctly. See question below “Does Canada Life accept a COB request electronically?”. 
• If you are submitting the COB claim by paper claim form, complete the claim form and attach the EOB from the primary plan. Refer to Contact Us for the mailing address.

No. The COB claim can be submitted electronically using your practice management software. You have 90 days from the date of service to submit electronic COB claims to Canada Life. After 90 days, a paper claim form must be submitted.

See question below “Does Canada Life accept a COB request electronically?” for more about submitting electronic COB claims. View Contact Us to find the mailing address to submit a paper claim form.

Yes. To use the COB transaction, make sure Canada Life (carrier ID 000011) is set up in your practice management software as CDAnet Version 4, TELUS Group B: 

• Coordination of Benefits (COB) Claim (07)  

When setting up your patient’s profile, make sure to add the plan details for the secondary plan and have Canada Life set as the carrier. It is important to follow the CLHIA rules when identifying and setting up the primary and secondary plans to avoid claims processing and payment delays. 

When Canada Life is both primary and secondary payor:  

• If the primary claim returns an Explanation of Benefits (EOB), then the secondary claim can be sent using the COB Claim transaction (07). The COB claim will return an EOB or an Acknowledgement response.
• If the primary claim returns an Acknowledgement, both the primary and secondary claims will be processed if the secondary plan details are included on the claim. There is no need to send a paper or electronic claim for the secondary claim. 

When Canada Life is the secondary payor only: 

• A COB claim transaction (07) can be sent to Canada Life when there’s a balance remaining. 

Follow the CLHIA guidelines to determine which plan is the primary payor. See the question above "How do you determine which plan pays first?" for more information. 

If you’re submitting the claim electronically, make sure the patient’s profile in your practice management software is set up with the correct plan information and that the plans are identified correctly as primary and secondary based on the CLHIA guidelines. Canada Life should be set as the carrier for both the primary and secondary plans.

Submit the Claim transaction (01) to the primary plan:  

• If the primary claim returns an Explanation of Benefits (EOB), then the secondary claim can be sent with the COB Claim transaction (07). The COB claim will return an EOB or an Acknowledgement response.
• If the primary claim returns an Acknowledgement, both the primary and secondary claims will be processed if the secondary plan details are included on the claim. There is no need to send a paper or electronic claim for the secondary claim.  

If you’re submitting the claim in the mail, complete a claim form, making sure to indicate both the primary plan and secondary plan information. Refer to Contact Us for the mailing address. 

Yes, you can securely send file attachments (patients records) such as x-rays, images, or other documents using your practice management software. You can send them along with the patient’s claim or predetermination or you can also send them later if Canada Life requests them. 

To use the attachment transactions, make sure Canada Life (carrier ID 000011) is set up in your practice management software as CDAnet Version 4, TELUS Group B: 

• Attachment (09)  
• Attachment Response (19) 
  

Canada Life should assess the claim or predetermination within five business days.   

Monday to Friday, 6:00 am to midnight ET and Saturdays and Sundays, 6:00 am to 10:00 pm ET.  

If Canada Life’s system is not available, the network will acknowledge receipt of the claim and forward it to Canada Life once the system is available. Make sure to initiate the Request for Outstanding Transactions regularly (also known as the pended claims file).  

To view the status of a claim or predetermination visit providerConnect™. Sign in to Secure Services and select Claims Information from the menu.   

If you have questions about the claim or predetermination, call Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET.  

You’re submitting a dental claim to a health care plan. The plan number entered in the patient’s profile belongs to the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP), which covers benefits such as vision care and medical expenses.

If your patient is covered under the PSDCP, please ask the patient or plan member to provide you with the correct plan and certificate number. If you’re submitting the claim on or after November 1, 2024, use the new PSDCP plan number. Please update the information in your records and resubmit the claim to Canada Life for processing. 

If your patient is covered under the PDSP, and you’re submitting the claim: 

• Before November 1, 2024, Sun Life is the carrier. Please update your records with the Sun Life plan number 25555 and certificate number and submit the claim to Sun Life for processing. 
• On or after November 1, 2024, Canada Life is the new carrier. Please update the patient’s profile to set Canada Life as the carrier and add the new PDSP plan number. The certificate number remains the same. Resubmit the claim to Canada Life for processing.  

If you register as an individual provider, one payment and statement will be issued.  

If you register as a clinic or organizational provider, one payment and statement will be issued for all providers registered under that clinic or organizational provider. 

For ease of reconciliation, and to potentially minimize your banking fees, claim payments will be bundled and paid out on a predetermined schedule. 

