Insurance review progress report

It's been a while since Council began reviewing Equity's insurance coverage, so I thought it might be time for a brief update. Council has contracted with Leger Marketing, our research partner from the 2007 survey, to conduct a comprehensive assessment of insurance need and affordability within our membership. Aside from having had past experience with them, their project staff impressed us with a willingness to understand our needs and an obvious team approach between the project specialists from both the qualitative and quantitative parts of the work.

Our first step will be to hold a series of focus groups. In-person groups will be conducted in both Toronto and Vancouver, and separate teleconference groups will be conducted for western and eastern Canada, excluding the two areas already covered. This kind of work does not produce data in the usual sense. Because it is a "live" process, and not static like a survey, Leger will use the group discussions to refine both their and our understanding of all the issues in play.

The input from this first phase will be used to created a structured survey, to be administered throughout the membership at large. It is this second step that will produce the concrete data we will need to rebuild the plan for current and anticipated future needs.

All of this work is expected to take place in the fall and early winter, with a report to Council by February. So, you'll be hearing more from us then.

When the time comes, it's vital that we hear from you. If you are contacted for focus group work, please consider participating. If this process is to produce the excellent plan we hope it will, all communities within the membership need to be represented. That includes everyone from those who want more insurance coverage, to those who want less, or none. Similarly, if a survey invitation shows up in your inbox or mailbox, please take the time to complete it. Your insurance plan will be shaped by those who do.