The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA)’s controversial Ontario Realtor Wellness Program (ORWP) has experienced a successful first quarter since its launch this year, according to the organization.
‘A very good sign for a newly implemented program of this size and scope compared to peers across the industry’
OREA says the health and wellness benefits program has had more than 68,000 health claims and 61 travel claims, while 32 families have had life insurance coverage support in their hour of need, more than 355 general practitioner consultations have taken place (with only an eight-minute wait time) and more than 810 mental health consultations have been conducted for members.
As for how this usage stacks up against expectations, the association is pleased: “We designed a program that we knew would help our members and what we’ve seen so far is a very good sign for a newly implemented program of this size and scope compared to peers across the industry.”
The program, administered by Comprehensive Benefit Solutions, became mandatory on January 1. Tim Hudak, CEO of OREA, says it was designed to be helpful for its members and their families to give them a safety net for health benefits and insurance.
“It’s been incredible to see how many Ontario realtors are already benefitting from the support offered through the ORWP,” he notes.
“When we surveyed our members we found out that close to 60 per cent did not have any kind of health care coverage and up to 40 per cent reported they didn’t have access to life insurance. So they’re walking a tightrope every day because they love the profession, they love helping their clients, but they were putting their health and financial circumstances and those of their families at risk.”
Biggest challenge in launching
The biggest challenge in launching and implementing the program, Hudak explains, is the fact that OREA has been the first. He says implementation has been a learning process. “Things could always go smoother when it comes to implementation but given how many people have benefitted from the program already, I suspect to see other professional associations follow.”
Hudak stresses, “This has been the largest onboarding of a health and insurance program in Canada — one of the largest of the last couple of decades. Almost 100,000 members are now covered by this program. And it’s a huge program. There’s a complexity as well because we basically have 29 member boards that are 29 different corporations, all with their own sets of data and ways of doing things.”
With nearly 100,000 members, he says it was challenging to ensure everyone saw their welcome emails, could register for the system and were supplied the information needed to get the benefits. “That’s going to be a challenge for any kind of insurance program, let alone one of this size.”
He admits that with the member boards’ various approaches and data, ensuring information was accurate did cause growing pains early in the process and longer waits for service.
Despite the implementation challenges, he notes, “We’ve done it, and (individuals) in real estate and their families are now seeing the benefits.”
Good feedback and thanks from members
Hudak says OREA has received a lot of positive feedback and thanks from members because of the program, particularly from members who did not have a benefits program before. Many are also finding it to be user-friendly and a streamlined experience in getting claims approved or access to benefits.
“There have been some very touching stories of realtors with pre-existing conditions, for example, (victims of) cancer or a heart attack, who couldn’t find insurance to save their lives. Now, because of the ORWP and the support of their fellow realtors, they have a support package when it comes to health and life insurance,” he says.
With the implementation challenges smoothed out, “I’m pleased to say by investing wisely in resources for the program, our wait times are down to about three minutes when you call or within five minutes if you request a call back for support from the program.”
‘Fear-mongering’ from those opposed
Hudak notes there was a lot of fear-mongering from those opposed to the program, suggesting that thousands of realtors would have their benefits from their existing programs cut off.
“That simply has not been the case. We’re not aware of a single realtor member who has been kicked out of their existing program because of the ORWP,” he says.
“We’re seeing more and more realtors benefitting from this program each and every day. The foundational decision to have it as an all-in program that’s a safety net for realtors — whether (they) work for a large brokerage or small, in a big city or a small town — has demonstrated to be a success.”
Positive user experiences
Lana Morgan, realtor with Royal LePage Key Realty in Sarnia, Ont., says she has advocated for the program from the beginning. Her son, who is also a realtor, suffers from epilepsy.
“For him, it was coverage that he would never, in a normal circumstance, be able to afford nor would he possibly even be able to obtain it no matter what the cost,” explains Morgan, who has not yet submitted a benefit claim.
“Myself, personally, the $100,000 in life insurance was about a third of the cost of me getting it elsewhere. I did not need dental or prescriptions because I am covered under my husband’s policy for that, but it’s everything else. At some point, I could still need that … Living in a border city, we go to the United States all the time (and) that extra coverage is nice to have.”
Kevin Thompson, a realtor with Re/Max Prime Properties Unique Group in Sarnia, says he has used the medical claims in the program for prescriptions. “And honestly we’ve had no issues. Getting things set up I struggled a little bit but that was on me,” he recalls. “The help desk that day was fabulous in walking me through it … Overall, my experience with it has been positive.
