Canadian health benefit plan members are becoming more active and empowered in the decisions that affect their own personal healthcare, a significant shift from the once passive attitude of “doctor knows best,” according to a new survey released today. The survey results indicate that these Canadians are seeking information, requesting second opinions and gathering information from sources other than their doctor – a trend identified as the emergence of the healthcare consumers.
Sanofi-aventis Canada Inc. commissioned Ipsos-Reid to conduct the 2006 survey, the ninth in the series, in January. Ipsos-Reid polled 1,500 employee health benefit holders from across Canada, seeking to understand their changing views about the role of the public system and employer-sponsored health benefit plans in maintaining health services and products. The research also explored the willingness and preparedness of plan members for a greater role in their own health decision-making and their willingness to take on a greater portion of the financial burden for health costs.
The survey outlined three predominant themes: 1) Benefit plan members are attempting to make more informed decisions regarding their healthcare, prioritizing health-related educational and support services from their employers. 2) The survey results clearly show that plan members place a high value on their benefit plans. 3) There is an increasing focus on the important role organizations play in creating healthy workplaces.
The emergence of the healthcare consumers
The trend of personal responsibility, first investigated in last year’s survey has been further investigated this year. Canadian plan members have accepted a certain level of responsibility and the majority report being active in decisions that affect their healthcare. For example, six in 10 (61%) say that when it comes to their healthcare, they look up their own information, question their doctor, and seek second opinions according to what they’ve learned. In contrast, the remaining 39% of respondents continue to believe that when it comes to their own healthcare, their doctor knows best and they seldom, if ever, question a diagnosis or recommendation.
“It’s the tip of the health consumerism iceberg! People are starting to take ownership, at least at an information level,” says Anthony May, a member of The sanofi-aventis Healthcare Survey Advisory Board who works for Manulife Financial in Vancouver. “It’s the first real evidence that we have seen that demonstrates this shift in personal responsibility when it comes to health outcomes.”
While the survey demonstrates that 63% of health benefit plan members are “very” or “somewhat frequently” obtaining health information from healthcare professionals, the Internet and other sources of information are quickly becoming alternative healthcare resources for Canadians. Specifically, four in 10 (43%) of respondents regularly access the Internet for information to help them in their healthcare decisions, three in 10 (29%) rely on media and 16% routinely receive health information from their employer.
Employee plans highly valued
Respondents have a positive opinion when it comes to the value placed on employee health benefit plans. According to the findings in this year’s survey, Canadian employers have a lot to celebrate. Specifically, there is a noticeable improvement in how well employer-sponsored benefit plans are perceived to be meeting the needs of plan members. A majority of respondents, 63% say they feel their employer-sponsored benefit plans meet their needs “extremely” or “very well.” This figure is up from 56% in 2005, and is the highest level since 2002, when it was 65%.
The majority of plan members left no doubt about how much they value their health benefit plans – an overwhelming 63% choose their benefit plans over $15,000 cash. Considering that this amount far exceeds typical annual usage, the benefit plan is a security blanket for many Canadians, demonstrating the peace of mind that these plans provide to members.
Deb Mayberry, a member of The sanofi-aventis Healthcare Survey Advisory Board who works for the City of Calgary as a Business Benefits Partner in Human Resources, notes that regions or industries which are struggling to attract and retain employees are now actively and visibly marketing their benefits, because they are seen to be so valuable. “Employers are starting to promote benefits as an incentive, not a given,” says Mayberry.
Communicating costs makes sense
Respondents were also asked how much their health benefit plan costs their employer in both 1999 and 2006. Data garnered from the survey indicate there is a better awareness of cost now. Specifically, 22% of respondents didn’t know or couldn’t state a figure in 2006 versus 39% of respondents in 1999. There is a better appreciation of the true cost attributed to benefits in 2006, since 54% of respondents identify the cost of plans as over $1,200 annually, versus only 14% in 1999. The employer’s cost of a typical plan would generally exceed $1,200 per employee annually.
Opportunities for employers
Employers have the power to foster and encourage employees to be more conscious about their health by creating a healthy working environment. In a 2003 report for Health Canada [1], workplace expert Dr. Graham Lowe identified that an employee’s work environment and a company’s organizational factors play a large role and can positively influence an employee’s health and productivity.
According to The sanofi-aventis Healthcare Survey, the majority of respondents are positive about their work environment, with 87% of plan members indicating that they are “proud to work for their employer.” When asked whether they are treated fairly and with respect by their employer, 86% of respondents agree and 77% indicate that they have “enough control over how and when they do their job.”
Employer-supplied educational and support services are highly valued by employees. As emerging healthcare consumers, plan members are seeking reputable sources of information when it comes to health and preventative strategies including the workplace. In fact, 79% of respondents indicate that employee assistance programs offering stress management, substance abuse support/management, eldercare and childcare are a “somewhat” or “very high” priority. Other educational programs that focus on conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma or obesity are a priority for 77% of respondents. And almost two-thirds (63%) believe providing coverage for “cutting edge” drugs should be a “very high” or “somewhat high” priority for employer plans.
When asked what steps employers could take to make it easier for employees to adopt healthier behaviours, plan members most frequently identify the following: fitness/sports activities (40%); health promotion (35%); healthier food cafeteria (8%); flexible schedules (7%); and less stressful environment (6%).
Public healthcare system – Moving in the right direction
While we are a long way from the ideal, the good news is that more Canadians than not have a positive view of the public healthcare system. In fact, there has been an increase in the number of respondents who say the quality of services provided by Canada’s public healthcare system is “excellent” or “very good”: 30% this year, up from 26% last year. The number of respondents who say the quality is “good” remains at a survey high of 55%. Relatively few (15%) say the quality of medical services provided is “poor” or “very poor.”
Sanofi-aventis commissioned Ipsos-Reid to conduct the 2006 survey, the ninth in the series. Ipsos-Reid conducted “The sanofi-aventis Healthcare Survey” with a random national sample of 1,500 primary group insurance plan members who had a health benefit portion in their employee plan. One can say with 95 per cent certainty that the results are within +/- 2.5 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire population been polled.
