Two-fifths (38%) report extreme to very high level of daily stress

Fewer than half (44%) of group benefits plans currently provide enough mental-health coverage

Half (51%) say coverage maximums limited their ability to receive treatment

TORONTO, Sept. 14, 2023 /CNW/ - According to the 26th annual Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey, released today:

• Currently, approximately two in five (38%) Canadians with a workplace health benefits plan (aka plan members) reported extreme or very high daily stress over the previous three months. This is 11 points higher than last year and exceeds the previous high (35%) recorded in 2021 in the middle of the pandemic.
• This mental-health challenge is acknowledged by the organizations that provide group health benefits for their employees (aka plan sponsors). When presented with the information that those who receive quick access to mental-health counselling are more likely to recover and may not require the ongoing use of prescription medications, fewer than half (44%) said they feel their plans provide enough coverage for mental health, with one-third (35%) admitting they don't. One in five (20%) said they didn't know.
• In fact, plan members who used their mental-health benefits during the last year reported paying, on average, $1,739 beyond what's covered under their plan.
  • In total, members reported an average out-of-pocket spend of $3,515 combined beyond their plan coverage for seven major benefits buckets — prescription drugs, dental services, mental-health therapy, physiotherapy, chiropractic therapy, massage therapy and other paramedical therapies such as acupuncture, naturopathy, etc. 
• While almost three out of four (72%) plan members agreed they appreciate their workplace group health benefits plan more today than they did before the pandemic, there are still areas of concern.
• Half (51%) reported the coverage levels of at least one of the seven benefits areas limited their ability to seek necessary treatment, jumping to 84% among those with a major injury in the past 12 months.
  • When the benefits were considered separately, coverage most often fell short for dental services (25%), followed by massage therapy (19%), prescription drugs (16%), mental-health therapy (14%) and physiotherapy (13%).

These are just a few of the findings from the 2023 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey, titled Benefits in a New Light: Perspectives to help crystallize and communicate the value of health benefits. The full report is available to download at www.benefitscanada.com/BCHS

This project would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors:

Diamond Sponsors: Beneva, Canada Life, Canadian Chiropractic Association, Desjardins Insurance, People Corporation, RBC Insurance, Sun Life
Platinum Sponsors: Blue Cross, Equitable Life of Canada, Green Shields Canada, iA Financial Group, Manulife, Rexall, Telus Health
Founding Sponsor: Sanofi Canada

Survey Methodology: The results are based on an online survey conducted in April 2023 of a nationally representative sample of 1,004 primary holders of a workplace health benefits plan. The questionnaire was developed by Contex Group/Benefits Canada and fielded by Ipsos using a random sample drawn from the 200,000+ members of the Ipsos Canadian i-Say Panel. The total results of a probability sample of this size would be considered accurate to within +/-3.1%, with 95% certainty of what they would have been had the entire population of Canadian plan members been polled. The data has been statistically weighted to ensure that the age, gender and regional composition of the sample reflect those of the adult working population according to the 2016 Census data. In addition, Contex Group and Maru/Blue fielded a separate online survey in April 2023 with 721 benefits plan sponsor decision-makers from across the country. The data was statistically weighted to accurately reflect the geographic distribution of business and business size according Industry Canada.

About Benefits Canada: Benefits Canada is the country's original and most influential HR, benefits and pension publication for key decision-makers in Canadian workplaces. Senior finance executives, pension board trustees, benefits professionals, managers and industry specialists turn to the magazine to help them make informed decisions about their benefits and pension plans.

About Context Group: Contex Group's mission is to "inform, connect and inspire through a variety of content specially designed to help business people, professionals and organizations develop and reach their full potential." Contex Group is a Canadian leader in the creation of conferences, exhibitions and training, as well as a publisher of prestigious publications and websites aimed at a variety of business audiences. The company operates through several major brands, including Benefits Canada, Avantages, Les Affaires and Contech Bâtiment.

SOURCE Benefits Canada

Justin Graham, Senior manager, content research, Contex Group, [email protected]