Latest news in Conference Coverage

Innovative drugs helping plan members manage chronic conditions

Many plan members with diabetes struggle with adherence to daily insulin injections and research has found the majority of patients wish they could achieve the…

How preferred pharmacy networks can lower drug plan costs, boost access to care

Pharmacists are now uniquely positioned to support Canadians at a time when the public health-care system is stretched thin, creating significant barriers for people looking…

A closer look at growing asthma drug spend

Many Canadians living with asthma are experiencing poor control over their symptoms, impacting the workplace, said Anjila Arora, director of pharmaceutical benefits at Sun Life…

How plan sponsors can improve employee health outcomes while optimizing drug plan spend

With chronic conditions growing in prevalence among plan members, plan sponsors have their work cut out for them in designing benefits plans that provide adequate…

Examining the link between cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity

While medications for three interconnected chronic conditions — cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity — represent a growing proportion of employers’ drug spend, there’s plenty that…

How plan sponsors can use biosimilars to support employee health, reduce drug costs

Despite the safety and efficacy of biosimilars — and the potential cost savings they offer — uptake among private payers has been low historically and is only starting to…

Plan sponsors, private payers can work together to help employees with rare diseases access novel treatments

It’s important for private payers and employers to be nimble and innovative to support plan members seeking access to novel drugs and treatments by addressing…

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: How emerging medical technology is disrupting traditional health-care investments

Innovations in medical technology in the next 10 years could unlock a new dawn of health investments that will make the last decade look slow…

Robertas Stancikas

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: Equities, fixed income assets generating real returns in volatile market regime

Institutional investors are preparing for a bumpy return risk space where volatility is higher for all assets and real returns are much lower than what…

Karin Sullivan

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: How institutional investors can hedge risk, find positive alpha in volatile economy

Despite pension funds navigating a “swim-at-your-own-risk” environment with a lower probability of positive returns, they can’t just stop and sink — they have to keep swimming,…

Neil Constable

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: How institutional investors are using data, technology to generate alpha

The evolution of cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data availability will disrupt and upend the entire asset management industry, said Neil Constable, head of quantitative research…

Saurabh Sud

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: Finding alpha through multi-asset credit construct amid market volatility

To find opportunity in times of volatility, institutional investors must consider their objectives and then expand their toolkit, said Saurabh Sud, a portfolio manager at…

Marc Weidner

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: Supply, demand in real estate revealing long-term investment opportunities

In today’s complex market, real estate investments continue to provide opportunities for institutional investors due to the simplicity of the risk spectrum, particularly when comparing equity…

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: Is the 60/40 balanced portfolio strategy still viable for institutional investors?

Recent challenges to the 60/40 balanced portfolio rule shouldn’t sway institutional investors away from the strategy, said Steve Foerster, professor of finance at Western University’s…

Lauzière and Gopwani

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: The evolving role of fixed income in hedging risk, enhancing yields

As the objectives of defined benefit pension plans have evolved, so too have institutional investors’ reasons for including fixed income allocations in a portfolio, from…

Scott Richardson

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: Leveraging data, understanding risks to find opportunity in corporate credit market

Being systematic doesn’t mean overlooking the fundamental risks in the corporate credit asset class, said Scott Richardson, senior vice-president and director of systematic credit at Acadian…

Tripuraneni

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: Measuring success of ESG integration on investment performance, portfolio

It takes time to measure the success of environmental, social and governance integration at a portfolio level, said Sam Tripuraneni, head of sustainable outcomes at Aviva…

Amy Chang

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: Valuation reviews helping institutional investors navigate equity market uncertainties

For institutional investors, valuation reviews will be critical in navigating equity market uncertainties, said Amy Chang, managing director and head of active global fundamental at…

Coverage of the 2023 Mental Health Summit

On Nov. 7, Benefits Canada hosted its annual Mental Health Summit, the industry’s most popular and well-known conference in this space. Designed for our audience of employers…

2023 Mental Health Summit: Positive work relationships can support employee mental health

Many employees try to carry on with work while dealing with stresses in their personal lives — and many wait too long before sharing their…

2023 Mental Health Summit: How plan sponsors can help address the gender health gap

Canadian women are bearing the brunt of a gender health gap that has led to poor understanding and heightened stigma around their unique health needs and…

2023 Mental Health Summit: Integrated disability management programs can shorten leave duration

In the face of soaring mental health-related disability leaves and broader challenges with access to mental-health care, integrated disability management programs that include early intervention,…

2023 Mental Health Summit: The connection between sick days and absenteeism, presenteeism

If absenteeism is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to employees’ mental health and well-being, presenteeism is the bulky underwater mass, said William…

2023 Mental Health Summit: A closer look at intensive outpatient treatment programs for mental health

Many Canadians are dealing with mental-health challenges that require support beyond what’s available through an employee assistance program — that’s where intensive mental-health treatments could help,…

2023 Mental Health Summit: Early diagnosis and treatment integral in supporting complex mental-health conditions

While employees dealing with mental-health challenges like depression need quality and personalized care as quickly as possible, people seeking care through the public health system face…