When you manage employee needs for your small business, your time is valuable. At SBIS we offer a wide range of great plan options for small (3 – 10) and medium size businesses (10+) – so here’s a little quiz about one of our favourites.

To simplify the selection and reduce the cost of your group benefits package, GMS offers Group Advantage (GA), a health and dental plan specifically designed and attractively priced for small businesses with 3 to 10 employees.

GMS puts wellness first and delivers health insurance plans to cover a vast range of costs government and other private benefit plans don’t. And GMS extends a trademark combination of service, choice, and value.

Your coverage can be as comprehensive or affordable as you like – simply choose the health and/or dental plan that best suits your needs and calculate your monthly premium. No need to wait for a quote! Best of all, Group Advantage plans are designed with premium stability in mind, which means you won’t see a big premium hike when your plan renews.

Let’s play true or false! Get to know GMS Group Advantage (GA) plans.

Every GA plan include an Employee & Family Assistance Program

TRUE OR FALSE?

Yes, it’s true! Every GA plan includes an Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) that provides wellness benefits to your employees. With a number of online resources, employees can use EFAP to access support networks, life coaching and professional counselling services.

Choose from Silver, Gold, and Platinum health plans to cover health, vision, and prescription drugs, and add on dental care coverage ranging from routine and basic, to major procedures and orthodontic services – and deliver EFAP to your employees.

You have to be a health benefits expert to set up a GA plan

TRUE OR FALSE?

False! You don’t have to be an expert to set up a benefits plan for your company. Group Advantage is for businesses with three to ten employees. Start with one of three health benefit packages, then add on coverage like dental, life and disability if you’d like.

Each benefit package provides different levels of comprehensive and affordable health, dental and life coverage. These off-the-shelf plan designs makes the application process simple so you can get back to business with no major interruptions. There are no medical questions, and your plan can be up and running within a week!

GA is insurance that makes it easy to take care of your employees. With a GMS Group Advantage benefit plan, you can provide your employees with the group health and dental insurance they need to remain productive. An attractive employee benefit plan can also help you find and retain the best staff for your business.

GA includes EFAP

The Employee Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provides wellness benefits to your employees giving them the holistic coverage they need. With a number of online resources, your employees can use EFAP to access support networks, life coaching and professional counselling services. The EFAP is provided by Homewood Health even includes online information, to help proactively manage mental and physical health.

And a GA plan offers even more support for your employees. Pharmacies, dentists as well as health and vision practitioners can directly bill GMS for covered expenses, no need for employees to submit a claim. When direct pay isn’t available, your employees can submit their claim online and sign up for direct deposit, so they can get their money back faster.

Do we have the option to choose which benefits we want to offer our employees?

Group Advantage plans are designed for simple sign-up and consistent rates. Most of the benefits are pre-selected, but let you choose between three levels of health and dental coverage. Travel coverage ends at 80 years of age and health coverage ends when the employee retires.

If you’re an employer that wants to ramp up mental health support for your employees, the GMS Group Advantage plan is a great option. It includes a Clinical Counselling benefit, which covers psychology, clinical counselling, social work, and psychotherapy. Counselling services are also available through the Employee Family Assistance Program (EFAP).

Want to offer even more health insurance options to your employees?

If your employees want to add to their group benefits plan, or are looking to complete a wellness package, GMS Personal Health Plans offer perfect options. There are three base plans to choose from and optional benefits like prescription drugs and dental care benefits that they can add to their base plan to create a complete health insurance safety net to suit their needs, no matter what stage of life they are in!

A Personal Health Plan from GMS offers coverage for

  • Health practitioners like massage therapists, acupuncturists, naturopaths, clinical psychologists and more
  • Eye exams, eyeglasses and contact lenses
  • Dental coverage
  • Air and ground ambulance
  • Emergency medical travel coverage for out-of-province and out-of-country travel
  • Plus, much more!

For any departing employee who will no longer be covered under your employer plan, GMS Replacement Health plans can help them maintain their lifestyle without health insurance coverage interruption. With a GMS Replacement Health plan, acceptance is guaranteed and there are no medical questions as long as your plan begins within 90 days of losing employer coverage. Replacement Health plans are bundled to include coverage for prescription drugs, glasses, and contacts, dental, travel and more.

How do I get started with a Group Advantage Plan?

Make health benefits easy for your employees. It’s more important than ever to discuss mental health in the workplace and provide support and understanding for those who need it, Discover GMS health insurance today by calling us at SBIS. 1-800-667-0429 or 416-601-0429. Our business hours are Monday to Friday 8:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. eastern time. We are happy to help you through the application process. Just fill out our Group Quote Form and someone will be in touch. And if this plan isn’t just what you are looking for, we have a wide range of other options for you.

Note: Group Advantage plans are not offered for QC, NB, and NU.