News

June 11, 2019

ENCON Introduces Maple's Virtual Care Service for Group Benefits Clients

OTTAWA, ON – June 11, 2019 – ENCON Group Inc., a leading managing general agent in Canada, and a Victor company, today becomes the first Canadian insurance provider to bundle a virtual doctor consultation service into its group benefits health care product for its entire book of business.

Virtual care is a new means of accessing medical care directly online through a smartphone or website. Through a collaboration with Maple, Canada’s leading virtual care provider, ENCON plan members will be able to efficiently and effectively manage their health through virtual care 24/7, 365 days a year via a smartphone or computer.

Maple’s virtual care offering gives individuals and their families direct access to a physician on-demand, eliminating the need to visit a walk-in-clinic or the Emergency Room for certain conditions. This unique, fully bilingual service offering was made available through Maple’s partnership with Morneau Shepell, which offers innovative health and productivity solutions to address employee health and wellness needs.

In 2018, the average Canadian missed around 8 days of work due to illness and disability. Virtual care can reduce the direct costs of absenteeism as well as indirect costs related to lost productivity by connecting Canadians with doctors from wherever they are without the need to spend time in waiting rooms.

This virtual care collaboration will provide a number of benefits to ENCON’s plan members, including:

  • Access to a comprehensive medical record, owned and managed by the employee.
  • A typical wait time of under two minutes to speak directly with a doctor whenever a health concern arises, bypassing the need to speak to a nurse or care coordinator.
  • The option to consult with a doctor through instant message, audio or video chat in English or French.

Rhonda Sommerville, Managing Director, ENCON said: “Through virtual care, plan members will now have fast, convenient and secure access to doctors, without having to go through pre-screening or take additional time off work to sit in a doctor’s waiting room. We believe that digital innovations like this are the future of health care and an important part of our service philosophy of bringing better choices and services to our clients.”

Dr. Brett Belchetz, CEO and Co-founder, Maple, said: “The majority of Canadians struggle to obtain timely access to doctors, but experience has shown that many patients do not require a hands-on exam. Virtual care–an innovation that has gained wide adoption around the world–is the perfect solution to address the issues of access and wait times to see doctors in specific healthcare situations in Canada. With Maple, Canadians can now see a doctor in minutes, whenever a health concern arises–leading to better health outcomes, less stress, and fewer missed work days.”

Access to Maple’s virtual care service is now being rolled out to ENCON’s group benefits clients enrolled or renewing in September 2019 onwards.

Contact

Victor Insurance Holdings
Margaret Woodruff
+1-905-755-2276
Send Email

Maple
Katie MacKay
647-771-2336
katie@getmaple.ca

About ENCON Group Inc.

ENCON is a subsidiary of Victor Insurance Holdings, the world’s largest managing general underwriter, currently servicing greater than $1.55 billion (USD) in premium with operations in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Bermuda and Australia.

A leading managing general agent in Canada, ENCON has a rich history in specialty insurance, and offers a unique range of products and programs in professional liability, specialty property and casualty insurance, as well as group and retiree benefits. ENCON is committed to empowering brokers and their clients through innovation, specialized underwriting expertise and a nimble, technology-oriented business approach.

About Maple

Maple is a technology platform that tackles some of the world’s most meaningful issues in healthcare, starting with timely and convenient access to doctors and other healthcare providers. It allows patients to connect directly with doctors for medical care in minutes from their smartphone or computer 24/7, and also provides custom technology solutions for hospitals looking to advance their delivery of care. Learn more at getmaple.ca.

About Morneau Shepell

Morneau Shepell is the only human resources consulting and technology company that takes an integrated approach to employee well-being, health, benefits and retirement needs. The Company is the largest administrator of retirement and benefits plans and the largest provider of integrated absence management solutions in Canada. Established in 1966, Morneau Shepell serves approximately 24,000 clients, ranging from small businesses to some of the largest corporations and associations. With more than 4,500 employees in offices worldwide, Morneau Shepell provides services to organizations around the globe. Morneau Shepell is a publicly-traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: MSI). For more information, visit morneaushepell.com.