The Medavie Foundation has committed to multi-year funding for Trans Wellness Ontario, pairing its group benefits coverage with counselling, peer support, and community programming for trans youth
The Medavie Foundation has announced a multi-year funding commitment to Trans Wellness Ontario (TWO), extending access to counselling, peer support, and lived-experience-led programming for trans and gender-diverse youth. The partnership pairs community-based mental health support with Medavie’s existing group benefits coverage for gender-affirming care.
Medavie, a not-for-profit health solutions company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, introduced a Gender Affirmation Benefit in 2021. It was among the first such benefits offered by a major Canadian insurer. The benefit covers gender-affirming procedures and treatments not included in provincial health plans.
“Support for trans and non-binary youth requires community, safety, and emotional support,” said Juliana Simon, director of community services at Trans Wellness Ontario. “The Medavie Foundation is committed to supporting youth mental health, and we’re proud to have them support the work that we do every day. Especially in a time where institutional support is crucial to the existence of affirming care.”
Why this matters for plan sponsors
The announcement has direct implications for plan sponsors designing or reviewing mental health benefits for gender-diverse employees and their dependants.
A Statistics Canada study published in October 2025 found that gender diverse people in Canada had higher disability rates than their cisgender counterparts. The study also reported lower working hours and a concentration in lower-paid occupations compared to cisgender workers.
Mental health is a significant driver of those disability rates. The same study found that among persons with disabilities, 63.8 per cent of non-binary people had a disability related to mental health.
Statistics Canada cautions that the non-binary figures should be interpreted carefully given the small sample size. For plan sponsors, the data points to a group with disproportionately high mental health needs — and one whose employee base may include trans youth on family benefit plans.
| Group | Overall disability rate | Mental health disability rate* |
|---|---|---|
| Cisgender people | 27.1% | 10.1% |
| Transgender men and women | 38.5%† | 27.0%† |
| Non-binary people | 81.9%† | 63.8%† |
*Among persons with disabilities aged 18 and older. †Statistics Canada flags these estimates as requiring caution due to small sample size.
Source: Statistics Canada, Socioeconomic outcomes of transgender and non-binary people in Canada, Catalogue no. 91F0015M, October 2025.
Coverage alone is not enough
Medavie’s model distinguishes between two layers of support. Medavie provides group benefits and medical coverage through its insurance operations. The Medavie Foundation and partners like Trans Wellness Ontario deliver the community layer. This includes counselling, peer support, and identity-affirming programming.
The company’s position is that medical coverage, without trusted community support, leaves gaps in care. This mirrors a broader industry conversation about how inclusive mental health benefits for underrepresented groups require both clinical access and culturally appropriate support to produce meaningful outcomes.
Trans Wellness Ontario provides safe spaces, mentorship, and peer-led programming across Ontario. The expanded Medavie Foundation funding will allow TWO to continue and scale those services.
What the funding will support
The multi-year commitment will support the following Trans Wellness Ontario programs:
- safe spaces and identity-affirming community settings
- counselling and mental health support services
- peer support led by people with lived experience
- mentorship and community connection programming
Trans youth mental health benefits and the plan design gap
Most provincial health plans do not cover the full range of gender-affirming mental health supports. According to a 2022 Global News provincial breakdown, most provinces and territories do not cover mental health supports for those seeking gender-affirming care. This includes appointments with required psychiatrists or experts. Canadian employers have been examining their obligations in this area for several years, as the gender-affirming care debate among plan sponsors has widened. That gap typically falls to employer-sponsored benefits plans to address, or goes unmet.
For plan sponsors reviewing group benefits design, Medavie’s dual-layer model offers a practical reference point. Extended mental health coverage, gender affirmation benefits, and community partnerships are each seeing increased uptake among Canadian insurers.
The Medavie Foundation has supported community health programs since 2011. Its focus areas include youth mental health, healthy living, and post-traumatic stress.
For more coverage of mental health benefits for Canadian plan sponsors, visit BPM’s mental health section
