Retirement is a time in every employee’s life that evokes a number of emotions: anticipation, excitement, fear, stress, anxiety and relief, among others. The positive emotions are amplified when planning has taken place to remove the stress, fear and anxiety, so it’s important that people considering retirement aren’t leaving preparation to the last minute, especially not the month or […]
Health Solutions by Shoppers Drug Mart is launching a health coaching program for plan sponsors to include in their benefits plans. Aimed at employees with chronic diseases, particularly diabetes, heart disease and obesity, the coaching program will connect plan members with nurses, pharmacists or dietitians through phone or video chat. These specialists will help create […]
LifeScan Inc. is launching a mobile app for benefits plan members living with diabetes. Diabetes, which is a growing health concern for Canadians, ranks second in drug spending by employer-sponsored health plans. The app, which is licensed by Health Canada, works by transmitting blood glucose data from a compatible monitoring system to the app using Bluetooth. […]
Though many plan sponsors are still using step therapy to manage drug plan costs, pharmacogenetic testing is receiving attention as more providers enter the market, lower the cost and familiarize employers and insurers with the technology. As it becomes more sophisticated, there’s more information about how pharmacogentic testing works, says Sandra Ventin, associate vice-president at […]
While the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board has traditionally handled medical cannabis on a case-by-case basis, it’s new policy on the drug takes effect on March 1, 2019. The policy, which provides a framework for entitlement to, and approval of, medical cannabis by the WSIB, sets out the following five conditions for entitlement: Neuropathic pain; Spasticity resulting […]
Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana is urging the federal government to remove all taxes on medical cannabis. “More than 480,000 Canadian patients require medical cannabis to help them manage a variety of issues, from chronic pain and arthritis to mental health,” said Gerald Major, president of CFAMM, in a press release. “The government is […]
Something interesting happened this month as we examined the 2018 experience of two different plan sponsors in two separate geographies with different demographics. The only similarity between the plans is they both have 80,000 or more individual claimants on their drug plan annually. At the same time last year, we completed a series of predictive analytics on […]
Although certain drug categories have always been considered optional in benefits plans, this may be an opportune time to look at modernizing coverage in a number of areas, according to Suzanne Nagy, national drug consulting leader at Mercer Canada. Speaking at Benefits Canada‘s 2018 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum in Toronto on Dec. 5, Nagy said […]
Half an hour after I check in at reception, I’ve already been siphoned of blood, weighed and measured. This is the beginning of my health screening at Medcan’s office in downtown Toronto, which will also include tests for my heart, fitness, blood pressure and body fat composition, among a host of others. When it’s over, […]
Green Shield Canada is launching a rating tool that allows plan members to search ratings when looking for a pharmacy. Through the insurer’s app, members can access the rating tool to measure a pharmacy’s health outcomes. The five-star system bases its ratings on the promotion of good adherence to drug therapy, care for chronic disease and the safe dispensing […]