Ontario could soon be the first in Canada to expand health & benefits coverage

If you’re a server or a store employee, the Ontario government wants to give you access to more benefits. Ontario plans to create a portable benefits program, which would be attached directly to workers instead of employers.

If Ontario’s plan becomes a reality, it would be the first province in Canada to give millions of workers access to services that are not provided by OHIP or their employer.

This plan would serve millions of employees in retail and hospitality, independent contractors, and low-wage workers.

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This would allow part-time, temporary and contract workers to access benefits, even if they move from job to job or are self-employed.

Under this plan, workers would have access to services like:

• telemedicine services
• professional wellness services
• prescription drugs
• dental services
• eye exams and prescription glasses
• many mental health services

Not only would this help improve workers’ health and financial security, but it will also help Ontario businesses attract the best talent from across Canada and worldwide.

“How or where you work, should not determine whether you have access to benefits like health and dental plans,” said Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton in a press release.

The province is now seeking public feedback to create its plan to expand benefits like health, dental, prescription drug, and vision care to more workers who need coverage.

To give your input about the portable benefits program, you can complete this short survey before December 16th.

This feedback will be used by the Portable Benefits Advisory Panel to release recommendations about the program by summer 2023.