The majority (81.5 per cent) of plan members participating in digital wellness programs experienced improvements for a wide range of health indicators across 30 months, according to a new study by the Institute of Health Economics in partnership with Alberta Blue Cross. Equally important, the study found cost savings for benefits plans with a corresponding […]
Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada’s group benefits and Lumino Health platform are rebranding as Sun Life Health, a new business unit focused on empowering Canadians to live their healthiest lives no matter where they are in their wellness journey. “Sun Life Health brings these areas of expertise together, providing Canadians with a partner on their […]
Lululemon Athletica Inc. is helping employees maintain physical and mental well-being amid the coronavirus pandemic with a series of wellness initiatives. In an emailed statement to Benefits Canada, Angela Wright, vice-president of health and wealth and organization planning at Lululemon, said the company increased its focus on employee well-being during the pandemic, with many existing […]
Amazon.com Inc. is launching a digital health-care platform for its Canadian employees. The My Wellbeing platform provides employees with access to a range of health-care resources — including virtual physiotherapy sessions, a virtual gym, mental-health support and mindfulness sessions — according to a press release, which noted the platform runs targeted well-being campaigns and challenges […]
Morneau Shepell Ltd. is rebranding under the name LifeWorks Inc. The company announced its intention to rebrand in March, which was subsequently approved by its shareholders following a vote at the company’s annual meeting on May 14. Read: Morneau Shepell rebranding as LifeWorks “By connecting the two words — life and work — the purpose of our organization is made […]
Green Shield Holdings Inc. is acquiring Inkblot Technologies, a virtual mental-health platform that uses artificial intelligence-assisted technology, network effects and advanced analytics to match patients with counsellors. “Building on our previous . . . digital-health investments and partnerships, the acquisition of Inkblot fits with our strategic objective of increasing access for our clients to leading health services […]
Employees were increasingly using digital mental-health-care options for years, but the coronavirus pandemic shifted the trend into high gear. Since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic almost one year ago on March 11, 2020, providing some health-care virtually instead of in-person has become the norm. By the end of March 2020, […]
CloudMD Software & Services Inc. is beefing up its offerings via the recent acquisitions of HumanaCare Organizational Resources Inc., Medical Confidence Inc. and Aspiria Corp. The Vancouver virtual health-care company acquired HumanaCare, an integrated, employee assistance services solution providing physical and mental-health support for plan members and their family, earlier this month. Read: HumanaCare re-launches […]
While prior authorization can be a great tool for plan sponsors, it comes with its own set of challenges, said Tara Liu, director of drug strategy at Canada Life, during Benefits Canada’s Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum on Dec. 9, 2020. The pharmaceutical pipeline is focused on high-cost specialty drugs, which are being used in […]
Sun Life Canada is launching a new virtual mental-health coach for plan members that taps into the power of predictive analytics. The virtual coach will launch in the first quarter of 2021, starting with a small number of clients, and after six months, the insurer will slowly bring more organizations on board. The insurer’s goal with the pilot program is […]