Yahoo Finance Mental Health Claims Surge by 132% Amidst Persistent Barriers to Accessing Care
GreenShield's inaugural Health Outcomes Report reveals how digital health services are filling the gap and improving health outcomes in the workforce
TORONTO, June 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, GreenShield releases its inaugural Health Outcomes Report, underscoring the imperative for digital health solutions to enhance workplace well-being. While Canadians continue to navigate health care access challenges, their employers are managing growing health care costs. The report reveals 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, only one in five Canadians have access to a primary care physician1 and the average wait time to see a publicly funded mental health counsellor is 31 days.2
"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 health care and benefits in Canada. Key insights include:
Canadian employees are embracing digital health solutions as part of their integrated care: 97 per cent 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 per cent of virtual mental health service users and 42 per cent of telemedicine users.
Women are the top users of digital workplace health supports: Women are embracing digital care, accounting for over 75 per cent of all mental health service use and 54 per cent 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, 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."
GreenShield+: Better connected for better health
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 health care 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.' Integrating both sides of the payer-provider equation enables GreenShield to simplify access to care, remove administrative barriers, and improve health outcomes for its customers. GreenShield is uniquely structured as a non-profit social enterprise that reinvests its earnings and redeploys its services to support equity-seeking Canadian communities via its social impact brand, GreenShield Cares. The company's overarching goal is to generate $75 million of social impact investments to improve the lives of at least 1 million Canadians by the end of 2025, focusing on mental health, oral health, essential medicines, and chronic disease management. As the industry's noble challenger, GreenShield continues to innovate, evolving its offerings and services to deepen its mission of Better Health for All.
GreenShield is comprised of three non-profit entities: Green Shield Canada (GSC), Green Shield Association (GSA) and Green Shield Canada Foundation (GSCF), and GSA's wholly owned subsidiaries, including Green Shield Health Inc. and Green Shield Administration Inc.
1 Diana Duong and Lauren Vogel, "National survey highlights worsening primary care access," Canadian Medical Association Journal, April 24, 2023 |
2 Canadian Institute for Health Information, "Wait Times for Community Mental Health Counselling," 2023 |
SOURCE GreenShield
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