A recent survey done by Benefits Canada shares valuable data on how Group Benefits plan members view and plan to better their health in the future. Here are some of the findings on personal health.
Based on member reporting, physical health has improved since 2021. 47% of members felt their health was generally excellent or very good in 2022, compared to 43% in 2021. The top 3 areas in which they would like to be healthier are: increasing physical activity, weight reduction and health eating.
20% of plan members indicated their mental health was poor and more than 50% reported diagnoses of chronic conditions, which increased to 67% when chronic pain was also considered.
 |  |
The top 3 stressors are personal finances, workload and work-life balance and the top 3 reported chronic conditions are depression/anxiety, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
 |  |
Rather than increase treatment through the use of medication, members with conditions would largely prefer to increase physical activity (45%), eat healthier (40%) or make more use of their paramedical benefits (23%).
50% of members are also concerned about access to health care, particularly due to delays resulting from the pandemic. Access to virtual care is seen as a valid treatment option and continues to be seen very positively.
 |  |
