In the 2017 budget released last week, the federal government said it’s aiming to lower pharmaceutical prices and improve access to prescription medications through significant investments in…
Innovation in the employee benefits world has historically happened in relatively small increments. Besides some subtle tweaks, plan design has changed very little. Recent enhancements to…
Toronto city councillors are asking questions after the municipality’s auditor general raised red flags about several questionable benefits claims, including the case of an employee…
Morneau Shepell is partnering with the Immigration Industry Association to provide employee assistance services to expatriates, migrants and people who are considering migrating. The program is…
While the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is welcoming the Alberta government’s plan to create a provincial dental fee guide, it’s calling on the province to…
Some see it as an eternal struggle: the goodhearted doctor championing the best treatments, no matter the cost, while doing battle against the tightfisted insurance…
With drug plan costs back on the upswing amid unprecedented increases for stop-loss or pooling insurance, benefits advisors and insurers are seeing more plan sponsors…
Last week, after years of declining revenue, Postmedia Network Inc. released an internal memo announcing significant cuts to non-unionized employees’ benefits. At first glance, the…
I remember when employers were concerned about the potential impact of a little blue pill called Viagra that came with an annual price tag of about…
All Ontarians under the age of 65 who spend a significant amount of their annual household income on prescription drugs are eligible for the Trillium drug…
A report published last week suggested that making certain prescription medications available as over-the-counter drugs could save Canadian insurers, employers, governments and patients $1 billion…
What new cancer treatments are emerging that will affect the workplace and how can employers do a better job of supporting their employees with cancer?…
Employers must acknowledge the role of family caregivers to get a true picture of the costs of cancer care, according to a University of Alberta…
Improvements in cancer treatments are driving patients out of hospital beds and back into their own homes. “Cancer is now a treatable, chronic disease. With…
Developing new drugs is only half of the job for those treating lung cancer, according to a medical oncologist. Most people know that the biology…
The old saying about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure works just as well when it comes to cancer care as…
Employers should reach out early and often to employees facing a cancer crisis, according to a man with first-hand experience. Asaph Benun told attendees at…
Postmedia Network Canada Corp. is making a number of changes to its defined benefit pension plan, its capital accumulation plans and its benefits plans, according…
Switching three prescription drugs classes to over-the-counter medications could save Canadians, employers, insurers and the health-care system $1 billion annually, according to a new report…
“I had no idea.” “How can that be?” “Just doesn’t make any sense.” “But even if it keeps you alive?” These are just some of…
A group of Toronto physicians have drafted a list of 125 essential medicines for use in Canada, publishing their findings in the Canadian Medical Association…
British Columbia’s Pharmacare program will expand its drug coverage for hepatitis C treatments in March as a result of successful negotiations brokered by the pan-Canadian…
Patients with chronic pain and mental-health conditions prefer taking cannabis to prescribed opioid medication, a study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy has found. Researchers…
A genetic testing bill is winding through Parliament, keeping the Canadian insurance industry on tenterhooks. Bill S-201, the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act, seeks to revise the…
It may be fun for an architect to moonlight as a freelance photographer, but few people want a job title that’s full of slashes, whether…