Enrolling new employees in life insurance policies can involve a number of steps for employers. Not only do they have to ensure workers understand their coverage options…
As Ontario prepares to roll out its new pharmacare program for youth on Jan. 1, plan sponsors and members will be watching to see how the transition to…
The annual deductible in group benefits plans is a long-standing strategy for sharing costs with employees and encouraging more responsible consumption of benefits. But in…
With many of its plan members based in Alberta, the manager of Mercon Benefits Services was hoping to stay ahead of longer-term issues resulting from a turbulent…
The average cost increases for employer-sponsored health-care plans are set to increase at a faster rate than inflation in 2018, according to a new report by Aon.…
Green Shield Canada will offer plan sponsors more options for including medical marijuana in their group benefits plans in early 2018. The insurer said its new offering has a…
It seems to happen a lot. Seemingly daily, someone will say they can save a plan sponsor money on its group benefits plan. My not-so-subtle reply is…
The Ontario government may be spending more than it needs to on generic drugs, according to the auditor general’s latest annual report. Auditor general Bonnie…
From migraines to metabolic syndrome, speakers at Benefits Canada’s Calgary Drug Trends Summit provided plan sponsors with solutions to the many challenges they face around…
Despite rising health-care costs, there’s a gap when it comes to seeing the results of all of that spending, according to a speaker at the…
While Canadians hear about the high cost of drugs all of the time, “the sky is not falling,” said Jim Favaro, senior manager for private…
Keeping private drug plans sustainable is key for all Canadians. While measures such as mandatory generic substitution and prior authorization are standard solutions in many…
Green Shield Canada is launching a new mindfulness training program that will be available for free to all of its plan members. The program, which…
The federal government has announced sweeping changes to drug price regulation in Canada that it estimates will deliver $12.6 billion in net benefits over 10…
Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd. and Unifor Local 2027 have ratified a four-year collective agreement that includes moving to a defined contribution plan for future…
With the new Alberta dental fee guide taking effect on Jan. 1, 2018, many plan sponsors will likely be taking a look at their benefits…
It’s said that laughter is the best medicine. At consultancy Accompass Inc., a good belly laugh, among other activities, is earning employees extra points they…
Manulife Financial Corp. is has announced a series of pilot projects aimed at improving health outcomes for group benefits plan members dealing with mental-health issues,…
As 2018 quickly approaches, so too does the rollout of Ontario’s new youth pharmacare coverage for those aged 24 and younger. The plan, which launches on…
Canadian physicians are becoming more familiar with biosimilars, according to a new survey by the U.S.-based Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines. The organization’s new survey, which…
A recent arbitration decision underlines the pivotal role that collective bargaining agreement language plays in the extent to which employers and their insurers can make…
Although a national pharmacare strategy seems elusive, the Ontario government is making a fairly aggressive investment in that area by spending $465 million to boost its…
The Alberta government has announced a new dental fee guide for 2018 that provides for an 8.5 per cent cut in suggested prices for 60…
It’s hard enough for plan members to understand how they can best use their benefits plans, particularly when they’re unaware of the details of the…
More than 2,500 Canadians died from opioid-related overdoses in 2016, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The situation is particularly grave in the…