The average per-employee cost of U.S. employer-sponsored health benefits has risen by 5.2 per cent in 2023 to reach US$15,797, according to a new survey by Mercer. The survey, which polled more than 1,900 U.S. employers, found cost increases were highest for employers with 50 to 499 employees (7.8 per cent on average) and these […]
Government House leader Karina Gould warned Tuesday the Liberals are unlikely to get a pharmacare bill passed by the end of the year, despite their promise to do so in an agreement with the New Democratic Party. “I don’t think we’re going to get it passed by the end of this year, but we’ll definitely […]
While three-quarters (76 per cent) of U.S. employers say they provide coverage of glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs for diabetes management, about a quarter (27 per cent) provide coverage of these drugs for weight loss, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey, which polled more than 200 U.S. benefits […]
The Parliamentary Budget Office is confirming the insurance industry’s projection that a single-payer model of national pharmacare program will cost $40 billion annually as a result of shifting more than $14 billion in private insurance coverage onto the government’s books. In a new report, the PBO estimated the cost of a single-payer universal drug plan to […]
The average cost of employer-sponsored health benefits in Canada is expected to decline to five per cent in 2024, down from 7.5 per cent in 2023, according to a report by Aon. The report, which is based on insights from more than 100 global Aon offices that broker, administer or advise on employer-sponsored medical plans, found […]
An article on the 2023 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey’s findings on plan members’ appreciation of health benefits was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. 72% of plan members appreciate health benefits more today than before pandemic: survey 2. 54% of benefits plan members currently live […]
A recent report by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board shows increased growth for private drug plan costs but promising pharmaceutical innovation, says Joe Farago, executive director of private payers and investment at Innovative Medicines Canada. The report also found the number of new medicines launched in Canada was higher than the median for Organisation for […]
The costs of U.S. employer-sponsored medical benefits are expected to rise seven per cent in 2024, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey found 79 per cent of U.S. employers’ benefits plans are self-funded (with or without stop-loss coverage), while 21 per cent are fully insured. The […]
The growth of gene and cell therapies are raising significant questions among private payers about who bears the responsibility for the costs of these treatments, says Tim Clarke, president at TC Health Consulting Inc. “One issue is whether this is going to be paid for by public health or if it’s an employer health issue. […]
Canadian plan sponsors and insurers are revisiting how they classify obesity drugs under their benefits plans, amid plan members’ rising demand for Ozempic as a weight-loss treatment. Ozempic, also known under the generic name semaglutide, is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. However, the medication has also been credited as a weight-loss treatment, […]