The Canada Dental Care Plan will help make dental services more accessible for unionized employees who don’t currently have a dental program within their contract, says Sandeep Kakan, director of pension governance at Unifor. Kakan, who until recently was the union’s director of pension and benefits, says the new program has established a standard from which […]
U.S. employers’ health benefits costs are expected to increase to nearly eight per cent for 2025, the highest amount in more than a decade, according to a new survey by Business Group on Health. The survey, which polled 125 large employers, found they’re planning to continue to absorb much of the increases at least for […]
U.S. employers are projecting health benefits costs to increase by eight per cent for 2025, up from seven per cent in 2023, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. It found employers cited several factors in rising costs, including catastrophic claims (20 per cent, up from 19 per cent […]
Mental health and musculoskeletal problems are currently two of the main drivers of disability claims and it isn’t uncommon for plan members with a mental-health diagnosis to also have a secondary physical condition or vice-versa, said Rebecca Smith, director of group life and disability services at Medavie Blue Cross, during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Mental Health […]
By creating a psychologically safe workplace in which employees can feel free to be their authentic selves, employers can encourage increased communication and collaboration, said Paola Ardiles Gamboa, a senior lecturer who served as special projects advisor to the vice-president of people, equity and inclusion at Simon Fraser University, during a session at Benefits Canada’s […]
There has seen a “huge increase” in mental-health practitioner claims following the coronavirus pandemic, said Sylvana Leclerc, organizational health consultant for integrated health solutions at Sun Life Financial Inc., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. Citing findings from the insurer’s annual Health by Design report, she said in 2022, […]
With obesity now understood to be a chronic health condition, it’s time for plan sponsors to revisit their approach to weight loss medications, said Philippe Laplante, principal for pension and benefits at Eckler Ltd., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. The conversation about extending coverage to new, high-cost anti-obesity […]
During a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May, three experts discussed the role of virtual management platforms in helping Canadians with diabetes manage their condition. According to Diabetes Canada, roughly 12 million Canadians live with type 1, type 2 or prediabetes. Roughly a quarter of Canadians don’t have access to […]
An article on the benefits of tailoring an individual’s work schedule around their circadian rhythm and optimum times of productivity was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. How ‘Chronoworking’ is helping boost employee productivity, recruitment 2. FSRA releases final […]
Mental-health claims by Canadians have increased by 132 per cent since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by GreenShield. The report, which compiled data from the insurer’s claims database between 2020 to 2023, found women and younger generations account for the majority of mental-health services accessed. Among those accessing mental-health services, stress […]