Can't afford a drug/dental plan? Read this

NEWS RELEASE

GROUP HEALTH CENTRE

The Group Health Centre is making history again today with the launch of the new “GHC Wellness Initiative” – an innovative partnership with Manulife that will see the Centre

offering affordable supplemental insurance at exclusive group rates.

This move happens less than a month after Statistics Canada released a new study showing that Canadian households are spending an ever-increasing percentage of their total household income on health care.

The new data supports a piece published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal stating that approximately 24 percent of Canadians have no drug coverage, and about two-thirds face some form of out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs (sometimes due to inadequate coverage).

That piece also estimated that as many as 27% of Canadians without prescription drug coverage don’t fill prescriptions because they simply can’t afford them.

While a variety of coverage options are available through the Wellness Initiative (including

prescription drug and dental), all plans will include coverage for key medical expenses like vision

care, registered specialists and therapists (eg. physiotherapy), and more.

Premiums will start as low as $70/ month for combined health and dental coverage, and plans will be available to anyone who expresses a need.

“We know how important it is for our patients to have access to the medical services and supplies that will help them live happier, healthier lives,” said Grant B. Walsh, president and CEO of the Group Health Centre. “That’s why it was so important to us to be able to offer affordable supplemental insurance: we don’t want the small business owners, the part-time or contract workers, the retirees and others who don’t have enough insurance coverage to skip the care they need because of cost.”

Though group insurance rates are sometimes available through other affinity programs, such as CAA, the Group Health Centre’s program has an extra incentive for Sault and rea residents: for every person that signs up for coverage, an ongoing contribution will be made to Group Health Centre Trust Fund – helping purchase medical equipment and defray capital costs.

For more information on the Wellness Initiative, or to enroll for coverage, visit www.ghc.on.ca/wellness, call (705) 910-1124, or email [email protected].

The Group Health Centre serves over 71,000 Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District residents, and is the leader in providing quality outpatient service and care with high patient satisfaction.

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