Legal issues – Benefits Canada.com https://www.benefitscanada.com Canada's most influential pension and benefits publication for decision-makers Fri, 29 Nov 2024 20:31:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8 New technologies, industry partnerships stemming the tide of benefits fraud https://www.benefitscanada.com/archives_/benefits-canada-archive/how-are-new-technologies-industry-partnerships-helping-to-prevent-benefits-fraud/ Fri, 11 Oct 2024 12:56:36 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=161061 In 2016, the Toronto Transit Commission sued its insurer for allegedly not having appropriate benefits fraud controls in place to detect unusual trends or patterns. The lawsuit was settled three years later. In the meantime, 10 people, including nine TTC employees, were convicted in relation to the scheme and more than 250 TTC staff resigned […]

The post New technologies, industry partnerships stemming the tide of benefits fraud appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

]]> How plan sponsors can support employees going through a divorce https://www.benefitscanada.com/archives_/benefits-canada-archive/how-plan-sponsors-can-support-employees-going-through-a-divorce/ Fri, 13 Sep 2024 12:54:42 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=159773 Going through a divorce can be an extremely stressful and emotional experience and, unsurprisingly, the impacts can spill into the workplace. “[Employees may be] at work but waiting for that text from the lawyer — they’re distracted on what they’re going to do next in the proceedings,” says Brent Dul, executive vice-president at Randstad Canada. […]

The post How plan sponsors can support employees going through a divorce appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

]]> Sounding Board: What plan sponsors should know about pharmacare https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/sounding-board-what-plan-sponsors-should-know-about-pharmacare/ Thu, 27 Jun 2024 13:00:06 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=157451 Plan sponsors worried about the expense and sustainability of their drug plan might initially embrace a pharmacare plan, hoping to shift drug costs to a new program funded by provincial and federal governments. However, this may not be the solution it seems. A single-payer universal pharmacare system might limit medication access for individuals with employer-sponsored benefits […]

The post Sounding Board: What plan sponsors should know about pharmacare appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

]]> Top 5 HR, benefits, pensions and investment stories of the week https://www.benefitscanada.com/news/bencan/top-5-hr-benefits-pensions-and-investment-stories-of-the-week/ Fri, 09 Feb 2024 14:00:22 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=151793 An article on the Ontario Court of Appeal’s affirmation of a $1.5 million punitive damages award was the most-read article on BenefitsCanada.com this week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pensions and investment articles of the past week: 1. Court of Appeal upholds $1.5 million punitive damages award in LTD claims case 2. N.B. transferring 5 public […]

The post Top 5 HR, benefits, pensions and investment stories of the week appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

]]> Court of Appeal upholds $1.5 million punitive damages award in LTD claims case https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/benefits-law/court-of-appeal-upholds-1-5-million-punitive-damages-award-in-ltd-claims-case/ Fri, 02 Feb 2024 14:00:43 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=151475 The Ontario Court of Appeal’s affirmation of a $1.5 million punitive damages award — reportedly the largest award of its kind in a Canadian long-term disability case — may signal greater exposure for employers and insurers that fail in their duty to treat such claims in good faith. “The court had no problem with the […]

The post Court of Appeal upholds $1.5 million punitive damages award in LTD claims case appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

]]> Manulife, Loblaw deal to deliver specialty drugs sparks access, competition concerns https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/manulife-loblaw-deal-to-deliver-specialty-drugs-sparks-access-competition-concerns/ Wed, 31 Jan 2024 14:00:44 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=151370 Some pharmacare policy experts are raising concerns about competition and patient access to much-needed medication after Manulife Financial Corp. announced its coverage of certain prescription drugs will only apply at Loblaw Cos. Ltd. pharmacies. The new arrangement, details of which were shared with plan holders earlier this month, affects around 260 medications under the insurance […]

The post Manulife, Loblaw deal to deliver specialty drugs sparks access, competition concerns appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

]]> Georgia to pay for gender affirmation care for public employees https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/georgia-to-pay-for-gender-affirmation-care-for-public-employees/ Mon, 23 Oct 2023 19:00:43 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=145724 The state of Georgia will start paying for gender affirmation care for state employees, public school teachers and former employees covered by a state health insurance plan, settling the latest lawsuit aimed at forcing state agencies to pay for surgery and other procedures. The plaintiffs moved to dismiss their case last Thursday in Atlanta federal […]

The post Georgia to pay for gender affirmation care for public employees appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

]]> National pharmacare program will cost $40BN annually with shift of $14BN in private insurance https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/national-pharmacare-program-will-cost-40bn-annually-with-shift-of-14bn-in-private-insurance/ Wed, 18 Oct 2023 13:00:45 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=145468 The Parliamentary Budget Office is confirming the insurance industry’s projection that a single-payer model of national pharmacare program will cost $40 billion annually as a result of shifting more than $14 billion in private insurance coverage onto the government’s books. In a new report, the PBO estimated the cost of a single-payer universal drug plan to […]

The post National pharmacare program will cost $40BN annually with shift of $14BN in private insurance appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

]]> Top 5 HR, benefits, pension and investment stories of the week https://www.benefitscanada.com/news/bencan/top-5-hr-benefits-pension-and-investment-stories-of-the-week-51/ Fri, 08 Sep 2023 13:00:25 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=143124 An article announcing the finalists in Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Who are the finalists of the 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards? 2. How employers can help prevent post-vacation burnout 3. AI tools helping insurers manage plan costs by […]

The post Top 5 HR, benefits, pension and investment stories of the week appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

]]> AI tools helping insurers manage plan costs by weeding out instances of benefits fraud https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/ai-tools-helping-insurers-manage-plan-costs-by-weeding-out-instances-of-benefits-fraud/ Wed, 06 Sep 2023 13:00:31 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=142721 In 2022, Beneva Inc.’s fraud management department noticed unusual activity under a plan member’s account. The insurer’s artificial intelligence tool, used to analyze millions of benefits claims, flagged that a plan member and the person’s dependant had used up all their maximum coverages within a short period of time. When the plan coverage rolled over […]

The post AI tools helping insurers manage plan costs by weeding out instances of benefits fraud appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

]]>