Family Plan FAQs

Individual benefits will be paid in the event that there is death by natural causes or accidental death.  Canopy will not pay benefits in the following circumstances:

• Suicide: If suicide is committed by you or your covered family members within two years of the effective date of this insurance.
• Criminal Activity: If you or your covered family member dies as a result of being involved in any criminal activity.
  

This Plan does not comprise a savings component.

A spouse is defined as the legal husband or wife of the insured member (but not including one who has been separated from the insured member for at least a year) or the person living with the insured member in a recognized common-law relationship for at least 6 months.

While you need to be a member of the VM Group to apply for coverage under a Canopy Family Plan, your family members do not.  If you should die however, one of your insured family members will have to become a VM Group Member for coverage to continue.

The waiting period is a period of six months, which begins from the date of your enrolment under the Family Plan, during which benefits will not be paid for a death that occurs as a result of natural causes.  The waiting period, however, does not apply in the event of a death caused by an accident.

• If a covered family member dies of natural causes during the 6-month waiting period, no benefit will be paid.  
• If a covered family member dies due to an accident during the 6-month waiting period, the full benefit amount will be paid.  

The full coverage amount will be paid for each family member who dies while covered under your Family Plan.  For example, if you pay premium for $80,000 of coverage and two family members happen to die in a car accident, $160,000 in benefits will be paid to you, the Insured Member. 

Death from natural causes refers to a death that does not involve any external influences.  That is the person did not take their own life, was not killed by someone else or did not die in an accident such as a car crash.  Examples of death by natural causes include death due to disease, infection, cancer or organ failure.

To enrol, you will need to upload a copy of a valid National ID (Driver’s Licence, Passport or Voter’s ID).  If you are also adding family members to your Plan, you will need to upload a valid document showing proof of age (Birth Certificate, Driver’s Licence, Passport or Voter’s ID).

Enrolment requests are typically approved within 2 business days. However, coverage will not become effective until the beginning of the following month.  All enrolment requests received within a particular month will be approved in time for the start of the next month.

No person may be covered under more than one Family Plan simultaneously, whether as the insured member or as a family member of another insured member.

You may increase your coverage by selecting ‘Upgrade Coverage’ on the main menu of the Canopy Family Plan Portal. However, coverage may not be reduced.  Please note that requests for increases in coverage may only be made once per year.

Your insurance coverage under the Canopy Family Plan will terminate if:

• You cease to be enrolled as a Member of a Canopy Family Plan participating organization, i.e.  you are no longer a VMBS local currency savings account holder.
• Your premium remains unpaid for more than thirty (30) calendar days from the date on which payment is due
• The Policy is terminated by Canopy, in which case you will be advised accordingly
• Insurance coverage for unmarried, dependent children under your legal guardianship will be terminated by Canopy when they reach age 26 or marry, whichever occurs first.

If cancellation of coverage is requested, the cancellation will not take effect until the end of the month.  Therefore, no premiums will be refunded.

The Canopy Family Plan is offered in partnership with the VM Group and as such, you need to maintain a local currency savings account with VMBS in order to be eligible for coverage under a Plan.  Therefore, once you are no longer a member of the VM Group, coverage under your Plan will be cancelled.

Coverage for insured family members will continue provided premiums continue to be paid.  Premiums, however, will have to be paid from a VMBS local currency savings account.  This means one of your surviving insured family members will have to open an account if they don’t already have one.  Once their account at VMBS has been opened, access will be granted to the Family Plan Application Portal. 

In order to accommodate the payment of Canopy Family Plan monthly premiums, you must have a Personal Local Currency Savings Account with VMBS.  The signing authority on this account must either be sole or joint (any to sign).

VMBS will deduct the monthly premium amount from your VMBS savings account by the 3rd working day of each month via pre-authorized electronic debit. 

Payments will be deducted from your account by the third working day of each month.

If the Member wishes to change the account from which their monthly premiums are deducted, the member will first have to cancel their existing Family Plan and then enrol for a new Plan using the preferred VMBS savings account.  Please note that the benefits under this new Plan will be subject to a six-month waiting period.

You will be notified by Canopy via email that your payment has been missed. A Canopy Family Plan representative will also make follow-up calls to remind you to ensure there is sufficient available funds in your VMBS savings account ahead of your next payment date. 

A 30-day grace period will be allowed after each missed premium payment.

Payments will be automatically deducted from your account on the third working day of each month.  If a payment is missed, a 30-day grace period will be allowed and payment for the missed month will be deducted in the upcoming month.  No late fee will be charged.  

If the primary Member is unable to continue making payments, coverage will have to be cancelled.  The new payee can then enrol for their own Family Plan.  Please note that the benefits under this new Plan will be subject to a six-month waiting period.

To open a VMBS Savings Account you may do so by visiting your nearest VMBS Branch or speaking to a VM Group representative via phone in advance to coordinate at your convenience.

You will be required to submit the following:
a. Tax Registration Number (TRN)

b. For Personal Identification, either of the following:

• Passport
• Driver’s License
• Jamaica’s Electoral Registration ID Card

c. Contact details for two character references – Please note any two of the following persons may act as character references on your behalf:

• Director or permanent staff member of the VM Group
• Customer’s Employer (Conditions Apply)
• Principal of a School
• Senior Officers and Managers of a regulated financial institution
• Justice of the Peace
• Attorney at Law
• Notary Public
• Minister of Religion
• Medical Practitioner

d. Proof of Address

• Residential address of each account holder
• Current utility bill with the name and address of the customer

e. Proof of Income:
Acceptable documents include:

• Most current pay slip
• Job Letter
• Tax returns
• Income Statement Form

Notice of the death of a person covered under a Canopy Family Plan should be submitted within 30 days after their death, and proof of death must be submitted within 90 days after their death.  Any claim made after the expiration of these periods must be done as soon as possible and within two years of the date of death.   

One of your insured family members will need to contact a Canopy Family Plan Associate via email (familyplan@canopy-insurance.com) or phone (888-4-CANOPY).  They will then be directed to complete a claim form and to submit along with necessary supporting documentation.

To make a claim, you will need to submit either a certified copy of a death certificate or a physician’s statement within 90 days of the person’s death.  In the event of an accidental death, a police report may be required.

The Company will process and pay claims within 5 working days of receipt of all necessary supporting documentation.

Benefits are paid to designated beneficiaries or family members insured under the Plan.  If no beneficiaries have been designated, benefits will be paid to insured family members in the following order:

•  to you, the Insured Member (if living); then to 
•  your Spouse; then to 
•  your Parents (equally); then to 
•  your Spouse’s Parents (equally); then to 
•  one of your Parents and one of your Spouse’s Parents; then to 
•  your unmarried children in equal shares, or to the legally appointed trustees if they do not have legal capacity. 

Canopy will not pay benefits in the following circumstances:

• Suicide: If suicide is committed by you or your covered family members within two years of the effective date of this insurance.
• Criminal Activity: If you or your covered family member dies as a result of being involved in any criminal activity.