Medavie Blue Cross offers pandemic premium relief program for plan sponsors

April 23, 2020

Small- and medium-sized businesses are dealing with the most challenging economic crisis of our time. We are committed to doing our part to help ease the financial burden on plan sponsors during this difficult period.

“Small- and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve always believed in supporting our communities and improving the wellbeing of Canadians – and we have never been more committed to that goal than now,” said David Adams, Vice-President, Business Development, Medavie Blue Cross.

Premium Relief Program

Retroactive to April 1, 2020, we will be providing a premium relief program for all non-refund, fully-insured group clients for the month of April:

We are crediting 50% of dental premiums, to reflect the decrease in dental visits during the pandemic.
We are also crediting 10% of Health Premiums, on both Drugs and Extended Health Benefits. Although drug claim levels have not been impacted by the pandemic, this credit reflects the current reduction in paramedical and vision claims. We will continue to offer virtual options for many provider types to ensure that benefits can still be accessed in this time of need.

“Many businesses are grappling with the most challenging economic crisis of our time and we’re committed to continually reviewing our day-to-day practices to make sure we are supporting the needs of Canadians. This includes offering our members greater flexibility in adjusting plans to temporarily lower monthly premiums, extending plan freezes for up to three months and working with our members to ensure we come out stronger when this crisis ends.”

This premium relief program applies for clients with the noted benefits, and will continue to be reassessed for potential extension. Our approach to the program is to reflect the current reduction in claims, while balancing that claims will increase to higher levels in the future.

We are committed to working with our clients and stakeholders to ensure that, together, we can weather this storm.