Statement: Employer paid virtual care offerings play a critical role in our health system today

(Toronto, November 20, 2024) The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) has issued the following statement by Stephen Frank, President and CEO clarifying the important role virtual care plays in Canada’s health system. 

“Millions of Canadians rely on employer-paid virtual care to access care options, including primary care that is otherwise not available. Removing employer paid virtual care options through a Canada Health Act interpretation letter will worsen health outcomes and further exacerbate strains on our health care system.”

Today, 10 million Canadians are covered by employer-paid virtual care. In 2023, this amounted to just over half a million virtual care visits paid for by Canadian employers through health benefit plans, at no cost to individual Canadians. These services also benefit individual patients with access to care and less time lost waiting in emergency rooms and walk-in clinics.

Employer-paid virtual care has been available in Canada since 2017 and has improved Canadians’ access to timely, quality health care services. Since then, employer investment has improved the innovative and secure technologies that make these services possible. 

The CLHIA believes that provinces should continue to have the flexibility to offer their residents the choice of virtual care options. Employer-paid virtual care should be supported by all governments as an important and necessary solution to the current health care crisis. Policy and decision makers should be focused on the real problem of Canadians paying out of pocket for care. We support government efforts to eliminate this practice. We are calling on government to address out of pocket payment for care without removing virtual care options for 10 million Canadians who already have access to it through their workplace benefit plans.