Mental-health claims surge amid barriers to care

TORONTO – Insurance-industry giant GreenShield has released its inaugural Health Outcomes Report, which found that since the onset of the pandemic, there has been a 132% increase in mental health claims and a 14% rise in chronic disease-related drug claims from Canadians.

Despite this increased health need, one in five Canadians does not have access to a primary care physician, and the average wait time to see a publicly funded mental health counsellor is 31 days.

“As a proudly Canadian non-profit health and benefits company, GreenShield envisions a future where all Canadians can achieve their optimal health and well-being, regardless of background or circumstance,” said Zahid Salman, president and CEO of GreenShield.

“We’re committed to improving health outcomes for all by providing more accessible, convenient and integrated digital solutions. Our Health Outcomes report empowers our customers with tangible insights, reaffirming our dedication to championing Better Health for All.”

GreenShield’s report examines how digital health solutions are filling today’s employee health gaps, demonstrating that to improve employee health outcomes and lower this financial burden, embracing innovative workplace health solutions is critical.

It provides data from across GreenShield Insurance, GreenShield Health, and GreenShield Administration, which cumulatively serve 7 million Canadians, to provide a comprehensive overview of the state of healthcare and benefits in Canada.

Key insights include:

• Canadian employees are embracing digital health solutions as part of their integrated care: 97 percent of all Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselling appointments in 2023 were accessed virtually.
• Younger employees are showing the highest uptake across telemedicine and virtual mental health services: Employees aged 25-34 are leading adoption for mental health and telemedicine services, accounting for 35 percent of virtual mental health service users and 42 percent of telemedicine users.
• Women are the top users of digital workplace health supports: Women are embracing digital care, accounting for over 75 percent of all mental health service use and 54 percent of telemedicine users.

GreenShield is substantively improving access to care and improving health outcomes:

• Mental health: GreenShield Health’s counselling solution reduces the average wait time to see a mental health professional by 87%, from 31 days for a publicly funded counsellor to four days, with appointments available on average as early as 12 hours within completing registration.
• Telemedicine: GreenShield Health’s telemedicine solution reduces the average wait time to see a physician by 88%, from 68 minutes at a walk-in clinic (excluding travel and appointment time) to eight minutes.

“We’re seeing a strong interest in accessible workplace health solutions and holistic support, highest among women and younger employees,” said Harriet Ekperigin (pictured), vice president, Mental Health, GreenShield Health.

“Our priority is to ensure these health services aren’t just convenient to access, but effective in improving health outcomes. Having a healthier workforce will improve engagement, reduce absenteeism, and mitigate chronic diseases and their associated costs, helping both employers and employees unlock their full potential.”

With Canadians spending 2.5 times more time navigating healthcare and benefits than actually accessing care, simplifying the health and benefits experience is needed for unlocking better health outcomes in the workplace.

Launched in June 2023, GreenShield+ is a first-of-its-kind digital health and benefits ecosystem that offers unprecedented levels of integration between health services – including telemedicine, pharmacy and mental health – and benefits plans.

With GreenShield+, employees can check their coverage, access their benefits, connect with healthcare providers and get reimbursed for their claim all in one easy-to-use platform. By integrating coverage and care into one seamless solution, GreenShield+ is helping Canadians spend less time navigating the healthcare system and more time taking care of their health.

As a non-profit health and benefits company, GreenShield aims to improve health outcomes, drive systemic change, and foster a healthier, more equitable society. In addition to reinventing the health and benefits experience, the company achieves this by reinvesting its earnings and redeploying its health services to support equity-seeking Canadian communities.

GreenShield’s overarching goal is to reinvest $75 million to improve the lives of at least 1 million Canadians by the end of 2025.

To read GreenShield’s full Health Outcomes Report, visit https://grnshld.com/HO2024.

About GreenShield
GreenShield is an integrated health and benefits organization and the first organization in Canada to operate as a payer-provider – offering insurance, administering benefits, and paying claims as a ‘payer’ while offering health services such as mental health, pharmacy, telemedicine and chronic disease services as a ‘provider.’