New Report: Integrating health coverage and care supports a strong, resilient Canada in challenging times Français

Cision Canada

29-04-2025

TORONTO, April 29, 2025 /CNW/ - GreenShield is proud to release its latest Health Outcomes Report, Measuring Better Health for All, offering timely insights into how integrating coverage and care is supporting Canadians as they navigate new political and economic uncertainty.
Amidst a quickly evolving economic landscape, the report reveals how the company's innovative, integrated health and benefits model is enhancing healthcare access, equity, and outcomes for Canadians. Drawing on data from the seven and a half million Canadians that GreenShield supports, the report provides actionable insights into improving access to health care services, mental health support, chronic disease management solutions, and pharmacy care at a time when it's needed most.
"With trade tensions and cost of living pressures rising, Canadians are facing new obstacles to accessing the care they deserve. As Canada's only national non-profit health and benefits company, we are committed to reducing systemic barriers to care and supporting overall health and well-being across the country," said Zahid Salman, President and CEO of GreenShield. "Our latest Health Outcomes Report reveals how our payer-provider model is revolutionizing the health and benefits experience by putting Canadians at the centre. By combining coverage and care into one seamless platform, we are improving health care access, equity and outcomes – reinforcing our mission of Better Health for All."
Key insights from the report:
Improving mental health during times of uncertainty: Since January, GreenShield has delivered over 27,000 hours of counselling sessions with therapists matched to the personal lived experience of each user. Online appointments were available in less than 24 hours on average and users reported a 21 per cent reduction in symptoms from the first session.
Enhancing access to health services: Today, more than one in five Canadians don't have a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Of those who do, 40 per cent will wait four days or more, simply to address minor health concerns. This is leading to declining health outcomes and increased visits to emergency rooms. GreenShield is helping with our telemedicine solution. In the first quarter of 2025, 77 percent of appointments made through GreenShield mitigated the need for an in-person visit to an emergency department, family doctor, or walk-in clinic.
Integrating pharmacy for better medication adherence: Over 40 per cent of Canadians experience chronic illness, and 20 per cent of them take five or more medications. Medication adherence plays a crucial role in improving health outcomes, particularly for individuals dealing with chronic health conditions. GreenShield Pharmacy is transforming medication management by making it easier for Canadians to access and manage their medications. In the first quarter of 2025, GreenShield Pharmacy delivered 9 percent higher rates of high-medication adherence compared to industry averages, with a 91 percent adherence rate for cardiovascular medication and 85 percent adherence for diabetes drugs.
Coverage and care, all in one place
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 our communities and in our workplaces.
GreenShield+ is a first-of-its-kind digital health and benefits ecosystem that offers unprecedented levels of integration between health services – including telemedicine, pharmacy, chronic disease management and mental health services – and benefits plans. With GreenShield+, users 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.
Coverage and care, built around all Canadians
As a proud Canadian non-profit, GreenShield operates without short-term profit-driven shareholders, enabling the company to prioritize longer term people and purpose over profits. GreenShield is committed to reinvesting its excess earnings to directly support the health and well-being of underserved communities. Through GreenShield Cares, the company has committed $75 million to improve the health of over one million Canadians by the end of 2025, with a focus on mental health, essential medicines, and chronic disease management.
To read GreenShield's latest Health Outcomes Report, visit: https://grnshld.com/HO2025Apr
About GreenShield
As Canada's only national non-profit health and benefits company, GreenShield believes health care is a right, not a privilege. We're dedicated to improving health outcomes, driving systemic change, and building a future where every Canadian can reach their full health and well-being potential.
We are revolutionizing the health and benefits experience with coverage and care in one place. Through our unique integrated payer-provider ("payvider") model, we offer insurance, administer benefits and pay claims as a 'payer' while offering health services such as mental health, pharmacy, telemedicine and chronic disease management as a 'provider'.
As a non-profit social enterprise, we don't have shareholders, which allows us to prioritize and reinvest our excess earnings to directly support underserved communities. Through GreenShield Cares, we've committed $75 million to improve the health of over one million Canadians by the end of 2025, focusing on mental health, essential medicines, and chronic disease management. Our scalable initiatives deliver meaningful change in pursuit of Better Health for All.
GreenShield is proud to be recognized as one of Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures, a leading Imagine Canada Caring Company, and named on the Fortune's Change the World list.