While society’s understanding of women’s health has significantly evolved in the last few years, employee benefits plans haven’t yet caught up.
“We expect men and women to interact with their plan in the same way and that’s just not true,” said Erika Hatherly, strategic leader for drug programs, group benefits and retirement solutions at iA Financial Group, during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit. “And we expect usage of a benefits plan to be the same throughout a lifespan and . . . [women’s] needs across the lifespan are going to vary significantly.”
The times of particular health needs for women often overlap with critical periods during their careers, she said, such as the menopause transition occurring right around the time women are taking on senior roles and reaching their peak earning years.
Read: Symcor hosting menopause awareness session, supporting employees with benefits, resources
Incorporating greater flexibility can help to address gaps in benefits coverage that have left women under-supported, noted Hatherly. “When coverage aligns with real needs, aspects like productivity, retention and overall health outcomes are going to follow.”
Comprehensive mental-health coverage, with an annual maximum in line with therapeutic guidelines and an expanded list of covered providers, can support women at all stages of their lives, she said, including after pregnancy to reduce the risk of postpartum depression or during the menopause transition.
She also suggested revising paramedical provider maximums “in line with the treatments that exist today and not 30 years ago,” such as pelvic floor physiotherapy. Plan sponsors can supplement paramedical coverage with a health-care spending account or wellness account to add greater flexibility, she added.
Certain chronic conditions — such as migraines, chronic pain or osteoperosis — affect women more than men, and necessitate a new lens on chronic disease management, said Hatherly. “We need to have new resources, whether it’s medication or paramedical providers, that are going to help support these conditions.”
Read: Plan sponsors continue to underestimate chronic illness in the workforce: 2025 BCHS
In addition, she recommended a preventative health approach, such as coverage for vaccines and health screens for diseases that affect women to a greater extent. And she suggested plan sponsors provide resources, such as a women’s health toolkit that directs plan members to resources within their plan or educational sessions on menopause and other women’s health topics.
“When organizations prioritize women’s health, it’s not just about looking at an individual benefit or ‘How can I increase my benefits across the board?’ It’s about changing the workplace. We want that experience for women to be one in which it’s about care, that it’s an environment where they feel seen, supported that they have the ability to be empowered and to bring their best selves to work.”
Read more coverage of the 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit.