Sun Life has announced a new initiative to provide virtual healthcare services to more than 10,000 low-income Canadians. The program aims to address the gap in primary healthcare access, which affects about one in five Canadians, with low-income women and families facing even greater challenges.
The company is partnering with Families Canada, United Way Greater Toronto, and Centraide of Greater Montreal to deliver no-cost access to healthcare through Dialogue, a virtual healthcare and wellness platform. This partnership is designed to offer affordable and on-demand care for underserved communities.
Jessica Tan, Executive Vice-President and President of Sun Life Canada, said: "Supporting the health and financial wellbeing of underserved groups builds strong and resilient communities. These partnerships go beyond a traditional donation—they are about empowering people with more options to get timely and quality access to care. This work goes to the heart of our Purpose: helping Canadians achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives."
In addition to providing virtual healthcare services, Sun Life is contributing $500,000 in funding for community-led programs that focus on nutrition education, physical activity initiatives, money management resources, and other support tailored for low-income women and families.
This effort is part of Sun Life's global sustainability plan under its Bridges Initiative. The company has set a goal to donate $75 million by 2030 toward causes supporting underserved groups through product innovation, philanthropy, advocacy, and thought leadership.
Dr. Marc Robin, Medical Director at Dialogue, commented: "Access to healthcare is not just about treating illness—it is about empowering lives. When we remove barriers to medical care, we are not only managing illness, we are creating healthier communities. This partnership will ensure more people who are underserved have access to timely care at their fingertips, whenever they need it."
Heather McDonald, President and CEO of United Way Greater Toronto said: "United Way Greater Toronto is thrilled to collaborate with Sun Life on this initiative. By providing virtual healthcare at no cost to our program participants, we are taking a significant step towards reducing health inequities in our region. This program aligns with our mission to create opportunities for a better life for everyone in our communities."
Melissa McGuirk McNeil from Families Canada added: "This partnership with Sun Life will empower family support practitioners across Canada to deliver vital programming that will help families make informed choices about nutrition, physical activity, and budgeting. By providing access to Dialogue's virtual care platform and funding crucial programs, we're not just addressing immediate health needs but also fostering long-term financial wellbeing. The potential impact for program participants is truly exciting."
Julie Gagné from Centraide of Greater Montreal stated: "At Centraide of Greater Montreal, we are deeply committed to supporting vulnerable populations and strengthening the social fabric within our communities. Sun Life's initiative to close the care gap through virtual healthcare demonstrates a remarkable dedication to reducing inequalities. By making virtual care accessible to those most at risk, we are not only improving individual health outcomes but also building greater resilience and vitality across our entire society."
Sun Life operates internationally as an asset management firm offering wealth management as well as insurance and health solutions across multiple markets including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific regions such as Hong Kong or Singapore among others. As of September 30th 2025 it managed assets totaling $1.62 trillion.
For further information about Sun Life’s operations or its listings on major stock exchanges including TSX (Toronto), NYSE (New York), or PSE (Philippines) under the ticker SLF visit www.sunlife.com.