Spending on specialty drugs is likely to increase at a significant rate, substantially impacting the cost employers pay, according to a report.
The cost of providing employee healthcare benefits has stabilized around the globe, although a new round of increases may be on the horizon for employers.
At 21, Jeff Aarssen was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
While growth in drug plan spending is forecast to remain in low single digits over the next few years, plan sponsors could do more to ensure value for the dollars they spend.
April 1 ushered in a new era with respect to the medical use of marijuana in Canada. There are emerging implications for plan sponsors that should be considered proactively. Health Canada has repealed the Marijuana Medical Access Program in favour of the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations whereby patients using medical marijuana will have to access their supply from one of 12 licensed growers (as of April 1, 2014) in Canada and can go through their own doctor for approval as opposed to having to apply to Health Canada.
As longevity increases and chronic diseases become more prevalent in Canada, companies are seeing a rise in the number of high-cost claimants. Different employers discussed the cost-cutting measures they’ve introduced in response to this rise during the 11th annual Group Insurance and Pharmaceutical Committee event in Toronto on Wednesday.
ClaimSecure has launched its new single/family budgeted rates as an optional funding arrangement for plan sponsors' administrative services only health and dental plans.
Behaviour change is hard, but targeted health interventions can have a positive impact.
In an era of evolving workplace demographics and escalating healthcare costs, integrated wellness is the way forward
Some stakeholders in the health benefits community believe that the cost of new (patented) medicines threatens the sustainability of prescription drug benefits in Canada. At the same time, cost concerns are encouraging drug plan sponsors to shift to plan designs that limit access to the most innovative treatments.