Genetic testing can significantly improve treatment strategies, but it also raises issues for plan sponsors and members
A chronic disease (such as high blood pressure, diabetes) is one that can be modified by behaviour. But behaviour modification isn’t easy. According to Green Shield Canada’s 2013/14 Age Band Study, results from respondents in their 20s through to their 60s showed that the use of drugs for chronic disease was not only prevalent in […]
"Our benefits suck.” Have you ever heard that from your employees? If you have, maybe your benefits program lacks variety or pizzaz. If it were an action figure, it would be a Ken doll—boring and uptight. But you can make your program more exciting by introducing some flexibility. There are three main options for adding flexibility to your employee benefits: modular plans, cafeteria plans and healthcare spending accounts (HCSAs).
Albertans live and die by the price of crude oil. Whether you work for a company in the energy industry or not, oil prices impact the daily life of Albertans more so than in any other province in Canada. While most Canadians have been filling up their vehicles lately with smiles on their faces, we Albertans squeeze the gasoline nozzle with a little more trepidation. Low oil prices are a double-edged sword here—one edge may be cutting prices at the pumps but the other is slashing jobs and corporate expenditures.
As companies focus largely on maintaining employee productivity and controlling costs when designing its benefit programs, a survey finds benefit plans can also greatly improve employee loyalty.
With three or more generations in the workplace, traditional benefits may not be enough to satisfy employees’ needs.
I came across a few unique plan experiences within the past month. On the surface, things looked very positive, but for different reasons, the experiences were more complicated upon closer inspection. Collectively, they helped identify a list of key areas for plan sponsors and advisors to assess when times are good in order to understand if there are challenges lurking in the near-future that could derail the plan’s performance.
In an ever-changing work environment, “soft skills” are increasingly becoming must-haves in the workplace.
A 1970s toothpaste commercial told TV viewers to put their money where their mouth is. Today, the lion’s share of the cost in most employer-sponsored benefits programs in Canada relates to payments for losses arising from death, disability and drug expenses—as well as dental care.
Are your employee benefits plans well positioned for tomorrow? At a recent Aon Hewitt Health Forum in Oakville, Ont., Tim Clarke, chief innovation leader, health and benefits, with Aon Hewitt, identified four key factors that will have a major impact on benefits plans from now to 2025.