For us, it’s an added insurance. Hopefully, we never have to use it but for us it’s affordable … We welcomed the program right from the start (and have) been in full support of it since day one … It’s going to help a lot of people and for that, I’m thankful we have it.”
‘Seems to be something that people are not talking about as much’
Karen Yolevski, COO, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., says she hasn’t heard a lot from realtors following the ORWP’s implementation.
“Since it’s been implemented, other than a couple of administrative questions, people asking how they sign up or how they access information, submission of claims, we haven’t really heard too much,” she notes. “I’ve heard a few anecdotal stories about people successfully submitting claims and receiving benefits. So that’s great news that people are taking advantage of the plan but otherwise it seems to be something, now that it’s in effect, that people are not talking about as much.”
Program opposition continues
Despite OREA’s success with the ORWP, there continues to be opposition to the program, which costs OREA members about $660 annually for the standard plan in addition to regular OREA dues of $110.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for legal action. A complaint has been filed to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO). A petition was also launched about the mandatory nature of the program.
The GoFundMe page, as of April 15, has raised $152,280 of a $350,000 goal. Those funds are supporting the legal challenge by McMillan LLP in Toronto with HRTO, alleging age and disability discrimination.
‘Ready to pursue applications at whatever pace the Tribunal sets’
Rachel Wong, associate with McMillan LLP, says the matter was brought before HRTO in November 2023, asking the Tribunal to expedite the proceeding and to provide immediate relief to realtors.
“Both of those steps were opposed by OREA and so at this point we remain ready to pursue the applications at whatever pace the Tribunal sets for them to be heard,” Wong explains.
“There is a GoFundMe that was started in the fall of last year and if realtors wish to continue to support those steps it does remain open (to) support our effort.
We just remain at the ready to take steps that are required to get this matter to a hearing and be adjudicated. We regularly hear the frustrations of realtors and we really want to pursue those next steps.”
Petition garnered 18,890 signatures so far
Liz Polak, realtor with Century 21 Miller Real Estate in Oakville, Ont. and one of the organizers of the GoFundMe campaign, says the ORWP will adversely affect the lives of thousands of professional real estate agents and their families. “I get emails from members all the time. (They’re) literally crying about this.”
Polak says all agents over the age of 65 will have to pay the same fees for the mandatory ORWP but will receive reduced benefits in return, and that reduced benefits or outright termination of some OWRP benefits will be automatically applied at age 65, 70 or 80.
A petition against the ORWP, started in June 2023 and organized by Tina Forte, sales representative with Red and White Realty Inc. in Waterloo, has gained 18,890 signatures so far. The text accompanying it says not being a member of OREA affects a person’s ability to trade in organized real estate and that, “How OREA has the authority to meddle in a self-employed individual’s personal choices that aren’t real estate related is still baffling.”
“The fact that if we don’t participate we lose our local board affiliation, that’s bad enough because our local boards provide a whole lot of resources for us,” Forte shares. “But we also lose OREA and CREA (Canadian Real Estate Association). We lose the OREA (or) Ontario forms. We lose the realtor designation … It’s not right that they’ve tied it to our ability to do our job.”
OREA’s response
In a statement, OREA says it cannot comment on ongoing matters before the courts and/or any tribunal.
However, it mentions, “As indicated in the research findings of a member survey done in 2019, over half of OREA members reported that a ‘Safety Net’ package was very important.”
The statement also talks about the Realtor Wellness Task Force: “In February 2023, the OREA board of directors appointed the Realtor Wellness Task Force to examine the viability and scope of a province-wide insurance and benefits program for all OREA members. The Task Force was comprised of realtor volunteers from across the province, covering all OREA regions.”
OREA points out that results of a survey (available from April 28 to June 20, 2023) indicate the majority of realtors did not have the specific types of insurance coverage that are included in the ORWP’s standard plan (for example, 73 per cent of members had no critical illness insurance coverage and 60 per cent had no healthcare coverage).
Going forward, Hudak mentions that OREA will always look at the program to see if there are additional benefits they can provide, if there are benefits not being utilized and if they need to substitute a new benefit. “But we’ll need some more data before we would turn our minds to those types of enhancements,” he says.
Mario Toneguzzi is a contributing writer for REM. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He worked for 35 years at the Calgary Herald, covering sports, crime, politics, health, faith, city and breaking news, and business. He now works on his own as a freelance writer for several national publications and consultant in communications and media relations/training. Mario was named in 2021 as one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the World by PR News – the only Canadian to make the list.
