Group insurance · Toronto & Ontario
Group insurance that considers next year's renewal, too.
An insured group plan pools health, dental, life and disability protection for eligible employees. The design decisions you make at the start, from coverage levels to cost-sharing, are the ones that decide how the plan performs after day one.
Six coverage categories. Which ones you include is a design decision.
The categories below are possible plan features. What is actually available, and on what terms, depends on the insurer, the contract, your province and who is eligible. No group plan automatically includes all of them.
01
Possible featureExtended health
Eligible prescription drugs, paramedical services, medical equipment and supplies beyond what provincial coverage pays for.
02
Possible featureDental
Eligible preventive, basic and, where included, major or orthodontic dental services, subject to plan maximums.
03
Possible featureVision
Eligible eye exams, glasses or contact lenses, within the limits the plan sets.
04
Possible featureLife / AD&D
A lump-sum benefit for eligible insured events, typically a flat amount or a multiple of salary set in the policy.
05
Possible featureDisability
Short- or long-term income replacement when an eligible employee cannot work, according to the policy definitions.
06
Possible featureTravel / other options
Emergency travel medical and other optional benefits where the contract includes them.
The price is one decision. The design is five.
Two group plans can look similar in a quote comparison and differ meaningfully in what employees receive and how the cost behaves at renewal. These are the decisions we walk through before recommending a direction.
- 01
Which coverages, and at what level
Deductibles, co-insurance percentages, annual maximums, drug formularies and paramedical limits all shift both the premium and what employees actually receive.
- 02
Who is eligible, and in which class
Hours thresholds, waiting periods and employee classes (for example, management versus staff) determine who joins the plan and whether everyone gets the same design.
- 03
How the cost is shared
Employers and employees can split premiums in different ways, by benefit or overall. Who pays for which benefit is a design decision with implications worth discussing before you set it.
- 04
What each trade-off buys
A richer dental maximum, a lower drug deductible or a longer disability benefit period each costs something. The useful question is which ones your people will notice.
- 05
How the plan will renew
Some benefits are pooled across many employers; others are rated on your own claims experience. That structure, more than the first-year quote, shapes what happens at renewal.
Your benefits can say more than your job posting.
Employees don't experience a plan design. They experience a prescription that was covered, a dental bill that was mostly paid, or an income that continued during a long illness. A plan built around what your people are likely to use is one they will notice, and value.
What you choose now shapes the renewal you'll get later.
- Pooled versus experience-rated. Life, disability and some health benefits are often pooled across many employers; health and dental claims are often rated on your own group's experience. Knowing which is which tells you where claims will show up in the price.
- Claims and demographics. Renewal pricing reflects what the group claimed, how the insurer expects that to continue, and changes in the size and make-up of the group.
- Design levers. Deductibles, maximums and cost-sharing can be adjusted at renewal. They are easier to discuss when they were understood at the start.
Renewal outcomes depend on the insurer, the contract and the group's experience. Nothing on this page predicts or guarantees a future rate.
Questions employers ask first.
Eligibility, participation and cost-sharing rules vary by insurer and province. Confirm the specifics for your group before relying on them.
Can we start a group plan with fewer than ten employees?
Potentially. Minimum group sizes, participation requirements and product options vary by insurer and province. We can help you understand what is realistically available at your size.
Do all employees have to join?
Many insured plans set a minimum participation level, and some benefits may be mandatory while others are optional. The rules depend on the carrier and the plan design, so it is worth settling early.
Who pays the premium?
That is an employer decision within the limits the insurer sets. Some employers pay the full cost, others share it with employees. The split can also differ by benefit.
Does the cheapest premium mean the best plan?
Not necessarily. Two quotes with similar prices can differ meaningfully in limits, definitions and how they renew. Price is one input, not the whole decision.