On Sept. 20, the 2018 Halifax Benefits Summit featured insightful sessions on benefits, health and wellness and drug plan trends. With population numbers struggling in the Maritimes, the conference looked at how companies can ensure they’re providing plan members with the best, most competitive benefits options in order to attract and retain talent. Here are some of the highlights of […]
The escalating cost of drugs and benefits plans are among the top priorities for Canadian employers, according to a new survey by Aon. The survey, which polled nearly 200 Canadian plan sponsors about their priorities related to group benefits and their workforces, found rising drug costs, in general, escalating specialty drug prices, in particular, and the increasing cost of extended health are the […]
The federal government’s plan to increasingly regulate pharmaceutical costs could mean Canadians with rare diseases may lose access to new innovative drug treatments, according to a new study by the Fraser Institute. In 2019, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board is planning to use new rules for establishing drug prices with the goal of lowering costs. “Drugs for […]
The job of a pension consultant has evolved considerably over Bita Jenab’s 30-year career in the field. The mid-1990s saw a greater focus on governance and the arrival of the investment consultant, while the 2000s featured a mass move to defined contribution plans and significant changes to pension legislation. Through all of that, plan sponsors […]
The job of a pension consultant has evolved considerably over Bita Jenab’s 30-year career in the field. The mid-1990s saw a greater focus on governance and the arrival of the investment consultant, while the 2000s featured a mass move to defined contribution plans and significant changes to pension legislation. Through all of that, plan sponsors […]
There was a lot of news to share from the pension, investment, benefits and human resources industries this month. Here are the 10 most popular online stories of the month: 1. Employer-paid benefits to be subject to new B.C. health tax 2. Ontario government to become second payer under OHIP+ changes 3. Great-West Life’s Jeff […]
As the average income replacement rate for capital accumulation plans continues to trend downwards, can employers mitigate this movement with the Canada Pension Plan’s incoming enhancements? According to a new report by Eckler Ltd., CAP replacement rates fell to a new low at March 31, 2018, settling at 58 per cent for men and 56 per cent for women. These […]
The Bank of Canada is set to announce a decision on the target for its overnight rate on Wednesday. Widely expected to be a 25 basis point increase, in line with the hawkish tone of the bank’s latest policy notice, the decision comes amid a backdrop of market and trade volatility. However, Canada’s economy is […]
Ontario’s new Conservative government has announced changes to the province’s youth pharmacare program to make it second payer for Ontarians under age 25 who have coverage through private benefits plans. “Today, our government is announcing our intent to fix the OHIP+ program by focusing benefits on those who do not have existing prescription drug benefits,” […]