This is interesting!
Canadians 65 and over will NOT qualify for the new Federal Government dental program if any of the following is true.
your employment benefits or a family member’s employment benefits, including health and wellness accounts
a professional or student organization
Note: If you’re eligible for dental coverage through your employment benefits or through a professional or student organization, you’re not eligible for CDCP. This is true even if:
you decide not to take it
you *have to pay a premium for it*
you don’t use it
Even if you decide to take the dental the benefit pails in comparison the what seniors will receive from the national program.
Seniors loose out on better dental
Critical Illness
50% less life insurance while paying the same premiums.
How is this fair or equal.
Hudak and the rest should be ashamed.
This is not a secret in organized real estate. TRREB is suing two older women for being involved in a movement against this Mandatory ORWP and for calling for a TRREB special general meeting.
I’m disgusted!
Ontario Superior Court of Justice
CV 24-00714481-0000
Program opposition continues???
Has anybody seen the multi million dollar lawsuit brought by TRREB against two grannies who opposed the program?
TRREB, are you really bullying grannies now???
What are you talking about Johnny? No mention in this article about the almost 10,000 realtors that were silenced on a Facebook page because they opposed Mandatory ORWP
Yes! You are correct! I failed to mention the campaign TRREB engaged with by issuing Cease & Desist letters to many of their own members! Interestingly, the two grandmothers they have launched multi million dollar lawsuits against had already complied with their Cease & Desist letters. Looks very much like a scattergun approach to silence dissent! Very heavy handed! and the move against these grannies now is totally vexatious and over the top.
What?! How do we not know this? This is what TRREB is using our dues for, to silence members for standing up? TRREB pushed hard for ORWP even though they know the majority of us didn’t want it (including other boards), now they are suing those being vocal? Under what grounds? Unbelievable. Makes me wonder what they are trying to hide and why they were pushing ORWP…
So sad that TREBB are such bullies, going after 2 senior ladies that had the backs of Ontario Realtors. I am not a TREBB member, thank goodness. What can we all do to support against this macliouios attack and help these ladies defend this law suit?
Court File No. CV-24-00714481-0000
ONTARIO
SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE
B E T W E E N:
THE TORONTO REGIONAL REAL ESTATE BOARD
Plaintiff
and
SANDRA MARY MAHER, PENNY ELIZABETH DUTKOWSKI, JOHN DOE
and JANE DOE
Defendants
Janice, who do you think Jane & John Doe are?
I can tell you…. it’s anyone who showed opposition to ORWP!
TREBB wants a list of names and it’s not to put you on a special Christmas Card list!
Wouldn’t surprise me if the CCP was maintaining a watching brief on this case!
Thanks Johnny. I’ve asked around, no one had heard about this. How can TRREB even do this? These women did nothing wrong, and many of us supported what they were doing. I donated to the legal fund, hopefully they go after TRREB and this becomes public. Members need to know this is what our dues are going towards. With OWRP they’re likely making even more money.
In principle I am very much in favour of such a program and have subscribed to it willingly. I am paying monthly premiums BUT I have not yet received anything on-line,and certainly no hard copy of anything that even looks like a “POLICY” which delineates all the coverages, Such as a
below:
Dear Sir
Below is a quick summary of the basic plan coverages for your age (Over age 80)including rules for retention of the policy in retirement. For more detailed information please see (whatever)
I have received NOTHING, ZIP! I have been back and forth-ing a person at the management company and still don t know where I am!
Interesting the story notes 100,000 “enrolled” Not sure that is an accurate statement. Last I recall it was approx 96000 Realtor members that only had their personal information and contact details shared to the administrator CBS at OREA direction. HOWEVER many (likely in the thousands) have not completed the manual enrollment process with CBS (in protest) and therefore, are not actually “enrolled” in this sham.
Bottom line it never should have been mandatory.
Where was this idea when the world was essentially shut down for 3 years with thousands of Realtors sick with COVID? OREA never once mentioned pursuing a benefit program during that time of need.
OREA spent a year and obscene sums of money selling us on this scheme when their focus and efforts should have been on TRESA.
OREA representatives state they may seek to become “self-insured”. Not only do they stand to make millions off a GUARANTEED customer base, but they could be in a position to sell this scheme to other associations. Can you imagine starting a business with a guarantee of 100,000 customers?
