With 2017 coming to a close and 2018 on the horizon, professionals in the pension, investment, benefits and human resources industries have a number of dates to add to their calendars for the new year. Jan. 1: Ontario’s new youth pharmacare program takes effect. It will provide universal coverage of all medicines listed in the Ontario Drug Benefit […]
One of the biggest topics in the health and benefits industry in 2017 was the federal government’s new 18-month parental leave option. Three stories on this issue topped the list, with news about benefits fraud, health benefits tax and medical marijuana also ranking. Benefits Canada rounds up your favourite health and benefits stories of 2017: Budget boosts parental […]
With the new Alberta dental fee guide taking effect on Jan. 1, 2018, many plan sponsors will likely be taking a look at their benefits plans to consider the impact of the changes on them. The new fee guide provides for an 8.5 per cent cut in suggested prices for 60 common procedures. Most plan sponsors will […]
The Alberta government has announced a new dental fee guide for 2018 that provides for an 8.5 per cent cut in suggested prices for 60 common procedures. The fee guide, which the government says it developed in collaboration with the Alberta Dental Association and College, follows months of criticism of the regulator’s proposed changes earlier […]
Canadian digital benefits platform League Inc. is adding a number of insurance partners in order to expand its benefits offering in Canada and the United States. The new carriers include RBC Insurance Services Inc., AETNA Inc., Humana Inc., Cigna, United HealthCare Services Inc. and Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. “We’re not trying to rebuild everything,” says Andrew Dubowec, vice-president of […]
It’s hard not to feel at least some sympathy for an Alberta dental graduate coming out of school with $400,000 in debt. In response to a recent story on BenefitsCanada.com about complaints about Alberta’s sky-high dental fees, the graduate noted the significant financial pressures resulting not only from school debts but also the cost of […]
With Albertans facing higher dental fees than people in other provinces, benefits plans are particularly helpful when it comes to paying their bills. But at Calgary-based tax services provider H&R Block Canada Inc., many employees still found the company’s dental plan’s inadequate for covering the bulk of their dental expenses. “People wanted to see if they still […]
Alberta’s health minister isn’t happy with prices coming down by just three per cent in the new fee guide published by the Alberta Dental Association and College this month, according to the CBC. With Alberta having the highest dentistry fees of any province, the college published its first fee guide since 1997 two weeks ago. But the guide […]
Last Thursday, the Alberta Dental Association and College released a fee guide that lists dental procedures and their suggested fees for the first time since 1997. While organizations like the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association welcomed the news, it still noted that Alberta patients pay more for dental procedures than people in other provinces. Read: […]
While the new Alberta dental fee guide published last week is a “step in the right direction,” more changes are required to bring dental fees down to reasonable levels in the province, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. Given that dental fees in Alberta are 26 to 32 per cent higher than […]