Green Shield Canada (GSC)
Company typeNon-for-profit
IndustryHealth and dental benefits insurance
Founded1957
Headquarters8677 Anchor Drive
Windsor, Ontario
N9A 6W1
Websitegreenshield.ca

Green Shield Canada (GSC) is a not-for-profit benefits carrier that provides drug, dental, extended health care, vision, hospital and travel benefits for groups and individuals, as well as administration services.[1][2] GSC is incorporated under a Federal Act of Parliament and regulated by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI).[3]

History

GSC's was founded in 1957 in Windsor, Ontario. The founder, pharmacist Bill Wilkinson, and four other pharmacists created Canada's first pre-paid drug plan, and started the company as Prescription Services Inc.[4][5] GSC policies focus on prioritizing evidence-based treatments,[6][7] preventive care[8] and claims management strategies. These policies also help to prevent fraud and ensure that provincial coverage pays when possible, while prior authorization may be required for certain treatments. These policies can save money for plan sponsors, but sometimes lead to more paperwork for plan members.[9][10] GSC has been in the news for working with clients that have dealt with high-profile benefits fraud cases using other insurers.[11][12]

Headquarters

GSC's head office is located on Anchor Drive in Windsor, Ontario. GSC has regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, London, Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City.[13]

Community Initiatives

As a not-for-profit, GSC either reinvests profits into the business, or into community health care initiatives across Canada. They have supported a variety of causes linked to wellness, including homelessness,[14][15] food insecurity,[16] dentistry,[15] sex trafficking,[17] emergency service access,[18] education,[17] mobile outreach vehicles,[19] disaster relief,[20] research[21] and healthcare clinics[14]

Green Shield has also participated in clinical trials designed to encourage physical activity [22] and smoking cessation programs [23]

References

  1. ^ "New Administrator for Provincial Public Dental Programs | novascotia.ca". novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  2. ^ Debates of the Senate: Official Report (Hansard)., Issues 43-72. Queen's Printer. 1992. pp. 1563–1565.
  3. ^ McNairn, Colin H. H. (2004). Consolidated Insurance Companies Act of Canada and Regulations. Carswell. p. 557.
  4. ^ van Wageningen, Ellen (2012-10-25). "Green Shield's growth a Windsor success story". Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  5. ^ Wilkinson, William Arthur; Nightingale, Geoff (1995). Making a difference : the memoirs of William Arthur Wilkinson. Windsor : Herald Press. ISBN 978-0921447276.
  6. ^ "Healthy Outcomes: Low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy touted as alternative to address depression". www.benefitscanada.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  7. ^ Mayers, Adam (2015-04-13). "The rise of the 'Three Amigos' of health care: Mayers". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  8. ^ Welds, Karen (March 18, 2016). "Drug plan trends report: How drug plans are addressing skyrocketing costs". Benefits Canada. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  9. ^ "Small-time cheats and organized crime: Benefits fraud re-examined". Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  10. ^ Huberman, Esther (October 12, 2011). "Online claims and benefits fraud". Benefits Canada. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  11. ^ Rider, David (2017-09-21). "TTC launches lawsuit against Manulife Financial". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  12. ^ Rider, David (2016-10-28). "Police could probe Toronto city staff drug plan claims". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  13. ^ "AGREEMENT By and Between GREEN SHIELD CANADA and NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE, AEROSPACE, TRANSPORTATION, AND GENERAL WORKERS UNION OF CANADA (CA.W.- CANADA) AND ITS LOCALS 240 AND 673" (PDF). Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  14. ^ a b nurun.com. "Help with oral health on the way". North Bay Nugget. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  15. ^ a b nurun.com (2017-01-23). "Group petitions for better dental care". Niagara Falls Review. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  16. ^ nurun.com. "Project SHARE marks 25 years". Fort Erie Times. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  17. ^ a b Adler, Mike (2016-09-23). "Escaping sex trade's 'dangerous pit' in Toronto is harder for girls in Canada illegally | CambridgeTimes.ca". CambridgeTimes.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  18. ^ "2-1-1 "Help Starts Here" Campaign". BayToday.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  19. ^ Jackson, Bill (2016-09-21). "Chasing the dragon | WaterlooChronicle.ca". WaterlooChronicle.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  20. ^ "Green Shield Canada Donates 35000 to help British Columbians Affected by Wildfires". The Canadian Business Journal. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  21. ^ "B.C. pharmacogenomics project to expand across Canada". Benefits Canada. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  22. ^ Mitchell, Mark; et al. (December 12, 2016). "Examining Incentives to Promote Physical Activity Maintenance Among Hospital Employees Not Achieving 10,000 Daily Steps: A Web-Based Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol". JMIR Research Protocols. 5 (4): e231. doi:10.2196/resprot.6285. PMC 5187449. PMID 27956377.
  23. ^ Jackson, Mark; et al. (July 1, 2008). "Description of a Canadian Employer-Sponsored Smoking Cessation Program Utilizing Community Pharmacy-Based Cognitive Services". Canadian Pharmacists Journal. 141 (4): 234–240. doi:10.3821/1913-701x(2008)141[234:doaces]2.0.co;2. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
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