Hair — including eyelashes, eyebrows and body hair — protects the body from environmental factors such as temperature and also helps with how humans feel and sense things. In addition, people have a lot of their identity wrapped up in hair, said Dr. Kerri Purdy, a dermatologist, division head and associate professor at Dalhousie University […]
In 2023, diabetes medications remained the leading drug category for eligible private insurance claims for the second consecutive year, according to Telus Health’s annual drug trends report. The report, based on claims data from more than 15 million plan members in 2023, found the growing prevalence of diabetes, along with expanded heart failure treatment indications and […]
As I write this column, I’m reflecting on the spectrum of weather I’ve witnessed this past winter. From my office window in southwestern Ontario, I looked out onto snowy rooftops for maybe a week over the last several months. That’s contrasted with a recent trip to Nova Scotia, where a series of winter storms brought […]
The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association has released a critical illness insurance guide to help Canadians better understand the benefits of critical illness insurance and how it works. Critical illness insurance is less well known than other types of insurance, so the guide helps to fill in the blanks for Canadians who may have […]
Amid a wave of frank and open discussions about women’s health, more plan sponsors are beginning to review their benefits and human resources policies with an eye to providing better support. It’s something that a group of health-care experts, speaking during a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Chronic Disease at Work conference in February, […]
For nearly 10 years, Benefits Canada’s Chronic Disease at Work conference has examined the current trends in chronic disease in Canada and what they mean for plan sponsors. On Feb. 8, insurers and health-care professionals shared their insights into several chronic conditions impacting Canadian employees, including Alzheimer’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, menopause and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Here’s […]
With the increased availability of treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, patients can achieve longer periods of remission, said Vipul Jairath, a gastroenterologist at the London Health Sciences Centre and professor of medicine at Western University, during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Chronic Disease at Work conference in February. IBD involves an underlying pathological process that creates inflammation […]
Since decreased cognition can impact retirees’ ability to make sound decisions, the Canadian Union of Public Employees urges its members to discuss financial matters with their families long before exiting the workforce. “If we wait until we’re in distress, we either make very bad decisions or we don’t make any decisions at all, which can […]
A recent survey by Innovative Medicines Canada found there are growing listing delays among Canada’s private drug plans, said Joe Farago, the organization’s executive director of private payers and investment, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2023 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum in December. The survey noted private payer review times can take […]
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 same control over their condition with fewer injections, said Jacob Bonafiglia, medical science liaison with Novo Nordisk Canada Inc., during a panel discussion sponsored by Boehringer-Ingelheim Canada, Merck Canada Inc. […]