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Sun Life and Teladoc Health bring Mental Health Navigator to Canadian Clients

T.SLF | May 27, 2020

New offering provides additional mental health support

TORONTO, May 27, 2020/CNW/ - A recent Sun Life survey found that 56% of Canadians said the COVID-19 pandemic is having a negative impact on their mental health; this is supported by independent Teladoc Health research. Of particular concern, 60% of those affected said they are not seeking support.1 To help Clients navigate their mental health issues, Sun Life is offering Mental Health Navigator from Teladoc Health. This complements the resources available through Lumino Health, an innovation from Sun Life.

Mental Health Navigator is a confidential and personalized service that draws on a team of clinicians including psychologists and psychiatrists. The service aims to efficiently help determine the right diagnosis and treatment for individuals, while allowing people to receive care on their terms and manage their mental health as they need. Depending on a Client's needs, they can connect virtually to conduct a thorough review of an existing mental health diagnosis, discuss symptoms or receive advice and treatment options.

Through their acquisition of Best Doctors in 2017, Teladoc Health has expanded services to include Mental Health Navigator. Mental Health Navigator is now available to Sun Life Group Benefits plan members with access to Teladoc Health Best Doctors either through their Extended Health Care or Critical Illness Insurance coverage. It's also available to Individual Critical Illness Insurance Clients.

"COVID-19 has had many impacts to our society and economy. As we continue to navigate the implications of the pandemic, our focus is on supporting Canadians in putting their mental health first," said Jacques Goulet, President, Sun Life Canada and Lumino Health. "At Sun Life, we continue to strengthen our suite of virtual care solutions to support Canadians and make it easy to get help from home. After their initial assessment and diagnosis, Mental Health Navigator will help Clients receive guidance throughout their mental health journey."

How it works
Once a Client contacts Teladoc Health, they are set up with a case manager, known as a 'navigator'. The navigator will gather the individual's health history including their mental health concerns and symptoms. They will coordinate a consultation with a psychologist or psychiatrist and remain in contact throughout the Client's action plan to ensure they are feeling supported.

"In our years offering mental health solutions throughout Canada, we've seen how critical it is to assure individuals are not only feeling empowered to get care, but have access to the right type of support for optimal outcomes," said Karen Grant, Vice President, Global Product Development, Teladoc Health. "We are thrilled to partner with Sun Life so that together we can help provide even more Canadians with the resources they need to comprehensively care for mind and body."

Lumino Health launched in 2018 providing Canadians with access to Canada's premier health network. The platform helps people find healthcare providers, connect virtually and access the latest resources and innovations. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada created the platform as a commitment to helping Canadians live healthier lives.

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 March 31, 2020, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1,023 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 Teladoc Health
A mission-driven organization, Teladoc Health, Inc. is successfully transforming how people access and experience healthcare, with a focus on high quality, lower costs, and improved outcomes around the world. Ranked #1 among direct-to-consumer telehealth providers in the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction Study, the integrated services from Teladoc Health include telehealth, expert medical services, AI and analytics, and licensable platform services. With more than 2,400 employees, the organization delivers care in 175 countries and in more than 40 languages, partnering with employers, hospitals and health systems, and insurers to transform care delivery. For more information, please visit www.teladochealth.ca or follow@TeladocHealthon Twitter.