 
Canada Life issues scheduled bundled payments to providers and clinics, monthly by cheque or weekly by direct deposit.

 
TELUS Health collects your banking information for Canada Life through the TELUS Health Registration Portal. 

To view or edit your banking information, log in to your TELUS Health account, click the Menu button, then select Banking information.  

Your banking information may be incorrect. TELUS will contact you to correct errors in your banking information and once corrected, your payment will be resubmitted.  

If you receive your payment by direct deposit:  

• Log in to your TELUS Health account and check your banking information.  
  • If the information is incorrect, please provide the correct information.   
  • If the information is correct, phone Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET.     

If you receive your payment by cheque:  

• Phone Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET. 
  

Canada Life makes every effort to reimburse you quickly and accurately. In the case of an issue with one of your payments, call us to request an adjustment at 1-800-957-9777 , Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET.  

Only claims payable to you or your clinic will be on the statement. The statement includes a detailed summary of all claims processed during the payment period. Statements are multiple pages. Make sure you review the full document as important details may be included on all pages.    

Claims not included in your statement:  

• Claims made payable to a member 
• Claims that were voided the same day they were submitted 
• Predeterminations   
  

Plan member privacy is of utmost importance. If you are coordinating benefits with another carrier, be sure to only show the details for the claim you are submitting. 

To see your Canada Life statement, visit providerConnect™. Sign in to Secure Services and select View Statements and Payments from the menu. Enter the email address Canada Life uses to send your statement by secure email.

If you need to confirm the email address used for your Canada Life statements, log in to your TELUS Health account. 

If you have questions about your statement, call Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET.  

Contact Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET.   

Check your junk or spam folder. The subject line will indicate Canada Life - Provider Statements and will come from the email address providerclaimpayment@canadalife.com.  

If the secure email is not in your junk or spam folder, log in to your TELUS Health account and make sure your email address is correct. If it is incorrect, please update this information. 

If this does not resolve the problem, contact Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777 to have your statement reissued. 

Save your statements as soon as you receive them. Canada Life can retrieve duplicate statements up to 15 months.  

Please refer to the question "When will I get paid?" and determine if it has been 10 days since your payment date. If it is past 10 days, contact Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777 if you need a statement reissued.  

Contact Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777 if:  

• You did not receive your statement.  
• Your paper statement was damaged.  
• You have any questions about your statement.  
  

When you provide your email address, all statements will be emailed to you securely using encryption software. The initial notification email will have a ‘Click Here’ link as well as an HTML attachment in the message. Either the link or the attachment will give you access to the secure message that contains your statement, however the ‘Click Here’ link expires 21 days after the message was sent. The HTML attachment does not expire and depending on the email platform (e.g., Outlook, Gmail) it may be in different areas of your screen.  

When using this service for the first time, you will be asked to register with a personalized password. For returning users, please sign in using your previously created password.  Once you have opened the secure message, download the PDF and save it for your own record keeping.  

The secure email sign-in page has a forgot password link to reset your password. The system will email you a link to reset your password. Watch for an email from noreply@canadalife.com.

If you have attempted to sign in with the wrong password too many times, the system will temporarily lock you out. Close your internet browser and wait 10 minutes to use the password reset link. 

The providerConnect portal allows you to self-serve and get the following information faster than contacting our call centre:  

• Access to past claims statements for up to 12 months  
• Claim information and status   
• Predetermination information and status  
• Claim payment schedules  
  

You are not required to register for providerConnect. A dental provider in good standing with a dental association in Canada is automatically registered based on membership lists from various dental associations. Your unique account number in the providerConnect registry is your current association license number. Visit providerConnect  and sign in to Secure Services. 

Visit providerConnect.  

To see your Canada Life statement, visit providerConnect™. Sign in to Secure Services and select View Statements and Payments from the menu. Enter the email address Canada Life uses to send your statement by secure email.

If you need to confirm the email address used for your Canada Life statements, log in to your TELUS Health account. 

If you have questions about your statement, call Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET.  

To view claim information and status, visit providerConnect. Sign in to Secure Services and select Claims Information from the menu.

If you have questions about the claim, call Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET.  

To view predetermination information and status, visit providerConnect. Sign in to Secure Services and select Claims Information from the menu.

If you have questions about the predetermination, call Canada Life at 1-800-957-9777, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET.  

To view Canada Life’s payment schedule, visit providerConnect. Select What You Need, Dental Provider, followed by the Canada Life tab.