According to the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), in the face of global uncertainty, many small businesses like yours are looking to
- Expand their distribution across in new provinces
- Transform their operations with AI
- Seek skilled labour in a tight market.
If you’ve got plans to grow your business and your team, remember that it may be time to consider a new health insurance plan to fit your team’s needs.
Digging into your benefits toolbox
According to Benefits Canada’s Future Of Work Survey, as employers ride a stretch of turbulence, they’re turning to what matters day to day: shoring up the basics that employees feel and see and putting structure around the routines that keep things moving. More and more your business is facing shifting HR priorities, needing upskilling from your team and depending on their well-being so they can adapt and be flexible to today’s real-life issues, including AI transformations.
Employees continue to feel the squeeze of the high cost of living and inflation and have multiple health and well-being needs. They appreciate when their employers make it easier for them to take care of themselves through a great health benefits plan.
As an employer, by providing a solid health benefit plan you can step up and demonstrate that you value employee health and well-being and set the foundation for a better employment relationship, better employee health and better work productivity by ensuring your team has great health coverage support.
GMS knows what your small business needs: The Group Advantage Plan
GMS introduced health insurance coverage for health care related costs not paid for by your government health plan, such as prescription drugs, ambulance services and private duty nursing beginning in 1949. By focusing on wellness first, the individual and small group health benefits plans GMS offers provide individuals with the access to care that ensures they are living their lives to the fullest and have coverage for care when they need it.
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 to medium sized businesses with 3 to 49 employees.
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.
You can choose one of three health plan options and if you’d like, one of three dental plan options. 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 an assistance plan to your employees.
The plans cover services provided by acupuncturists, podiatrists, chiropodists, chiropractors, clinical psychologists, massage therapists, athletic therapists, dieticians, speech therapists and osteopaths – many of the healthcare professionals your team needs to stay productive.
Each Advantage group health insurance plan was created to make life easier for you and your employees who can send their claims online and sign up for direct deposit, so they can get their money back faster. And, pharmacies, dentists as well as health and vision practitioners can directly bill GMS for covered expenses, so there is no need for your employees to submit a claim.
Every Group Advantage Plan includes The GMS Care Network
To help you attract employees and make wellness a priority, The Care Network provides to your employees with an assistance program with services to help with their physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing so they can be your best and most productive self.
GMS makes getting support easy, any time of day, any day of the year. They can access help just by using their phone or by going online from wherever they are. Because every person is unique, with their own needs, challenges, preferences and progress, Care Network treats them that way. Here’s what’s included:
Virtual Primary Care
You can talk to a Canadian-licensed general practitioner by phone, video or text message. This telemedicine service can help you with minor medical needs, digital prescriptions, and more. After your consultation, you own your own health records too.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Support
Your team member can talk to an expert about stress, anxiety or depression, or consult about legal matters, financial planning, career and life transitions by video, phone, or in person. If they are facing a crisis, support is available 24/7/365. If they don’t like the provider they are matched with, there is no problem – they can choose a new one. Here are some of the services available
- Individual and couples counselling.
- Support for anxiety, depression, work stress, grief, life transitions, and more.
- Financial coaching, legal advice, family conflict, budgeting, and more.
- Nutrition advice and health coaching.
- Career consulting, professional development, workplace stress support.
- Guidance through parenting, eldercare, moving, and other life transitions.
Digital Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
To help support mild to moderate anxiety/depression, team members can access the online self-directed program for cognitive behavioural therapy to help.
GMS Care Network is confidential, taking the utmost care to protect the identity of anyone who uses the platform. With the app your team can find frequently used features in the quick actions menu. They can manage all their account information easily. Under the Services tab they can access personalized and integrated telemedicine and mental health services.
Best of all, Care Network provides convenient and quick access to mental health support when it’s needed from the comfort of home:
- each person covered under your plan can have 5 hours of counselling services every policy year, and there is an additional 5 hours of counselling for couples
- for more sessions, they can continue with the same counsellor and pay as they go, and they may be able to submit receipts for reimbursement under your GMS health plan depending on your available benefit amount and provider eligibility
- if they already have a therapist/counsellor, a GMS Care Network Client Care Representative will be able to confirm if they are part of the network (if they aren’t, GMS would be happy to refer you to a professional who already is).
Every Group Advantage Plan delivers an extra advantage for you
- Any health and dental premium you pay on behalf of your employees may be a tax-deductible expense.
- Unlimited emergency medical travel coverage is included for up to 90 days is included in Advantage plans for employees up to age 80 – if your team needs to travel.
- 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 few short weeks!
Let SBIS help you as your business grows
Discover GMS health insurance today by calling us at SBIS. 1-800-667-0429 or 416-601-0429. At SBIS, 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. And if this plan isn’t just what you are looking for, we have a wide range of other options for you.
