Virtual health initiative to unlock support for group and post-secondary student plan members
Green Shield Canada (GSC) has announced a partnership to give plan members much-needed access to virtual health services as concerns surrounding COVID-19 and seasonal flu are set to persist through the winter.
Starting on December 1, GSC will offer free access to leading Canadian telemedicine provider Maple for group and post-secondary plan members for a three-month period.
“As a leading advocate for evidence-based digital health technologies and the impact they can have on the health care experience for Canadians, it was an easy decision for GSC to step up and support our plan members during the ongoing health crisis,” said GSC President and CEO Zahid Salman.
The newly announced initiative expands on GSC’s initial collaboration with Maple in December 2019, under which it offered telemedicine access as an optional product addition and provided preferred pre-visit rates for plan members.
“We are very excited to be partnering with GSC to expand access to health care across the country,” said Maple co-founder and CEO Dr. Brett Belchetz. “It has never been more important to remove the obstacles that Canadians face when it comes to health care, like long travel times, fear of infectious illness, needing to leave home or work, or requiring child care to attend an in-person appointment.”
Under the new initiative, plan members and eligible dependents will be able to use Maple’s bilingual platform seven days a week, between 7 AM and midnight local time in all provinces and territories. Within minutes, they will be connected directly with a Canadian-licensed physician online via instant message, video, or audio call.
From there, plan members may request services such as medical advice, prescriptions, lab requisitions, and more. Up to four physician consultations per family are offered under the free access. Prescriptions, if directed by patients, can be delivered outside Quebec through e-pharmacy service PocketPills, which GSC partnered with earlier this year.
“We are taking no chances in ensuring plan members receive the health care they need safely and conveniently this winter,” Salman said.
