National survey provides insight into
plan members’ attitudes about their benefits

Few Canadian Employees realize how much their employers spend on their benefit plans every year.  And half are willing to pay higher premiums to maintain their current level of healthcare coverage in the face of rising costs.

Sponsored by the pharmaceutical company, Hoechst Marion Roussel, The Canadian Survey on Healthcare examines the way Canadian workers view and use the benefits they receive from their employers.  The Angus Reid Group, which conducted the survey in November and December of last year, interviewed a random sample of 1,508 primary group insurance plan members who had a medical benefits portion to their plan.

The cost of benefits
Standard prescription plans

According to the survey, almost four in ten respondents were able to offer no answer at all when asked about how much their own medical benefits cost their employer each year.  Of those that did provide a response, 15% said the figure was less than $250, 16% said it was between $251 and $500, and 15% said it was between $501 and $1,200.  The remaining 14% offered figures greater than $1,200.

The value of group insurance benefits

The survey also reinforced that fact that Canadian employees are happy with their benefit plans, and that they place a great deal of value in them.  Seventy-three percent of the respondents said the medical portion of their company’s benefit plan meets their needs “very well” or “extremely well.”

More than 80% of respondents said each of their benefits are important to them.  Drug plans ranked number one, with 68% of respondents rating them as “very important.”  Disability and dental plans were close behind; each received “very important” ratings from 66% of respondents.

Source:  The Canadian Consumer Survey on Healthcare 1999; Canadians and their Group Healthcare Benefits, Hoechst Marion Roussel.