Virtual health care offers an alternate method for connecting people with health care providers. It can be through phone calls, emails, text messaging, or online video-based technology. It can be used for diagnostic appointments, follow-up, medication reviews and prescriptions, and counselling. Virtual health care has been around for a while, but it certainly wasn’t considered a mainstream offering. When it became apparent that in-person medical care and counselling would be impossible for many people to access, benefit providers quickly pivoted to include more online offerings. This made it possible for employees to access urgent and routine care from qualified professionals from the safety and convenience of their homes. Virtual health care providers were able to refer patients to other physicians when required and even facilitate transitions to in-person care. The increased availability of virtual health care is here to stay and employees will reap the benefits well into the future. This model of delivery can simplify access to health care, improve outcomes, and help employees to enjoy better overall health. 

Very early on during the pandemic, it became clear that Canadians needed mental health support. Similar to the effect the pandemic had on virtual health care, mental health care moved out of the counsellor’s office and onto the internet. Many group benefits providers increased access to online and phone-based counselling. They also created targeted communication campaigns to help employers and employees quickly access different types of support. Some insurers offered employers additional tools to help managers and supervisors learn to initiate conversations with staff and identify team members who may be struggling. These programs remain in force today and continue to grow.  

Most employees know if they have travel insurance but they do not know the restrictions and limitations that can impact their eligibility and coverage. As national governments began to issue travel advisories, many people got a crash course in what can affect their coverage. For many benefit plans, out of country medical benefits are declined if an employee has travelled to an area with a travel advisory. Benefit plans also void cancellation insurance if a trip was booked after an advisory had already been issued. To help employees understand the limitations of their out of country medical benefits and avoid instances where coverage would be declined, benefit plan providers made a significant effort to clearly communicate plan limitations. This will continue to be a strong focus for plan providers throughout the next few years. The improved communication will help employees to better understand their coverage and prevent declined or ineligible claims.    

Let’s hear three cheers for the streamlined claims processes that were born out of necessity in 2020! More insurers moved to online offerings and reduced the requirements for paper claim submissions. Many benefit plan providers quickly updated their online claim submission process to make it easier to submit claims and also improved benefit payment turnaround times. As companies look to the future, there will be an emphasis on continuous improvement of their online portals.

Insurers are notorious for their adherence to processes and policies with good reason since these are the cornerstones of good plan design. There were not many instances where benefit plan providers demonstrated flexibility or a willingness to make exceptions. COVID-19 and its effects required benefit plan providers to get comfortable with being flexible and insurers stepped up to the challenge. Almost immediately, providers offered unprecedented exceptions and support to employers and their employees. These exceptions included premium relief, premium payment extensions, elimination of waiting periods for employees who contracted coronavirus, and extending benefit coverage for employees that were laid off. This flexibility has helped providers and employers to work together with the common goal of continuing to provide coverage and it has helped strengthen relationships between the two.   

There is no question that COVID-19 has been devastating in many ways and we will continue to feel its impact for years to come. But, the adversity thrust upon us became a catalyst for change in the provision of group benefits. These changes will continue to evolve and improve benefit plan design and pricing, and accessibility of services. Most importantly, these changes will result in better health and wellness for the employees the plans are designed to support.