Group benefits Canada spending reached $53.3 billion in supplementary health benefits in 2024, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association.
That national figure demonstrates how important workplace health plans have become—but it also raises a practical employer question: Is your plan delivering enough employee value for what your company is paying?
Group Benefits Canada: What the $53.3-Billion Statistic Means
Group benefits Canada plans play a major role in helping employees access important health services. Employees may rely on their plan for medications, preventive dental care, counselling, physiotherapy, vision care and other services not fully covered by provincial healthcare.
It does not predict the renewal increase for an individual employer. A group’s renewal still depends on factors such as claims experience, demographics, plan design, pooling, inflation, insurer pricing and the credibility assigned to past claims.
How Employers Should Define Plan Value
A low-cost plan that employees cannot understand or use may provide poor value. A generous plan that is becoming unaffordable may also be unsustainable. Strong benefits planning looks at cost and employee outcomes together.
GMFSI’s Four-Part Renewal Review
Every renewal does not require a carrier change. The objective is to understand the available options and make a deliberate decision.
For employers • Group benefits renewal
Before You Accept Your Group Benefits Renewal
Your renewal is a chance to review what your plan costs, how employees use it, and whether it still fits your workplace. Watch the video, then use the checklist to prepare for a more informed conversation.
Watch the renewal-review video on YouTube
Your Renewal Preparation Checklist
Tick each item as you prepare. Your selections are temporary and are not submitted or saved.
Give Yourself Time to Review
Use this suggested planning timeline to organize the review with your advisor.
Start the conversation, gather available documents, and identify your workplace priorities.
Review available renewal information and discuss staying, negotiating, modifying, or comparing the market.
Work toward a decision and confirm approvals, written terms, effective dates, and employee communication.
These are planning targets, not contractual deadlines. Renewal-package availability and insurer notice requirements vary. Confirm the dates that apply to your plan and allow extra time for a carrier transition.
Questions to Bring to Your Advisor
- What is driving the change in each benefit’s renewal rate?
- Which assumptions can be clarified or discussed with the insurer?
- What would a design change mean for employees’ coverage and out-of-pocket costs?
- Would a market comparison be useful, and how would we assess coverage and transition requirements alongside price?
A review does not automatically mean changing carriers. The aim is to understand your options and make a decision that fits your workplace.
Continue Watching
Prepared by GMFSI for general education. Plan terms and insurer requirements govern coverage. A renewal review does not guarantee savings or a particular outcome.
Information Needed for a Meaningful Review
A professional renewal assessment normally begins with the current renewal rates, at least two years of claims or experience history where available, the latest billing statement, employee demographics and a summary of the present plan design.
With that information, an employer can compare the cost increase with actual experience, identify the main drivers and determine whether to STAY • NEGOTIATE • MODIFY • MARKET.
A group benefits Canada renewal review should consider cost, claims experience, employee needs and long-term plan sustainability together.
Is Your Benefits Plan Delivering Enough Employee Value?
Request an independent, no-obligation review of your renewal, plan design, experience and market competitiveness.
Request a Group Benefits Review →Guiding Your Financial Journey with Trust & Clarity
Source: Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, August 10, 2026. National industry statistics do not predict an individual group’s renewal or claims experience. This article is for general educational purposes and does not constitute individualized insurance, financial, tax or legal advice. Plan terms, insurer contracts and current renewal information should be reviewed before making decisions.
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