Reflections on lasting impact: 
The lives we’ve touched, the change we’ve made 

Our unique Creating Shared Value (CSV) model redefines traditional approaches to social impact, fostering sustainable change. Instead of relying on annual fundraising efforts, this model enables us to continuously reinvest in communities by aligning our business performance with our social mission. As our business grows, so does our capacity to give back, scale programs, and reach more Canadians, making us a greater force for good.

The model is sustainable because our social impact investments are funded through the recurring revenues our business generates. We don’t have to fundraise each year just to sustain our current programs; and the more our business grows, the greater a force for good we can be as we target reinvesting at least 15% of our annual earnings into social impact. And the more we reinvest in social impact, the more these initiatives strengthen our business and enhance our culturally appropriate offerings, making us a more sought after service provider. Our model addresses societal challenges while simultaneously enabling business growth — a paradigm we hope to inspire others to replicate. Our approach transcends growth; it’s rooted in sustainability. By collaborating with community organizations, healthcare providers, and corporate partners, we design social impact programs that are scalable, impactful, and built to last — creating long-term solutions rather than temporary fixes.

The true measure of impact lies not only in the number of lives touched but also in the profound depth of the change we create.  

This year, we integrated GreenShield Cares’ signature initiatives into the GreenShield+ platform, creating a more seamless, accessible experience. By streamlining care navigation while delivering culturally appropriate products and services, we’re making it easier for all Canadians to get the support they need, reinforcing our commitment to healthcare as a right — not a privilege. 

Women’s Mental Health: One of our most impactful social initiatives is our Women’s Mental Health program. When we launched this program in 2021, we recognized that women, especially those from equity-seeking and racialized communities, faced higher levels of anxiety and depression, particularly as a result of the pandemic, yet struggled to access care. To date, we have supported over 120,000 women with free care and meaningful support. Through this initiative, we leveraged specialized expertise to enhance our culturally appropriate services. True to our CSV model, these enhancements are now available to all GreenShield plan members, enriching our overall client service offering. Looking ahead, we are actively expanding our offerings to better support women throughout their entire health journey, through all of life’s transitions.

Essential Medicines: Essential medicines is another area where we’ve driven profound change. Recognizing that one million Canadians do not have prescription drug coverage, we launched our Essential Medicines program in 2023 to “fill the gaps” for those who can’t afford the medicines they need. In 2024, we expanded beyond Ontario into Nova Scotia, positioning ourselves to extend this program to more provinces in 2025. We also believe a “fill-in-the gaps” model like this can serve as a potential blueprint for a national pharmacare plan in Canada that is more effective and less disruptive than a single-payer model. To date, we have positively impacted over 90,000 lives through essential medicines.   

Oral Health: Since 2016, GreenShield has been a leader in oral health access, investing $23 million to expand oral health clinic capacity and advance oral health research. To date, we have provided dental care to 63,000 underserved Canadians and support community partners in securing sustainable federal funding for improved access and capacity. Creating impact also means knowing when to pivot. Our goal when launching our oral health program was to demonstrate to public policymakers the importance of providing a base level of publicly funded dental care to all Canadians, given the impact of oral health on overall health. We are very happy to see the introduction of the Canadian Dental Care Plan, and the “fill-in-the-gaps” model on which it is based. As a result, we recognize we now have an opportunity to shift our focus to address other emerging public health priorities, starting with our new Youth Mental Health initiative that is launching in 2025.

This year has reinforced what I’ve always believed: real impact isn’t a single moment, it’s a movement. 

Impact happens when dedicated people come together with a shared vision. It happens because of our employees, whose purpose, passion, and performance make healthcare more accessible every day. It happens through our partners, whose expertise allows us to anticipate and meet the needs of communities. 

Looking ahead, we are focused on building on this momentum by innovating to scale our impact, deepening partnerships, and embedding purpose into every part of our business. 

GreenShield is a social impact disruptor focused on making it easier for every Canadian to live their healthiest life. Together, our employees and partners are proving that Better Health for All isn’t just a mission statement; it’s a movement that we are advancing every single day.

Yours in good health,  

Mandy Mail