World Menopause Day 2026: Making midlife health easier to navigate

Perimenopause and menopause are a normal part of life, but that doesn’t mean navigating it is always straightforward. Symptoms and experiences can vary widely, information can be difficult to sort through, and many women are still unsure where to turn when changes begin affecting their health, work or everyday life. For partners, family members, friends and colleagues, knowing how to offer meaningful support can be challenging too.
 
That’s why World Menopause Day on October 18 is an opportunity for all of us to learn more and help make conversations about menopause and midlife health easier.
 
This year, the International Menopause Society is focusing on Chronic Pain at Midlife, highlighting a health concern that can affect women during and after the menopause transition but remains underestimated in both research and care. The theme calls for better recognition, evidence-based information and more individualized approaches to women’s midlife health.
 
At Pacific Blue Cross, it connects to a broader commitment to women’s health: helping women access trusted information, better understand their options and connect with available resources and supports — while building greater awareness among the people around them.

“Women shouldn’t have to navigate midlife health on their own,” says Sarah Hoffman, President and CEO of Pacific Blue Cross. “Better information and more open conversations can help women feel supported — by their healthcare providers, their workplaces and the people in their lives. We want to help make trusted information, resources and support easier to find and understand.”
 

Helping make midlife easier to understand

One way we’re putting that commitment into practice is through our partnership with sanoLiving, a Canadian clinician-led virtual healthcare company for women, and its sanoMidLife program, designed to help women navigate midlife, perimenopause and menopause with greater knowledge and support.
 
Pacific Blue Cross members with access to the program can complete a free personalized midlife health assessment, explore educational resources, attend expert-led webinars and classes, and access symptom-support tools. Members looking for one-on-one care can also work with a dedicated sanoLiving clinician and health coach at a discounted member rate to develop a care plan based on their health history, symptoms and goals. These services are designed to complement care from a family doctor or other healthcare provider.
 
The resources can also help partners, family members and friends better understand what someone in their life may be experiencing and how they can offer support. sanoMidLife’s free Longevity Live webinar series extends that learning to topics including heart and bone health, pelvic health, cancer prevention, metabolic health and mental health. On October 20 at 4 p.m. PT, Resilient Minds: Protecting Mood, Memory and Brain Health in Midlife will explore brain fog, mood, memory and cognitive health during the menopause transition and beyond.
 

Helping improve access to care

Pacific Blue Cross is also supporting work to strengthen menopause care in BC and the Yukon.
 
In 2025, we committed $300,000 over three years to BC Women’s Health Foundation in support of the Menopause + Midlife Health Program at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre — the first program of its kind in Western Canada. The program is expanding access to specialized clinical care while advancing education and research in menopause and midlife health.
 
Access to treatment is evolving too. Since March 1, 2026, BC PharmaCare’s National Pharmacare Plan has provided coverage for select menopausal hormone therapies for BC residents enrolled in MSP, supported through federal national pharmacare funding. That includes a range of eligible estrogen and progesterone treatments, with some products fully covered and others partially covered under PharmaCare pricing rules. For women considering menopausal hormone therapy with their healthcare provider, reducing medication costs can remove an important barrier to care.

Find information and support for yourself or someone you care about

Whether you’re navigating menopause and midlife health yourself, supporting a partner, family member or friend, or simply want to understand more, trusted information is a good place to start.

• Visit Pacific Blue Cross Women’s Health page to explore information, resources and programs supporting women’s health at different stages of life.
• Start your free sanoMidLife assessment → https://www.sanomidlife.com/pacificbluecross-members/

Learn more through BC Women’s midlife health webinars and resources → https://bcwomensfoundation.org/midlife-health/