Green Shield Canada announced recently that it was bringing the concept of wellness to Canada. According to this insurer’s announcement:
“The company hopes to redefine the concept of wellness by utilizing analytics to target employee populations diagnosed with chronic disease and, even more proactive, reach out to those plan members at the highest risk of developing one.”
From my review of some spending by some of Green Shield’s clients, fixing decayed teeth is the most expensive chronic disease.
How will Green Shield implement its new wellness plan?
“In the last quarter of 2014 and into 2015, the company will announce and implement a series of strategies to engage and support plan members in better management of their day-to-day health.
This will include targeted education campaigns for chronic disease states, enhanced support systems for individuals and their families to navigate the healthcare system, and the launch of programs that will link plan members to health providers in their communities who can provide in-depth disease management support.”
We are already introducing dental wellness to some Green Shield’s clients. It means informing those workers or dependents who are spending chronically on dental restoration, about the risk factors for their disease, and about new preventive measures to overcome their disease.
In short, the workers and their families are becoming informed about why they get cavities and how to avoid them in the future with more preventive care. And they are learning there are dental offices called the Partners in Prevention which offer more prevention when it is needed.
Dental wellness is part of overall wellness. The days of simply expanding co-pays or recall periods are waning. Canadian insurers and employers want to work smarter.
By: Ross Perry
SOURCED: Partners In Prevention – http://partnersinprevention.ca/wellness-is-coming-soon-to-your-neighbourhood/
