Life can be, and has been, challenging – and we all have strengths and weaknesses when faced with a challenge. Today more than ever we understand that taking care of our physical and mental health takes practise, patience, and support, and enables us to step up to the challenges that life gives us.
According to the second annual Canadian Attitudes on Health and Virtual Care Report, due to the pandemic
- A quarter (25%) of Canadians indicate that their overall health worsened
- Half (45%) indicate suffering from worsened mental health including stress and anxiety, and
- 31% have experienced worsened sleep.
The report also finds that 82% of Canadians are committing to taking better care of themselves, and 39% plan to use their health benefits to help them translate their new-found health and wellness consciousness into action.
Take a look at how your health insurance can help.
Health insurance helps reduce the time it takes to see a healthcare professional
How long does it take for you to see a healthcare professional for a minor concern? About one quarter of the participants in the study claimed that it typically takes four to seven days to see a healthcare professional, and 23% more said it can take more than a week.
To speed up getting the care you and your family need, your health insurance can help connect you to professionals for video consultations. How does this help? You can overcome the obstacles of appointment delays, travel and waiting room time delays. Taking advantage of virtual care is a growing solution to shorten the cycle between identifying a health problem and having a clinical solution provided by a healthcare specialist. Plus, virtual care makes it easy and convenient to use a wider range of healthcare services, like talking to a dietician or therapist.
There are a wide range of health insurance plans with free virtual and remote care features like:
- Manulife’s Akira virtual health service, available 24-7-365 for prescriptions, mental health support, diagnosis, referrals, and more.
- GMS LifeWorks 24/7 around-the-clock access to video, chat, or phone consultations with expert advisors for coping strategies, referrals to counselling, and connections to community agencies.
Health insurance helps get us on track to better health
Taking control of improving our health and wellness is something we can all do. The trick is embracing it little by little. That’s why many health insurance plans include health apps and portals like
- Manulife’s Vitality program available with FlexCare or FollowMe health plans can help you make little changes today that will have a real effect on your health tomorrow. And not only will it help improve your lifestyle, but you’ll also earn rewards for the healthy choices you make along the way. So, the healthier you become, the more money you can save.
- GSC’s Change4Life program available with Prism health plans can help you spark the change you need and provide you with tools and rewards along your journey.
And health insurance helps us pay healthcare costs
Taking control of your health may require you to seek out treatment, take medication or simply get to the long-postponed dentist visit. Health and dental insurance for you and your family helps you pay for the cost of that healthcare, with coverage for services and treatments not covered by your government health plan like:
- Prescription drugs
- Dental care for Basic, Comprehensive Basic and/or Major Services
- Vision care
- Hearing aids
- Massage Therapy
- Homecare
- Travel Emergency Medical
- And optional hospital accommodation for semi-private and/or private rooms and much more
Ready to take control of your health and wellness?
If you’re ready to take better control of your health, make sure you have health insurance you can rely on to help. SBIS offers a broad range of products from GSC, Manulife and GMS to provide you with an affordable insurance plan to save on healthcare costs and deliver the support tools you need.
We help you choose the perfect health insurance plan, and we make applying for coverage easy so you can get access to the financial protection and health services you need today.
If you have any questions, would like more information, or need assistance selecting a plan, please do not hesitate to call us. Our business hours are Monday to Friday 8:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. ET at 1-800-667-0429 or 416-601-0429.
