VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As small business owners continue to innovate, pivot, and adapt to keep their dreams and businesses alive throughout the pandemic, focusing on their health and the health of their employees and families has become even more challenging. To support the well-being of the small business community, TELUS Business is now offering TELUS Health Virtual Care at no extra cost to customers on a Small Business smartphone plan1, to help improve access to physical and mental health support. As Canada’s leading healthcare technology company, TELUS is committed to leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services to improve access to care for all Canadians.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business found that 45 per cent of business owners experienced psychological health issues due to the pandemic and 43 per cent were working significantly more hours than before. Two years later, business owners still continue to face these obstacles. With access to TELUS Health’s app-based virtual healthcare service, business owners, their employees, and families can better prioritize their overall well-being and mitigate these risks.
“Running a small business has become even more demanding, both physically and mentally, during the last two years. We want to support Canada’s small business community by providing our customers, their employees, and families with a digital health service to conveniently access care where and when it’s needed,” said Navin Arora, Executive Vice-president, TELUS and President, TELUS Business Solutions. “Small business owners are the heartbeat of our neighbourhoods. They remain dedicated to their work and to their teams even with the difficult challenges they face everyday, which is why we’re committed to bringing them the very best of our leadership in healthcare innovations to support their well-being at a time when they need it most.”
With fewer than 10 per cent of Canadian small businesses currently offering virtual care as a benefit to staff2, TELUS Health Virtual Care enables small business owners, their staff, and families to access bilingual virtual healthcare support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the country. Through the easy-to-use mobile app, business owners and their families can proactively take care of their health with access to services such as specialist referrals, consultations, prescription renewals, and lab requests. Equally important, they will also have access to mental health support through counselling to ensure employees and owners alike can get help for any challenges they may face. With eight in 10 individuals agreeing that virtual care can help them avoid missing work, by supporting the mental and physical health of their teams, small businesses can reduce absenteeism, increase productivity, and grow a healthier, happier workforce while they navigate the ongoing impacts of the pandemic.
“The pandemic has changed the way we look at our operations and we’ve seen the physical and mental toll it has taken on our staff and our productivity. Like many small businesses, we don’t have the bandwidth to take on a comprehensive health plan and, until now, virtual health services were exclusive to companies with bigger budgets,” said Divyansh Ojha, Founder and CEO of FoodFund Inc. “Knowing that TELUS Health Virtual Care is available is a game changer for us. It will level the playing field and provide small businesses like ours with the ability to take care of our people. We anticipate our staff will feel assured that they remain our first priority by having flexible healthcare options that are easily accessible. This is such a positive step for small businesses and I’m excited to share this with my team.”
TELUS Health Virtual Care launched in spring 2021, providing nation-wide, on-demand physical and mental healthcare delivered with a human touch. TELUS is the only telecommunications company in Canada offering access to a virtual care service at no extra cost for Small Business customers, a value of more than $1,200 (estimated $5/month) for a 10 employee business on a 24-month smartphone plan. By combining the power of its national reach and more than a decade of expertise within the Canadian healthcare technology ecosystem, TELUS is delivering a unique, national, employer-focused service that helps improve the health and well-being of small business owners, their employees, and families.
To learn more about TELUS Health Virtual Care for Small Business Mobility customers or to register for TELUS Health Virtual Care with your active smartphone plan, visit telus.com/businessvirtualcare.
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic, world-leading communications technology company with $16 billion in annual revenue and 16 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment, video, and security. We leverage our global-leading technology and compassion to enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty. In 2020, TELUS was recognized as having the fastest wireless network in the world, reinforcing our commitment to provide Canadians with access to superior technology that connects us to the people, resources and information that make our lives better. TELUS Health is Canada’s leader in digital health technology, improving access to health and wellness services and revolutionizing the flow of health information across the continuum of care. TELUS Agriculture provides innovative digital solutions throughout the agriculture value chain, supporting better food outcomes from improved agri-business data insights and processes. TELUS International (TSX and NYSE: TIXT) is a leading digital customer experience innovator that delivers next-generation AI and content management solutions for global brands across the technology and games, ecommerce and FinTech, communications and media, healthcare, travel and hospitality sectors. TELUS and TELUS International operate in 25+ countries around the world. Together, let’s make the future friendly.
Driven by our passionate social purpose to connect all citizens for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give where we live has inspired TELUS, our team members and retirees to contribute more than $820 million and 1.6 million days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world.
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TELUS Public Relations
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1 TELUS Health Virtual Care is available at no additional cost for TELUS small business mobility customers on a 1-Year, 2-Year and month-to-month voice and data plan including Unlimited for Business, Owner's Advantage Plan, Peace of Mind or Simple Share plan. This offer is available nationally in Canada. All subscribers in the same account with an active TELUS small business smartphone plan up to a maximum of 100 subscribers, as well as family members including spouses and dependents (26 years old and under) will receive access to TELUS Health Virtual Care. The Virtual Care service will be available until December 31, 2022 or until the rate plan with TELUS is terminated, whichever one comes first.
2 9.9 per cent of SMB (1 to 100 employees) had access to virtual health care as of TELUS Business Solutions Internal Brand Tracker survey conducted from November 5 to 17, 2021
