| The Top Takeaways from the 2022 Benefits Canada annual health survey. What do they mean for you and your benefits plan? Every year, Benefits Canada takes the pulse of benefits plan members’ personal health and behaviours while checking in with plan sponsors on their perceptions of health benefit plans, workplace wellness supports and the workplace environment. We’ve pulled together some of the highlights and key takeaways from the most recent survey, conducted in April 2022, to share with you. In 2022, twenty per cent of Canadians who were on some form of Benefits plan, described their mental health as ‘poor’. This is twice the number of people who reported their overall health as being ‘poor’. Increased physical activity was at the top of the list of things that plan members would like to incorporate into their lives, both for lifestyle as well as a component of treatment for chronic conditions. And, for the second consecutive year, virtual health care continued to grow as a valued point of access. Here are some of the key takeaways from the survey for you to consider as you look forward to shaping your employee benefits plan in 2023 and beyond. IN THE CATEGORY OF PERSONAL HEALTH Overall physical health appears to have rebounded somewhat during year two of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the proportion of plan members reporting poor health returns to pre-pandemic levels. The survey clearly establishes the relationship between physical and mental health. Those in poor overall physical health are much more likely to have poor mental health and vice versa. Self-assessed poor mental health is twice as likely as self-assessed poor overall health. While overall health may be improving for the majority, the sick are getting sicker, cautioned members of the advisory board for 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. Backlogged medical appointments, tests and treatments mean it will be years before the pandemic’s impact on people with serious or chronic illnesses will be known. Fewer plan members reported poorer eating habits and weight gain in 2022, however, the number reporting decreased physical activity did not change by much. Physical activity is also the area they’d most like to improve upon to be healthier. Year after year, plan sponsors underestimate the presence of chronic conditions and/or chronic pain in their workforce. The incidence of those with obesity is likely underreported given that many people with the condition are not formally diagnosed. Nine out of 10 plan members are at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19, including 65% who have been triple vaccinated, consistent with reporting from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Fewer plan members experienced high levels of stress on a typical day. While ‘interactions with people at work’ and ‘commuting’ dropped in significance on the list of stressors during the pandemic, both are expected to climb in the rankings as more people return to work sites. The nature of interpersonal stress has also changed due to the unique issues associated with a lingering pandemic (e.g. differing opinions on safety measures). Survey results consistently suggest plan members’ desire to change personal lifestyle behaviours for the better. Plan members with chronic conditions and/or chronic pain would most like to do more physical activity as part of their treatment. However, due to the nature of their symptoms, increased physical activity may be difficult, at least to start, emphasized the advisory board.  Personal finances and workload remain the top two main sources of stress. Almost one in four plan members with a chronic condition and/or chronic pain would like to increase their use of paramedical services as part of treatment. Paramedical services are those services and professions that supplement and support medical work but don’t require a fully qualified physician, such as nursing, radiography, emergency first aid, physical therapy and dietetics. Paramedical services, used appropriately, should be regarded as more than an adjunct to treatment; rather, they can improve access to care and serve as a point of entry (e.g., to assess joint injuries), noted the board. A mental-health condition, such as depression, has solidified its position as the No. 1 chronic illness ever diagnosed among plan members. IN THE CATEGORY OF WORKPLACE SUPPORTS FOR HEALTH & WELLNESS Year after year, the survey has demonstrated the positive influence of workplace wellness culture on job satisfaction and personal health. Investments in wellness are somewhat more evenly distributed between physical fitness, prevention of illness / management of chronic conditions, social health and financial health, which is encouraging given the interrelationships between these areas, stated the advisory board. However, investments in mental health are well ahead of these four areas. Financial health supports will increasingly be meaningful given the sharp increases in the cost of living this year and likely into 2023. Plan members want to improve upon lifestyle behaviours such as physical activity, yet supportive tools do not fit neatly into traditional health benefits plans. Instead, they are taxable forms of compensation. The pandemic brought forward the significance of prevention and many employers stepped up and “threw everything out there” to support employees, noted members of the board. Now that the worst of the crisis is over, many of these employers are seeking to become more focussed and to adopt a formal wellness strategy. The pandemic appears also to have helped galvanize the creation of wellness committees with representation from multiple departments, regions and levels of management. Input from a cross section of employees is a cornerstone of a wellness strategy, observed members of the advisory. Literacy is as much a factor for wellness programming as it is for health benefit plans. A multi-faceted, creative communications strategy is as essential as the wellness strategy itself. The results on mental-health supports are encouraging, stated the advisory board. On top of more training programs and increased maximums for counselling coverage, board members have observed better leveraging of employee assistance programs, expanded lists of eligible care providers and the availability of internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy. Increased physical activity can reduce the impact of anxiety and depression and be as effective as medication, noted some members of the advisory board. Virtual care for mental health has been especially well received by employees and their family members, shared plan sponsors on the board. The number of plan members who have experienced workplace discrimination is ‘startling’, agreed members of the board. Efforts to ensure diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the workplace can be key to the success of a wellness strategy, particularly in the area of mental-health supports. Plan sponsors on the board urged their peers to invest the time to engage more fully with their insurance carriers to develop and execute wellness strategies that take advantage of existing programs and tools. Insurers on the board spoke of the growing value of and need for a single point of entry to access the myriad of health-care services in both the private and public sectors, in conjunction with navigational support. Both are becoming feasible thanks to technology and increased digital literacy, they added. New health-care companies offering niche services have emerged over the past few years. The role of insurers and advisors to vet and package these offerings as part of wellness programs or benefits is growing. The survey indicates that vaccination policies – or the lack thereof – have served their purpose. On the other hand, public health safety measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 will likely continue to play a role for the foreseeable future, suggested the board. You’ve heard the comments… now what? As you explored the feedback from the survey, some points will have resonated with you while others raised questions. There’s a lot of information to digest and you’re probably wondering, “How do we decide which of these points are relevant for our organization and how do we begin to implement it?” Your Employee Benefits Specialist can help you find the answer. An engaged, knowledgeable broker understands the needs of your employees, the mandate of your organization and the most suitable offerings of an ever-changing employee benefits marketplace. Working closely with you, a trusted broker will create a tailored, effective and flexible plan that will maximize the impact of the popular trends and time-proven cornerstones of employee health and wellness. Top picture courtesy of Lukas on PexelsCentre picture courtesy of Shvets Production on Pexels |
Strategically Evolving Your Employee Benefits Plan
13th January 2023
