Latest news with #PolicyMe
4 days ago
- Health
More than half of Canadians skipping health care such as dental, survey suggests
As the Canadian Dental Care Plan expands this week to include all eligible age groups, 35 per cent of Canadians report they've skipped or reduced dental visits, a new survey suggests. Dental care was the most commonly delayed health service, according to the survey released Tuesday. The Canadian digital insurance company PolicyMe carried out the online survey of 1,500 adults in partnership with the Angus Reid Institute from May 9-12. More than half of Canadians (56 per cent) said they're delaying health appointments due to costs, with some skipping appointments. They're skipping as a result of cost, said Andrew Ostro, CEO and co-founder of PolicyMe in Toronto. Young adults aged 18 to 34 were the most affected of respondents, according to the survey, with 66 per cent saying they were delaying health care compared with 58 per cent among those aged 35 to 54. WATCH | Canada's dental care coverage rolls out: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? First phase of Canada's national dental care plan begins The first phase of the Canadian Dental Care Plan began on May 1, providing coverage to nearly two million seniors aged 70 and older. Dr. Paul Allison, a professor at McGill University's dental faculty, said since younger adults as a group tend to be healthier than older adults, health generally, as well as oral health care, may not be as high on their list of priorities as older adults. About 47 per cent of Canadians aged 55 or older in the survey said they also delayed health care. Cost of care Verlaj Bains, 27, of Toronto, can relate to the survey's findings. About 18 months ago, he started to have sensitivity in his lower teeth when drinking cold beverages. He had some dental coverage at the time and went for an assessment. They had to do the full tooth replacement and it would have been like $3,000, Bains said. I did not have that money. In Canada, employer coverage makes up the bulk of the way people are insured, Ostro said. About 60 per cent of all private dental care expenditures in 2015 originated from private insurance sources, while the rest was paid for out of pocket, according to the Canadian Dental Association (new window) . Out-of-pocket costs include co-pays where insurance companies pay from 50 per cent to 90 per cent, deductibles on the first few hundred dollars worth of services that patients need to cover and gaps in what companies reimburse, Ostro said. In terms of generations in the survey, 20 per cent of Gen Zers and 21 per cent of baby boomers said they're uninsured, suggesting that both instability early in careers as well as retirement gaps leave people unprotected, PolicyMe said. Among Canadians aged 55 and older, 21 per cent reported having no health or dental coverage. At the same time, Gen Z is aging out of parental plans and entering a workforce that often lacks traditional benefits. Dr. Carlos Quiñonez, a dental professor at Western University, said the increase in gig work could also be contributing to people stalling on seeking health care. We end up treating a lot of people that experience financial difficulties in accessing care, and that's why they come to dental schools to access low-cost care, said Quiñonez, who previously tapped into funding from another insurer, Green Shield Canada, to establish a free dental clinic (new window) at the University of Toronto. For Bains, cost is the main issue. The kinesiology student said he's definitely interested in the federal dental care plan, given his lingering sensitivity. There's no pain, but it could be worse, so I definitely need to get on it. Impact of the CDCP As of this week, all remaining adults in Canada aged 18 to 64 are eligible for public coverage through the national Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), if they're not covered through another plan, such as employment or retiree benefits, a family member's or a provincial plan. The federal government said it expects the plan to make the cost of dental care more affordable for up to nine million Canadian residents, and four million have been approved so far. In the new survey, about 11 per cent of Canadians reported relying on the CDCP so far. There were a lot of people in the middle income groups who probably don't qualify for the CDCP, but still find it quite difficult to pay for dental care, Allison said. Beyond cost, there are also problems in terms of time and geographic access to dental care, Allison said. Criteria to qualify for CDCP include that you and your spouse/common-law-partner (if applicable) must have filed your tax returns in Canada and your adjusted family net income needs to be less than $90,000. More broadly in the survey, about 36 per cent of Canadians said they're concerned their employer-provided insurance coverage could be reduced or eliminated amid ongoing economic instability, with concern the highest in B.C. While 71 per cent of uninsured Canadians report cutting back on care, even 52 per cent of insured Canadians say they've delayed or missed appointments for financial reasons. Amina Zafar (new window) · CBC News
CBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CBC
More than half of Canadians skipping health care such as dental, survey suggests
