Corporate wellness programs have long promoted the health benefits of physical activity in the workplace. Insurers even says that every dollar invested in prevention reduces benefit plan costs.

Over time, insurers are finding that there is a low-level of participation in these programs, which are offered through group plans in corporate environments.

This is the observation made by Éric Trudel and Charles St-Laurent. The two are respectively Executive Vice-President and Group Insurance Leader at Beneva, and Regional Vice-President, Business Development in Quebec, at Medavie Blue Cross.

 “The utilization rate is quite low,” reveals St-Laurent. Yet insurers are racking their brains on ways to promote them, he says. “The problem is communicating their existence to policyholders.” At this stage, employers need to get involved – the ball is in their court, he adds.

Éric Trudel agrees. The progress is gradual. “It's difficult to convince plan members,” he says. This is no doubt due to the fact that people either like taking care of their health or they don't,” he says. “We've noticed that people who are interested in this are buying in, but for others, it's still difficult...”.

 St-Laurent adds that telecommuting has made it difficult for employers to reach out to employees about wellness. “It almost requires the employer to sit in a room with the employees.”

 Along with Marie-France Amyot, Vice-President of Group Benefits and Retirement Savings at Desjardins Insurance, Trudel and St-Laurent will take part in the closing panel discussion at the Congrès Collectif 2025 (2025 Group insurance Conference) on February 27 in Montreal. The conference is hosted by the Insurance Journal Publishing Group. The panellists will discuss “Change management and how to make plans more relevant in a revolutionary environment”. 

To register for the Congrès Collectif 2025, visit the Congrès website.