Canadians are spending 2.5 times more time navigating their health and benefits than with their doctor

GreenShield’s new campaign reinforces their commitment to bringing Canadians an integrated, seamless health and benefits experience

TORONTO, ONTARIO - September 25, 2023 – Canadians are spending more and more time trying to access health care and benefits. From waiting in a doctor’s office, to completing benefit forms, to lining up at the pharmacy, a recent survey by GreenShield revealed Canadians are spending 2.5 times more time navigating their health care and benefits than they are spending at their actual doctor appointment.

On average, Canadians are spending twice as much time in the lead up to seeing a health care practitioner, from booking the appointment, to filling out medical history forms, and waiting to be seen, compared to time spent in their appointment. In addition, they also spend 60 per cent more time post-appointment completing tasks such as filling prescriptions, making follow- up appointments and submitting insurance forms than in the actual appointment.

“We know Canadians want to take control of their health but face challenges navigating the disparate parts of the health and benefits system. Canadians are looking for access, convenience, better integration, and improved health outcomes,” said Zahid Salman, President and CEO, GreenShield. “As Canada’s first payer-provider and only national not-for-profit health and benefits company, GreenShield has paved a better way forward by integrating coverage and care, all in one place—delivering a personalized, engaging, and simplified experience.”

Coverage and care, all in one place

GreenShield is the first organization in Canada to operate as an integrated payer-provider — offering insurance, administering benefits as a ‘payer’ and offering health services such as mental health, pharmacy, and telemedicine as a ‘provider’. Integrating both sides of the payer-provider equation enables GreenShield to uniquely simplify access to care, remove administrative barriers, and improve health outcomes for its customers.

Earlier this year, GreenShield launched GreenShield+, a first-of-its-kind digital health and benefits ecosystem that revolutionizes the Canadian health and benefits experience through unprecedented levels of integration between its health services and benefits plans. And today, to reinforce that commitment, GreenShield has launched its first-ever national campaign, the Reverse Waiting Room.

“Our new national campaign is about empowering Canadians with a health and benefits experience built around them,” said Mandy Mail, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, GreenShield. “The Reverse Waiting Room flips the universal truth with GreenShield’s new way forward, which has coverage and care, all in one place, built around you. The Reverse Waiting Room is analogous to the GreenShield+ experience - timely access to quality care with seamless benefits integration, enabling you to spend more time on health and well-being versus navigating a complex system.”

The campaign includes new commercials airing across Canada, in English and French, on TV, social media and YouTube. It reinforces the power of GreenShield+ in a unique, humorous, and compelling way while showcasing unprecedented levels of integration and services, where users can check their coverage, access their benefits, connect with healthcare providers, and get reimbursed for their claims all in one, easy-to-use place.

Coverage and care, built around all Canadians

GreenShield was founded as a not-for-profit on the belief that all Canadians deserve the opportunities better health unlocks, with a mission of championing better health for all. The organization reinvests its earnings and redeploys its wholly-owned health services to support underserved and marginalized communities across Canada through its social impact brand, GreenShield Cares. The company is well on its way to reinvesting $75 million to positively impact at least 1 million Canadians by 2025.

“GreenShield believes that health is a right, not a business,” said Salman. “Our unique integrated coverage and care model has been built to alleviate the barriers to care for all Canadians.”

Learn more about GreenShield+ and about GreenShield Cares in the 2022 Social Impact Report.

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, and medical 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 not-for-profit social enterprise that reinvests its earnings and redeploys its services to support underserved 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 2025, with a focus on mental and oral health. As the industry’s noble challenger GreenShield continues to innovate, evolving its offerings and services to deepen its purpose of championing better health for all. 

GreenShield.ca

GreenShield means, collectively, Green Shield Canada (GSC), Green Shield Association, and Green Shield Holdings Inc., which is the primary company that houses health services and benefits administration businesses, including Inkblot Therapy, Tranquility, BCH Consultants, NKS Health Canada, The Health Depot Pharmacy, Benecaid, and Computer Workware Inc. Green Shield Holdings Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the not-for-profit Green Shield Association.

About the survey

These findings are from a study released by Sago between September 2-5, 2023 among a random selection of 1,476 Canadian adults ages 18+ who are online panelists of Sago’s Asking Canadians Community.

The results were weighted by education, age, gender, and region (and in Quebec, language) to match the population, according to Census data. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. Respondents could respond in either English or French. Discrepancies in or between totals when compared to the data tables are due to rounding. Excerpts from this release of findings should be properly attributed, with interpretation subject to clarification or correction.

Sago is the global research and data partner that connects human answers to business questions. Combining a legacy of impact, global reach, and innovative spirit, Sago enables clients to solve business problems through extensive audience access and an adaptive range of qualitative and quantitative solutions.