You have to hand it to Don Drummond and his team—they pulled no punches in their report from the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services last week.
The state of healthcare in Canada is in flux. As the economy forces companies to do more, bill less and accept more risk, the need to control costs has never been greater.
Generic drugs just got less expensive for the 200,000 Nova Scotians enrolled in the Pharmacare program, however employers shouldn’t expect to see any reductions in their drug costs. The provinces Fair Drug Pricing Act (a stand-alone act to oversee the public drug plans, which accounted for about $300 million in spending last year) went into […]
A Mercer communiqué outlines the latest developments in British Columbia’s efforts to rein in the cost of generic drugs. Its message for plan sponsors with employees in that province: don’t hold your breath waiting for savings. British Columbia Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon announced on July 9, 2010 the signing of the Pharmacy Services Agreement […]
The Stats Canadian workers stressed out A recent survey by global recruitment firm Kelly Services reveals that Canadian workers are the second-most stressed-out group in the world—just behind Japanese employees. Workers around the world experience job stress differently: 19% said their job was adversely affecting their health 13% were losing sleep over their jobs 33% […]
This year has seen a shift in how employers are looking at group benefits legislation and plan design. When Bob Dylan wrote the classic folk tune, “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” he spoke of a period of rapid social and economic change. Forty years later, Atlantic Canada is undergoing big changes of its own. Years […]
British Columbia’s Minister of Finance, Colin Hansen, discusses retirement savings, healthcare issues and workforce challenges in the province. What solutions are in place to help B.C. attract and retain skilled workers? We are looking at population segments that are under-represented in our workforce. We see that new immigrants are not working to their levels of […]
Cost trends and containment strategies for private drug plans in Canada to help foster consumerism in healthcare. There’s no doubt about it: we’re living in a new era. In Canada, total prescription drug spending increased by more than 600% over the last 22 years. Prescription drugs have changed, spending has changed and employer-sponsored drug benefits […]
Atlantic Canada is in the midst of an economic comeback. But after decades of worker outmigration, talent is scarce. Employers are using their benefits plans as a means of getting and keeping the people they need. Despite enjoying the highest real GDP growth in the country in 2007 (as forecast by TD Economics), Newfoundland and […]
© Copyright 2006 Rogers Publishing Ltd. The following article first appeared in the May 2006 edition of BENEFITS CANADA magazine. Educate then negotiate The key to a solid relationship with union members is to keep them informed and educated about their pension and benefits plans. By Joel Kranc Strikes. Picket lines. Lockouts. It’s hard […]