Three in five (60 per cent) plan members would choose an extra $10,000 in cash per year over their benefits plan, according to the 2025 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey.
The survey asked half of 1,000 plan member respondents whether they’d rather receive their benefits plan or an extra $5,000 in cash per year, while the other half were asked to choose between their benefits and an extra $10,000. Against the smaller cash amount, 57 per cent chose their benefits plan.
The share of plan members choosing any cash amount over their benefits plan was the highest it has ever been across the years the questions were asked.
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Speaking on a panel launching the results of the annual survey during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit on Tuesday, Lancelot Lambert, regional vice-president of Ontario and Atlantic business development for group insurance at Desjardins Insurance, said these findings point to both the financial strain plan members may be facing and an opportunity for plan sponsors to educate members about the intent and value of their benefits plan.
He pointed to the finding that plan members aged 18 to 34 were more likely to choose cash in both scenarios, while those older than age 55 were more likely to choose their benefits regardless of the cash amount offered. Since younger plan members are more likely to be dealing with financial pressures such as student loans, saving for a first home or shouldering a new mortgage, he noted these findings point to an opportunity for plan sponsors around where to target their educational efforts.
Cost concerns also showed up in other areas of the survey. More than half of plan members reported hitting an annual maximum for at least one benefit, most commonly for dental services, vision care and massage therapy. When their coverage ran out, 34 per cent of plan members said they’d stop treatments until their coverage resumed in the next benefit year — up notably from 27 per cent last year. An additional 16 per cent said they’d stop treatment altogether and 11 per cent said they’d switch to another covered treatment.
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Plan members who reached an annual maximum for physiotherapy, chiropractic services and dental services were also more likely to choose an extra $10,000 over their plan.
During the panel, Ayla Azad, chief executive officer at the Canadian Chiropractic Association, said that paramedical benefits maximums have barely budged in her 30-year career, contributing to “provider-shopping” and poorer health outcomes for plan members, which shows up in other parts of the benefits plan.
“We’re seeing an ageing population and numbers going through the roof on disability and rehabilitation care.”
She also noted the leading cause of disability, per the World Health Organization, is lower back pain, something a $500 paramedical benefits maximum can’t adequately address.
According to the survey, women were more likely than men to have hit an annual maximum, caregivers were more likely than those with no caregiving responsibilities and respondents aged 35 to 54 — a demographic that encompasses sandwich generation Canadians — were the most likely age cohort to max out a benefit.
Download the full 2025 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey report here. Look for more coverage of the panel discussions analyzing this year’s results in the coming days.