Canada Life has partnered with Montreal-based Dialogue to make virtual health services standard to all of its group plan customers with benefits plans for up to 400 members, capitalizing on a growing demand for at-home healthtech services.

Those who receive health insurance through Canada Life will have access to Dialogue’s virtual health care platform, available through both a mobile app and web browsers. The always-on service provides live chats with nurses and physicians through a secure video connection, be it to diagnose conditions, provide medical advice, write a prescription or make a referral to a specialist. The virtual health benefits will become standard to Canada Life plans this summer.

Canada Life – which combined with Great-West Life and London Life to create a single company at the beginning of the year – is the second-largest insurance company in Canada, and Ryan Weiss, VP of product and experience for group customers at Canada Life, says they will give one million of its Canadian clients access to virtual health services, in addition to reinforcing brand pillars of supporting financial, physical and mental well-being.

Dialogue is currently the leading provider of virtual health technology in Canada, working with clients including Ubisoft, National Bank, Coveo and Stingray. Cherif Habib, CEO of Dialogue, says virtual health services is in demand right now, something that has been pegged as high growth area in Canada as the population ages but looks to maintain its independence.

While Canada Life says it is the first insurance company in Canada to make virtual health services a standard benefit, the competition has also been looking to answer demand for digital health and healthtech services; Sun Life partnered with virtual health company EQ Care last fall to offer a similar service to insurance customers last year, though it is not yet included as a standard benefit.