The media coverage is about how many people have used the benefits they’ve been forced to buy. What did they think we’d do, be forced to pay for coverage and not use it? Where is the media coverage about all of us whose medications have been denied? Or those who’ve made claims only to receive far less than the 70% touted in all of the documents OREA posted or shared?
How about someone like me who has to use the ORWP as my primary plan, so I’m forced to pay over $5000 quarterly, out of pocket for the medication Greenshield doesn’t cover, and manually submit to my (now) secondary plan and wait 7 weeks to be reimbursed. Now my $660 ORWP is $660 plus 7 weeks interest on a credit card, plus $1070 to get $750 back. Who is reporting on these facts?
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…. The ORWP is only beneficial if you die.
Good to see how many people are benefitting? You mean how many people are just using it because they were forced to pay for it🤦🏻♀️
Here here.
My thoughts exactly Elaina! What did OREA expect, force us to pay and not use the insurance??
Exactly, if I have to pay for it, I’m going to use as much as I can!
100% this. I can’t access my far superior benefits until I process through this forced sub par plan.
I haven’t even acknowledged the program sending me emails. I’ve contributed to the resistance and from the article it appears 20% of realtors have taken the action to register their opposition. OREA is like so many bureaucracies that get empire building and butt into issues they shouldn’t in order to create work and self importance for themselves.
Respect is a two way street and OREA lost mine when it implemented this mandatory plan which for me as a 67 year old woman was disrespectful. Reasonable people do not pay “full freight” for substantially reduced benefits. At this point in my life I had various aspects of my insurance needs in place and certainly didn’t need OREA interfering with my personal life choices! The opposition is about the mandatory aspect of ORWP! For those who want or need its benefits then they should pay the premiums.
and the beat goes on
I never recd a card with my ORWP
# nor what I am Entitled to at 80+ of age
I require compound medication for thyroid issues, because of severe allergies to the regular meds. My cost is over $170.00 every 2 months. I have submitted claims for this & was declined because it is not covered. I also take brand name blood pressure medication. I am allergic to generic meds. My cost was over $89.00. I was told that I would receive $2.67 based on the cost of the generic brand. Please tell me how this program is helping me!
If ORWP is beneficial to most Realtors as they claim, then why is it mandatory? Shouldn’t it be a choice??
Exactly! And even if 30% of members want the plan, that’s 30,000 people and surely enough to negotiate a great plan! ORWP is so basic that I certainly hope no one gets seriously ill who is relying on it. $750 in prescriptions and a few massages isn’t going to go very far.
IMO
How this was legally permitted to take place is beyond me!?!
It is full on discrimination, disgusting actually! Perhaps label this, as another form of elder abuse! Simply another head scratcher in this profession that continues to make changes, most of which are disappointing! Making ORWP mandatory with reduced benefits for the over 65, and continuing to reduce the benefits as we age, while still paying the full premium amount, how is that just, fair, legal….
Absolutely no explanation or rational will ever excuse or justify their decision to discriminate And hold a gun to my head, for the full mandatory payment!
Tom you mentioned that 40 percent of real estate agents did not have life insurance. Did we not pay $100.00 a year for life insurance through TREB for a long time. Please let me know if iam wrong. You also seem pretty proud that this is the biggest insurance policy contract that is ever been issued. Big commission cheque. It also seem that you are spending a lot of time on this. Why don’t you just focus on your job.
I’d rather give the almost $700 per year to charity!! I have a private plan that offers much better coverage – so I’m now paying for two plans.
If the ORWP is so wonderful, why is there so much opposition? Make it optional and solve the problem.
Once again the media just doesn’t get it.
100,000 SELF-EMPLOYED people have been FORCED to buy a product they don’t want and didn’t ask for.
Despite being asked numerous times, OREA has failed to produce the surveys that supposedly prompted them to initiate this SCHEME. They have NEVER responded to requests to see the survey from 2019, nevermind discuss who conducted the survey, how many people participated and why they pursued a MANDATED benefit program instead of the purported #1 ask – a province wide data system.
OREA had 910 participants take part in a survey they conducted in April 2023. How can they make a determination on how many members have insurance coverage and what that coverage is when fewer than 1% of the membership responded??? OREA and specifically Tim Hudak can scream statistics til they’re blue in the face but it doesn’t change the fact that to make this program come to fruition, they had to withhold information, produce misinformation and conduct themselves with an appalling lack of transparency.
