Between 2019 and 2023, chronic disease drug claims increased much faster among younger plan members compared to older generations, according to a new report by Sun Life. The report, which analyzed drug claims data of more than 3 million plan members over a five-year period, found across all age groups, nearly half (45.1 per cent) of […]
As plan sponsors contend with high utilization of their drug plans and a host of costly new drugs coming to market, a variety of cost-containment measures can ensure plans remain sustainable while still supporting members. Plan sponsors’ annual drug plan spend has been steadily rising, said Martin Gascon, senior director of group benefits at Eckler […]
With lyrics adapted to the tune of ‘Magic’ by Scottish pop group Pilot, the melody of ‘Oh, Oh, Oh, Ozempic’ is splashed across U.S. televisions in a snappy advertising campaign. The commercial push is likely unnecessary. Ozempic, one of the brand names of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, […]
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on provinces and territories to start negotiating pharmacare deals as soon as possible, now that the federal legislation to enact the program has become law. “This is real progress, but now we need the provinces and territories to come to the table and sign agreements with us that supports […]
Ontario’s Ministry of Health is consulting on the role of preferred pharmacy networks in the province’s employer-sponsored drug insurance sector to determine how these agreements impact plan members’ costs, choice, accessibility and access to medicine and quality of care. In its draft consultation paper, the ministry said a common concern among consumers is when PPNs are closed and […]
U.S. employers are projecting health benefits costs to increase by eight per cent for 2025, up from seven per cent in 2023, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. It found employers cited several factors in rising costs, including catastrophic claims (20 per cent, up from 19 per cent […]
The World Health Organization defines a rare disease as having a prevalence of 65 or less per 100,000 individuals. It recognizes some 5,500 rare diseases, the majority being of genetic origin and often life-threatening. Medical research has yielded significant drug development for the treatment of rare diseases, increasing life expectancy and improving quality of life. However, […]
There has seen a “huge increase” in mental-health practitioner claims following the coronavirus pandemic, said Sylvana Leclerc, organizational health consultant for integrated health solutions at Sun Life Financial Inc., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. Citing findings from the insurer’s annual Health by Design report, she said in 2022, […]
With obesity now understood to be a chronic health condition, it’s time for plan sponsors to revisit their approach to weight loss medications, said Philippe Laplante, principal for pension and benefits at Eckler Ltd., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Vancouver Benefits Summit in May. The conversation about extending coverage to new, high-cost anti-obesity […]
An article outlining the implications of a single-payer universal pharmacare system was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investmnet stories of the past week: 1. Sounding Board: What plan sponsors should know about pharmacare 2. Meet the 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards judges 3. Mental-health claims by Canadians up […]