New service provides rapid access to psychiatric care within days, not months
(Kingston, ON – December 15, 2022) – Empire Life has signed an agreement with Medaca Health Group to help people who are on disability leave due to a mental health condition to feel better sooner. Medaca’s service provides employees with rapid access to assessment and treatment by top workplace psychiatrists in Canada.
"Delayed access to appropriate treatment can be devastating for individuals and their families,” says Vanessa Lycos, Vice-President of Group Product and Marketing at Empire Life. “When conditions like depression and anxiety are left untreated, everyone suffers—at home and at work. We’re delighted to add this service to our disability management toolkit and believe it will provide enormous value to our plan members and plan sponsors."
Employee claims are sent to Medaca as soon as possible in the disability period. Each individual’s case is carefully reviewed and, if an appointment with a psychiatrist is recommended, the individual will be seen within nine business days. According to Medaca, six to 12 months is the traditional wait time to see a psychiatrist in Canada. Psychiatrists and family physicians then discuss a treatment plan to ensure recommendations are implemented quickly. The desired result is return to health and return to work.
“Medaca has improved return to work rates significantly—increasing the number of employees going back to work before the end of the short-term disability period by 30%,” says Chris Anderson, President of Medaca. “By working with Medaca, businesses have reduced short-term costs by 25% and improved six-month return to work rates by 18% – even through the COVID-19 period.”
Benefits of the Medaca service:
Medaca has helped many employers get their employees healthy and back to work more quickly:
- 86% of employees seen by Medaca return to work before the end of the short-term disability (STD) period – a 28% improvement compared to employee experience where Medaca was not engaged. This resulted in a 51% reduction in claims that advanced to long-term disability from STD
- 20% increase in customer claims resolution rates during COVID-19 (2020-2021)
- 33% reduction in illness duration resulting in over $2.3 million of employer cost savings (based on 500 STD claims)
The above statistics are derived from proprietary actuarial studies undertaken in 2020-2021 by Medaca and its customers.
About Medaca
Established in 2005, Medaca is a leading psychiatry-focused workplace treatment service in Canada. It helps insurers and employers support employees struggling with mental health issues by delivering early access and best-in-class treatment. Return to health and work is our mission. Supporting insurers and employers in their efforts to help employees recover from a serious illness is our goal
About Empire Life
Established in 1923, The Empire Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of E-L Financial Corporation Limited. The company's mission is to make it simple, fast and easy for Canadians to get the investment, insurance and group benefits coverage they need to build wealth, generate income, and achieve financial security. As of September 30, 2022, Empire Life had total assets under management of $17.0 billion. Follow us on social media @EmpireLife or visit empire.ca for more information.
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Contact: Shelly Potter
613 548-1890, ext. 4348
shelly.potter@empire.ca