Sun Life announces free virtual health care services to Group Benefits Clients

TORONTO, March 31, 2020 /CNW/ - As Canada and its health care system continue to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, Sun Life is taking action to help support Clients and Canadians in need of enhanced medical support while social distancing.

Starting today, Sun Life is progressively rolling out free access to virtual health care services for its Group Benefits Clients with an Extended Health Care (EHC) benefit. In partnership with Dialogue, Clients will be able to use the virtual clinic to connect directly with a health care professional.

The service - Lumino Health Virtual Care - is being offered free of charge for an initial period to support Clients through the global health crisis. Sun Life is including the service into Clients' EHC Benefit, giving employers, employees and their families convenient access to health care, when and where they need it.

Lumino Health Virtual Care brings the best of two offerings together ? Lumino Health and Dialogue. Lumino Health is Sun Life's online digital platform that connects Canadians with local health care providers, offers health-related content and shares innovative health solutions to help Canadians live healthier lives. The virtual care service will be powered by Dialogue, Canada's leading telemedicine provider, dedicated exclusively to the world's leading organizations.

"Today, more than ever, our Clients need us," said Jacques Goulet, President, Sun Life Canada. "Our country is in the middle of a health crisis. Offering free virtual health care services to our Clients will hopefully relieve some of their stress, support social distancing efforts across the country and alleviate some of the load on Canada's emergency health care system. We are offering this service free of charge because it is the right thing to do," Goulet added.

Clients can easily connect to the Lumino Health Virtual Care service through a mobile app or online. Once connected, the service will triage a Client before providing direct access to a care manager, nurse or physician. The service provides Clients with acute physical and mental health care, similar to medical services provided at a primary care clinic. A multi-disciplinary team will review symptoms, provide an assessment, create a personalized care plan, write prescriptions, and make referrals to specialists or in-person care if necessary.

"Given the COVID-19 outbreak, access to health care has never been more critical. Dialogue is proud to continue playing a pivotal role, helping Canadians stay healthy and happy," says Cherif Habib, CEO of Dialogue. "Partnering with Sun Life will help millions of Canadians quickly access health care through our secure platform from the comfort of their home. This is needed now more than ever."  

Connecting all Canadians to virtual paramedical support

In addition to providing free virtual medical services to Group Benefits Clients, Sun Life has also taken action to support all Canadians through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Through Lumino Health, all Canadians can access health care providers digitally. The platform enables Canadians to easily find and book an appointment with a health care professional, such as a psychologist, physiotherapist and other paramedical providers.

In response to COVID-19, Lumino Health recently partnered with OnCall Health, a secure virtual care platform trusted by thousands of Canadian health care providers. This partnership enables paramedical providers on the Lumino Health platform to connect virtually with their patients.

Click here for more information about Lumino Health.

About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2019, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1,099 billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

About Dialogue Technologies Inc.
Dialogue is the leading Canadian telemedicine provider pioneering virtual healthcare dedicated exclusively to the world's leading organizations. We drive real health outcomes through amazing healthcare experiences, an employee engagement playbook, and a relentless focus on patient safety and security. For more information, please visit www.dialogue.co.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars

Media Relations Contacts: 

Kim Armstrong                                                                                    
Manager, Corporate Communications
Sun Life                                                                                                 
T. 416-979-6207                                                                                 
[email protected]             

Jean-Christophe de Le Rue
Director of Public and Government Relations
Dialogue
T. 613-806-0671
[email protected]

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Canada