I have told 3 journalists that in October 2023,in Niagara Falls, Tim Hudak told a member that she did not have to use this plan. It was ok if she pretended she didn’t have the ORWP and continued using her existing policy. Tim repeatedly said “this is a dues increase, you don’t have to use it” and that he wouldn’t be dragging her to the chiropractor to use the benefits.
I have told 3 journalists that Tim Hudak said that “personality” is one of the contributing factors when an insurance company classifies a group.
I have told 3 journalists that taskforce co-chair Stacey Evoy outright lied when she said that “as soon as the task force knew this program would be mandatory, they told the membership”. A boldface, blatant mistruth in light of the synopsis of 8 task force meetings where they “did not include messaging on the mandatory aspect of the program.”
The journalists have been told that OREA has said members can apply for “accommodation” and be exempt from certain components of the plan but still be required to pay the full premium – without disclosing where these premiums would go when there is no coverage.
Unsurprisingly, none of those journalists is interested in reporting the dirty truths behind the ORWP.
Nobody has questioned the involvement of CBS in this process, how they were initially referred to as a broker and have since become known as administrator and/or consultant. Nobody has looked into why they have been called both Comprehensive Benefit Solutions and Comprehensive Benefits Solutions on different occasions. I know one of those entities was the subject of a 2020 FSRAO warning to the public. Why isn’t anyone asking if our “consultant” was licensed to conduct the business of RFP’s on behalf of a hundred thousand people.
I wonder if it will take Doctors and Lawyers and Engineers and Tattoo Artists and Taxi Drivers and Architects and Estheticians being bound to a benefit program THEY didn’t ask for, for someone to sit up and take notice; for someone to open their eyes and see how unjustly we’ve been treated.
Is it going to take other independent professionals having their livelihood threatened by the overreach of THEIR associations to shine a light on how wronged we’ve been, by an association who, laughingly, continues gaslighting us with their mantra of “having our backs” with this “safety net”.
Just once, I’d like someone to have some journalistic integrity and report on the ugliness of the ORWP.
Tina, thankfully and hopefully the legal system will allow the two grannies to shine a light on the goings on in relation to surveys from 2019 onwards and more! I believe that is what the legal discovery process was designed for! Sometimes self perception of oneself as a smart person can prove to be very self deprecating, I think in layman’s terms its called shooting yourself in the foot. Initiating frivolous, bullyboy lawsuits against folks you know do not have the means to defend themselves can backfire with devastating results! We may see a prime example of this over the short to medium term. Incidentally, the lawsuit also names two other defendants – Jane & John Doe! Yes if you can believe that! But be aware, this is the scattergun approach, every person who sought to resist the mandatory aspect of the offer is Jane & John Doe! What TREBB is looking for as part of there lawsuit is that list of names of their own members, and why? Hmm.. I’ll just leave that up to you…
If any of you ever lived under a communist regime, this would sound all too familiar.
I am so appalled by this law suit of some strong senior ladies who were looking out for the well being on Ontario Realtors. What a slippery slope we are on and TREBB largely responsible for the mess. TREBB gagging and suing individuals for speaking their minds and not allowing others to have a voice, is all wrong. What can we as Ontario Realtors do to help these ladies and stop what is happening. If you are a TREBB paying member, is this where you want your dues to go? Suing a few ladies to gag them???
What a patronizing article. As if the writer is clueless and doesn’t care about the strong voices out there.
What an unfortunately one sided article. Must have been paid for by OREA and TRREB to gaslight agents into thinking ORWP is a great plan and rub it in our faces that they got away with it. The majority of Realtors across the province do not want OWRP which was clear in every board survey, including TRREBs (albeit ridiculously spun internal vs external one).
Fear mongering from those opposed? No Tim, that’s called voicing our opinions to the organizations we pay dues to, who are supposed to be working FOR us, not AGAINST us. Fear mongering is what TRREB is doing to these poor women who stood and rallied for the tens of thousands of Realtors who were against mandatory ORWP.
Embarrassed to be a TRREB member if this lawsuit is true. I hope more comes out about it.
Hi Judy, thank you for reading and sharing your feedback. I can assure you this article was not paid for or sponsored in any way, and I’m sorry to hear you feel it’s one-sided. Most sections from “Program opposition continues” onward shed light on how many against the program feel and the actions they’ve taken.
the law suit is true. I read it all. It’s just unbelievable, I agree that the article was biased.
Thank you Emma. Hopefully REM will publish about this lawsuit and let member know what TRREB is doing to them just for speaking out.
don’t hold your breath…..lol