Social Sharing As the Canadian Dental Care Plan expands this week to include all eligible age groups, 35 per cent of Canadians report they've skipped or reduced dental visits, a new survey suggests. Dental care was the most commonly delayed health service, according to the survey released Tuesday. The Canadian digital insurance company PolicyMe carried out the online survey of 1,500 adults in partnership with the Angus Reid Institute from May 9-12. More than half of Canadians (56 per cent) said they're delaying health appointments due to costs, with some skipping appointments. "They're skipping as a result of cost," said Andrew Ostro, CEO and co-founder of PolicyMe in Toronto. Young adults aged 18 to 34 were the most affected of respondents, according to the survey, with 66 per cent saying they were delaying health care compared with 58 per cent among those aged 35 to 54. WATCH | Canada's dental care coverage rolls out: First phase of Canada's national dental care plan begins 1 year ago Duration 2:02 Dr. Paul Allison, a professor at McGill University's dental faculty, said since younger adults as a group tend to be healthier than older adults, health generally, as well as oral health care, may not be as high on their list of priorities as older adults. About 47 per cent of Canadians aged 55 or older in the survey said they also delayed health care. Cost of care Verlaj Bains, 27, of Toronto, can relate to the survey's findings. About 18 months ago, he started to have sensitivity in his lower teeth when drinking cold beverages. He had some dental coverage at the time and went for an assessment. "They had to do the full tooth replacement and it would have been like $3,000," Bains said. "I did not have that money." In Canada, employer coverage makes up the bulk of the way people are insured, Ostro said. About 60 per cent of all private dental care expenditures in 2015 originated from private insurance sources, while the rest was paid for out of pocket, according to the Canadian Dental Association. Out-of-pocket costs include co-pays where insurance companies pay from 50 per cent to 90 per cent, deductibles on the first few hundred dollars worth of services that patients need to cover and gaps in what companies reimburse, Ostro said. In terms of generations in the survey, 20 per cent of Gen Zers and 21 per cent of baby boomers said they're uninsured, suggesting that both instability early in careers as well as retirement gaps leave people unprotected, PolicyMe said. Among Canadians aged 55 and older, 21 per cent reported having no health or dental coverage. At the same time, Gen Z is aging out of parental plans and entering a workforce that often lacks traditional benefits. Dr. Carlos Quiñonez, a dental professor at Western University, said the increase in gig work could also be contributing to people stalling on seeking health care. "We end up treating a lot of people that experience financial difficulties in accessing care, and that's why they come to dental schools to access low-cost care," said Quiñonez, who previously tapped into funding from another insurer, Green Shield Canada, to establish a free dental clinic at the University of Toronto. For Bains, cost is the main issue. The kinesiology student said he's definitely interested in the federal dental care plan, given his lingering sensitivity. "There's no pain, but it could be worse, so I definitely need to get on it." Impact of the CDCP As of this week, all remaining adults in Canada aged 18 to 64 are eligible for public coverage through the national Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), if they're not covered through another plan, such as employment or retiree benefits, a family member's or a provincial plan. The federal government said it expects the plan to make the cost of dental care more affordable for up to nine million Canadian residents, and four million have been approved so far. In the new survey, about 11 per cent of Canadians reported relying on the CDCP so far. "There were a lot of people in the middle income groups who probably don't qualify for the CDCP, but still find it quite difficult to pay for dental care," Allison said. Beyond cost, there are also problems in terms of time and geographic access to dental care, Allison said. Criteria to qualify for CDCP include that you and your spouse/common-law-partner (if applicable) must have filed your tax returns in Canada and your adjusted family net income needs to be less than $90,000. More broadly in the survey, about 36 per cent of Canadians said they're concerned their employer-provided insurance coverage could be reduced or eliminated amid ongoing economic instability, with concern the highest in B.C. While 71 per cent of uninsured Canadians report cutting back on care, even 52 per cent of insured Canadians say they've delayed or missed appointments for financial reasons.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
High costs delay Albertans from accessing health care: report
Many Canadians, including 60 per cent of Albertans, are delaying or skipping health appointments because of high costs, a new report says. (Pexels/Mikhail Nillov) A growing number of Albertans are skipping or delaying health care appointment because they can't afford treatment, a new report says. The 2025 Insurance Access and Affordability Study, released by PolicyMe in partnership with Angus Reid on Tuesday, states that high costs are a barrier for many people seeking health care, including those who have insurance. The study found 56 per cent of Canadians are putting off appointments because they're too expensive. PolicyMe, a Toronto-based insurance company, says some are even skipping appointments entirely. When it comes to Alberta, the report found 60 per cent of residents admitted to skipping, delaying or reducing the frequency of their appointments. Many Albertans (64 per cent) are also paying out-of-pocket for dental care, followed by vision care (60 per cent) and prescription drugs (56 per cent). Only four per cent of Albertans use the Canadian Dental Care Plan to cover costs, the report said. 