Canada Life Group Insurance has expanded its Early Intervention Service, first piloted in 2008, to be available to all employers, regardless of scheme size.

It believes this change could result in an additional 4,450 employers opting to use the service, allowing up to 328,000 more employees to receive an increased level of support.

Canada Life’s Early Intervention Service helps to address the problems of long-term workplace absence by intervening at the very early stages, usually after a 2-4 week continuous period away. The service focuses on supporting employees, and their employers, as they make a return to work, through the Canada Life’s in-house rehabilitation team. The Rehabilitation Consultants are regionally based around the UK, medically trained and all have more than five years’ experience. They are supported by approximately 25% of Canada Life Group Insurance’s workforce, and the service benefits from 10 years’ experience of delivering Canada Life’s Visiting Programme (ViP) with selected employers.

Previously, organisations were required to have an annual premium of over £300,000 before they could to take advantage of the EIS programme, although it was also considered for smaller employers if their risk profile warranted it (e.g. if they had a high volume of claims). However, Canada Life has now extended the service. Following on from the launch of its Visiting Programme (ViP) for all employers in 2013, EIS for all clients is now an integral part of the proposition as a direct result of its long-standing relationships and employer feedback gathered over time.

The beneficial results seen where Early Intervention Services are already in place suggests that the move to increase access will reduce the amount of cases entering the claims assessment process. Canada Life Group Insurance analysis of 2013 data shows that only one in five EIS referrals (20.3%) subsequently go into the claims assessment process.

Mike Newcombe, director of claims management services at Canada Life Group Insurance, said: “We are very proud of the work that we have done in the last five years in supporting employees returning to the workplace and we are excited about extending this service to all our customers. Based on statistically assessed data with participating employers, we are confident EIS will help to prevent unnecessary long-term absence and reduce the number of claims that businesses need to make.

“This service explores all possibilities for rehabilitation and looks for the most appropriate way to facilitate a return to work. By working closely with employers and employees, we are able to formulate the best possible solution for all involved. The benefits of supporting employees in difficult circumstances and enabling their return to work should not be underestimated. It is highly valued by employers and employees alike.

“The commitment that Canada Life has shown in providing this service to almost 4,500 employers and 400,000 employees shows the passion, energy and enthusiasm that we have for the extension of our service, as well as our insurance provision. We remain committed to paying all valid claims as quickly and efficiently as possible”

Paul Avis, marketing director at Canada Life Group Insurance, added: “Empirical evidence suggests that EIS helps to get people back to work earlier, whilst increasing claims acceptance rates. This enables us to offer sustainable, appropriate Group Income Protection pricing for organisations. Through the great work already carried out by our in-house rehabilitation team, our Early Intervention Service has seen some superb results, confirming the value of the service.

“We are dedicated to continuing to build on the quality of our service and the seriousness with which we tackle the emotive and complex arena of sickness, absence and disability management. We have already seen excellent qualitative and quantitative feedback relating to our EIS programme, so it is with great pleasure that we extend this service to all employers – regardless of their size or who advises them.

“SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in particular often have limited access to any form of occupational health. Being able to call on the support of our skilled rehabilitation consultants after 2-4 weeks of absence will be of great value to employers and employees alike. We ask all of our adviser customers to share this great news with their client organisations, to maximise the value that we can collectively bring to workplace sickness absence management.”