The upgrade means every insured member – across Group Life, Group Income Protection (GIP) and Group Critical Illness (GCI) – plus their partner and immediate family, can access WeCare via a new single app and portal.
Core services include 24/7 GP access, mental health counselling, bereavement and probate support, nutritional advice, self-help resources and the emotional wellbeing app myStrength.
GIP and GCI members will now also benefit from a virtual physio service, offering video consultations with chartered physiotherapists and AI-supported exercise programmes. They also retain access to second medical opinions, as well as financial and legal guidance.
Chris Morgan, head of product & proposition strategy, protection at Canada Life, commented: “Taking care of our health is vital if we’re to continue to enjoy a long and happy working life, and it’s clear both employees and employers need to adapt to do that. We’ve upgraded WeCare access to expand on the positive impact its wellbeing services already provide to customers who have used it.
The expansion follows Canada Life’s recent Life100 research, which highlighted that one in six people in the UK workforce retire early for physical health reasons and over three-quarters - 77% - believe employers should do more to help staff adapt and work for longer. The results found that employers largely agreed, with 68% saying is an increasing role for workplaces to play in providing support for older workers to stay in work for longer.
Morgan added: “By opening WeCare access to all insured members and adding virtual physio, the service becomes even more relevant to the health situations many workers face. It encourages day-to-day preventative healthcare and allows people to continue to enjoy the benefits of work life while reducing the time they might need out of work to manage health issues.”
