Sunday, November 1, 2020 No Time to Wait Waiting to see a specialist can cause unnecessary suffering and affect your well-being. The CLAC western group benefits plan and Manulife have introduced a new service that can help Newsletters Alberta Local 63 BC Local 68 Manitoba Local 152 Manitoba Local 306 Saskatchewan Local 151 The statistics are staggering: 54 percent of Canada’s workforce has at least one chronic disease or condition. In 2016, organizations spent $7.5 billion on long term disability coverage, and each year, $2.1 billion is lost in wages due to long waits for surgery and medical treatment. And while the numbers are troubling, they’re not actually the problem. The problem is that when employees have a serious illness and require medical care, they are regularly left to wait. In fact, Canadians experience the longest wait times for healthcare in the developed world. Likewise, wait times for specialist care are at an all-time high. From both an employee and employer perspective, this lack of timely access to appropriate care undermines both parties’ efforts to help employees who are on medical leave recover and return to work. Research has repeatedly indicated that wait times for medically necessary treatments are not benign inconveniences. They can have serious consequences such as increased pain, suffering, and mental anguish. In some instances, they can also result in poorer medical outcomes, transforming potentially reversible illnesses or injuries into chronic, irreversible conditions or even permanent disabilities. The impact of delayed access to care is especially significant when you consider that 68 percent of Canadians have taken time off due to disability at some point in their career. The CLAC western group benefits plan has partnered with Manulife to provide short and long term disability case management services. In 2018, Manulife added Medical Confidence, an organization focussed on offering Canadian consumers timely access to expert specialist care, to its roster of services available to support a disability claim. When you access the Medical Confidence service, you will receive education and coaching from a nurse who understands your medical condition. The service leverages the company’s database of over 16,000 Canadian physician specialists to map the most appropriate specialist candidates to your medical need, geographic location, and the specialist’s practice and availability. Members eligible for the program are identified in consultation with their Manulife case managers who review details such as location, barriers to treatment, and potential length of wait for specialist care. If the case manger feels the additional support might be helpful, you will be offered access to the Medical Confidence team. Whether you participate is up to you. Once you decide to participate in the program, potential specialists will be reviewed with you, and a nurse will work with your primary care practitioner to coordinate referral to the selected specialist. Requisitions for any required testing and imaging are also coordinated by the Medical Confidence team. They will then secure the earliest possible appointments and help you prepare for them. Following your appointment, your nurse will review the specialist’s consultation report with you, schedule treatment, and answer any questions you may have. If you are currently receiving disability benefits from Manulife as part of the CLAC western group benefits plan and think you can benefit from the services of the Medical Confidence team, contact your Manulife case manager or the CLAC Benefits Team. You might be interested in Why We Work Safely 5 Jun 2026 Standing Your Ground, and Staying Steady on the Job 4 Jun 2026 CLAC Partners with Alberta Government to Advance Skilled Trades Training and Accelerate Certification 4 Jun 2026 Strathcona Mechanical Workers Ratify New Agreement Providing Wage, Scheduling Improvements 3 Jun 2026