According to all the information at our disposal, Canadians are "in the pink": in fact, almost two out of three adults feel they are in very good or excellent health. Life expectancy in Canada has reach a new high: 75.7 years for men and 81.4 years for women. A new peak that reflects one of the highest indices of all the industrialized countries.

Still a concern

However, illness and disability are still a concern. Will you be able to keep working? Will you be able to live independently and meet your financial obligations? Are you and your family protected from the financial repercussions of death, disability and illness?

Some facts and figures

The Toward a Healthy Future report published by the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health contains a number of observations that give pause for thought.

For example, men are more likely than women to die before age 70. This can be explained essentially by sex-related differences due to heart disease, cancer, and other causes.

However, even though women live longer than men, they are more likely to suffer from long-term disabilities and chronic conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis, migraine headaches, and so on.

Quality of life is as important as length of life. Cardiovascular disease, including severe myocardial infarction (or heart attack) and strokes are the main causes of death in Canada, followed by cancer in all its forms. 
 

How are you protected in case of illness or disability?

Public plans
Public plans such as the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan pay out a sum as of the fourth month of disability.

Provincial health insurance plans cover medical and paramedical care and services, as well as hospital costs.

In Ontario, various drug insurance programs are offered to residents, including the Trillium Program for people under 65, which reimburses members for drug costs in keeping with their income.

In Quebec, the drug insurance plan insures individuals not covered by a private plan. A glance at our Health Centre will give you further details on coverages provided by certain provincial plans.

Your group insurance and individual insurance
A review of your group insurance plan and individual insurance portfolio will also help you determine the scope of your life, accident, illness and disability insurance.

To ensure that you and your family are safe from all related financial concerns, some of our simulators will help you establish the insurance coverage you need.

The Health Insurance Calculator will help you evaluate the loss of income and costs that could result from a critical illness: modifications to your home, the purchase of a specially adapted vehicle or wheelchair, home care, etc.

You can also determine the amount of replacement income you'll need in case of a disability, especially if you are self-employed or an employee with no group insurance coverage, by using the Disability Insurance Calculator. 

Once you've evaluated your needs, visit our Web site section on consulting services and products to familiarize yourself with the advantages of the health insurance offered by Desjardins Financial Security. The section features various general definitions as well as information on product features.