'These numbers paint a clear picture: even as more benefits exist on paper, affordability continues to be a real barrier to accessing care, especially for those early in their careers,' the company said. 'Once they do secure coverage, however, the need is immediate. Over 50 per cent of PolicyMe customers submit a claim within the first 90 days, a strong signal that many are addressing long-delayed health care as soon as they're able.' PolicyMe says many Canadians do have health insurance, but older residents are the most likely to not be insured. Twenty-one per cent of residents over 55 years old have no health or dental coverage, the company said. Furthermore, PolicyMe said 36 per cent of Canadians feel that economic instability could risk reducing or eliminating their insurance coverage. The survey was conducted online from May 9 to 12 using a sample of 1,502 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The sample size has a margin of error of +/- 2.53 percentage points 19 times out of 20.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Think you can't negotiate work benefits? You can if you get creative, experts say
Andrew Ostro, co-founder of PolicyMe, seen in this handout photo, says any workplace benefits plan that covers north of 75 per cent of the health expenses is considered strong. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - PolicyMe Not all workplace benefits plans are created equal. Experts say it's important to understand what's in the plan before signing a contract at a new job, and whether there's room to negotiate some extra perks better tailored to your life. 'Sometimes, benefits programs can seem really bright and shiny on the outside but dig into the details and ask questions,' said Jillian Climie, a compensation expert and co-founder of Vancouver-based consulting company The Thoughtful Co. Generally, Climie said, a core workplace benefits package should include not only health care and dental benefits but also disability coverage and life insurance. However, most of it comes down to a company's compensation philosophy and how it plans on supporting workers, she added. Canadian companies usually opt for structured programs from providers such as Manulife, Sun Life or Canada Life, among others. While those types of plans have less room to negotiate — if any room at all — Climie said it's important to take a closer look and see what's in there for you. 'It's always worth going into the details if you have a certain prescription,' she said. If there are additional medication coverage needs, those should be brought up and negotiated outside of the provided plan. Some companies can also offer a chunk of money as part of a health care spending account that can be used toward health or dental benefits — and can be negotiated, Climie said. 'A lot of people don't think about negotiating them, but they can be negotiated,' she said. Andrew Ostro, co-founder of digital insurance provider PolicyMe, said it's common for new employees to compare their previous workplace package with the new workplace coverage. If the new package falls short, he said people can ask the company for extra annual cash in health spending so they can buy private coverage outside of their work plan. 'The easiest thing to do would be: 'I need additional compensation outside of the benefit package to buy my own private health care,'' he said. 'So maybe, you negotiate and say, 'My expenses are too high, my dental expenses are really high. This plan isn't covering me sufficiently for what I need.'' Usually, any plan that covers north of 75 per cent of the health expenses is considered a strong plan, Ostro said. Looking closely at disability coverage is also important, Ostro said. 'That's one of the biggest risks for an individual that is typically hard or expensive to cover outside of work,' he said. Ostro said a few key terms can dictate the robustness of disability coverage. For instance, some long-term disability plans define occupation as any work — at or outside the main job. If a worker can no longer do the job at work but finds a second lower-skilled job to get by, the insurance company could refuse to provide disability coverage. Ostro said it's also important to look at the length of the disability coverage — whether it's two years or up until the age of 65, for instance. But there's room to be creative beyond what's in those structured packages. Climie said work-life balance sits at the heart of benefits negotiations for many young workers. There are pieces such as negotiating sabbaticals, professional development coaching, parental leave policies and even fertility benefits for both sexes. 'I'm seeing people get really creative on the different things that are important to them and they minimize different friction points in the workplace,' she said. For instance, getting a parking allowance negotiated when driving to downtown Toronto for work every day of the week. 'Those are where it's more individualized to you and you can see what's negotiable based on what you're really looking for,' Climie said. It all comes down to asking the right questions and weeding out any red flags before signing on the dotted line. 'Ask for the benefits package if they haven't provided it to you already. Review it in detail. Take your time. Don't be rushed by them. And make sure you understand how it works,' Climie said. 'It's a huge decision to join a new job, so make sure you have all the information that you need.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2025. Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press
