Given the challenges that plan sponsors and the benefits industry are facing, it’s time for the various players to embrace innovation, according to Mark Rolnick,…
Inflammatory bowel disease is among the fastest-growing conditions in Canada, affecting one in 150 Canadians. According to a recent study, the direct cost of inflammatory…
After two years of recession, economists are predicting a modest return to growth in Alberta this year. But companies still face fiscal constraints that can…
The benefits industry often talks about the need for organizations to change the design of their drug plans, but how many of them are actually…
The number of high-cost drugs and patients with multiple chronic conditions continues to rise, according to Express Scripts Canada’s drug trend report for 2016. While…
As Benefits Canada reported last week, the Ontario government announced in its 2017 budget that it will begin offering universal pharmacare to youth under the age…
Plan sponsors that have been hoping the recent trend of quickly rising drugs costs will end soon should realize “it’s only going to get worse”…
The majority of salaried retirees and employees, along with unsecured creditors, voted in favour of Stelco Inc.’s restructuring plan in meetings on Thursday afternoon. Under…
Ontario is introducing a pharmacare program for all residents aged 24 and under, Finance Minister Charles Sousa announced Thursday as he tabled the province’s 2017…
As Ontarians wait to see what’s in the provincial budget today, the Ontario New Democratic Party is getting ahead of the debate with its promise…
In 2016, the majority of adult Canadians (79 per cent) tried at least one form of complementary or alternative medicine, according to a new report from the Fraser…
Canadians face a significant gap in access to coverage for obesity-related treatments, a new report suggests. In a survey of Canadians with private drug insurance, only 8.8 per…
If Canadian pharmacists played a larger role in dispensing flu shots, reviewing cardiovascular disease medication and providing help with smoking cessation, the health-care system could save…
As an aging workforce submit more claims, is your organization considering benefit plan changes to reduce costs? And if it is, is a total plan…
People Corp. has acquired Sirius Benefit Plans Inc. for $15 million. Winnipeg-based Sirius Benefits administers the employee benefit programs for several thousand small- and medium-sized…
Loblaw Companies Ltd. is announcing the launch of HealthWatch for Business, a new drug plan that includes a formulary focused on savings from traditional, non-specialty medications. The…
When it comes to mental-health challenges in the workplace, the focus is shifting to prevention and early intervention rather than diagnosis and treatment, according to the head…
Starbucks Coffee Company is introducing critical illness insurance plans for parents of full-time employees in mainland China beginning June 1, 2017. “Supporting critical illnesses for…
Last Friday, Benefits Canada profiled an employer that had given each employee a Fitbit to promote exercise and wellness as part of its well-being program.…
A new study has found taking medical marijuana can reduce the amount of benzodiazepines a patient takes. Canabo Medical Inc., which owns 15 referral clinics…
Mississauga, Ont.-based Smart Employee Benefits Inc. has announced it has acquired Aon Hewitt Inc.’s mid-market health and welfare administration business in Canada. The administration business…
The Toronto Transit Commission has confirmed that more than 100 employees have either resigned or been dismissed as part of a benefits fraud investigation. In…
Last week, Benefits Canada reported that Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw Companies Ltd. had introduced medical marijuana to their employee drug plan. Eligible employees will be…
British Columbia PharmaCare has partnered with Pacific Blue Cross to introduce new claims technology that aims to improve the process for plan members seeking approvals…
Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw Companies Ltd. have introduced a medical marijuana benefit to their drug plan. Forty-five thousand employees are eligible for the benefit,…