Today’s workforce reflects a wide range of identities, cultures, generations, and life experiences. Yet for many working Canadians, traditional benefit plans haven’t always reflected their diverse realities and needs. At Medavie, closing that gap starts with a simple principle: equitable access to care begins with inclusive design.
As one of Canada’s leading health insurers, Medavie continues to evolve our health solutions and employee benefits to better support people across all gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, abilities, and family structures. The goal is not only to expand coverage, but to reduce stigma, encourage preventive care, and ensure every individual feels seen, supported, and confident in accessing the care they need.
“Inclusive benefits are about recognizing that there is no single path to health and wellbeing,” says Shane Reid, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing for Medavie Blue Cross. “When people can access care that reflects who they are and where they are in life, they’re more likely to seek support early, which leads to better overall health outcomes.”
Expanding care to reflect diverse needs
In 2024, Medavie became the first insurer in Canada to introduce a dedicated women’s health benefit focused on perimenopause and menopause — an area long overlooked in traditional benefit design. With a free midlife health assessment, counselling support, personalized symptom management tools, 1:1 coaching, peer-to-peer connection, and a virtual assistant, this coverage empowers women and gender-diverse individuals with the knowledge and confidence to manage symptoms and maintain their wellbeing.
We’ve also expanded our approach to family-building benefits, recognizing there are many pathways to parenthood and that the journey can be physically, emotionally, and financially complex. This benefit supports fertility treatments, surrogacy-related expenses, and adoption costs, helping remove barriers for individuals and couples, including members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
For gender-diverse people, our Gender Affirmation Benefit supplements government-funded programs by covering eligible services and treatments related to gender affirmation. Designed to support individuals in accessing gender-affirming care that aligns with their personal needs, the benefit reflects a commitment to dignity, respect, and support that aligns with each person’s identity.
Mental health also remains a cornerstone of Medavie’s approach to inclusive benefits. Through our Employee and Family Assistance Program, plan members and their dependents have access to 24/7/365 counselling services, with the ability to choose a counsellor who best aligns with their lived experience and cultural, linguistic, spiritual or other personal needs. Expanded coverage for mental health practitioners and digital tools further ensures care is accessible across generations and preferences.
“At its core, this work is about removing barriers, including the ones that are financial, cultural, or systemic,” Reid adds. “By listening to lived experiences and embedding inclusion into how benefits are designed and delivered, we can help close gaps in access, quality, and outcomes.”
Building inclusion into everything we do
Beyond specific benefits offerings, Medavie is committed to prioritizing inclusion and belonging across our products and services.
“Whether it’s ensuring we use inclusive language in our forms, offering better flexibility through virtual care pathways, or involving our own employees in the development of new products, we’re always working to create solutions that are respectful, effective, and responsive,” Reid shares. “Every product, every process, and every conversation with our plan members is an opportunity to make people feel welcome and supported in caring for their whole self.”