Benefits Canada is pleased to announce the finalists of the 2022 Workplace Benefits Awards. This year’s awards program welcomed 115 entries across 11 categories, all highlighting how Canada’s leading employers are supporting their employees’ physical, mental and financial well-being. The winners will be announced on Tues., Oct. 18 in Toronto at the 2022 Healthy Outcomes Conference, an in-person event intended for employers […]
Ontario’s school support staff are moving toward a strike vote starting Sept. 23 over extended benefits, short-term disability leave and wage increases, among other requests by the workers’ union the Canadian Union of Public Employees. In its initial proposal, the CUPE is asking the government to provide additional funds to cover the increasing costs of […]
There’s no question that Canadians value their private health benefits, even with pharmacare discussions back on the table. In a recent Abacus Data study, 78 per cent of respondents said they feel group benefits plans increase the availability and affordability of health services in Canada, as opposed to undermining universal health coverage. Furthermore, 92 per […]
Severe asthma is a complex condition that impacts between 150,000 and 250,000 Canadians, according to Vanessa Foran, president and chief executive officer of Asthma Canada, during a webinar hosted last month by Benefits Canada and supported by AstraZeneca. It’s an acute condition where people have difficulty achieving control of their disease despite proper use of […]
The amendments to the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board regulations are officially taking effect July 1, after being delayed multiple times. The changes, which were originally proposed in 2019, are the first significant update to the regulations in more than 30 years. After consulting with stakeholders, Health Canada will be moving forward with the implementation of […]
Benefits Canada is extending the deadline for entering the 2022 Workplace Benefits Awards to Friday, July 8 at 5 p.m. EST. The annual awards recognize employers and plan sponsors that are leading the way with their approaches to supporting the mental, physical and financial well-being of their employees. Enter the 2022 Workplace Benefits Awards today. This year’s […]
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, fewer Canadian benefits plan members are making drug claims, according to Telus Health’s annual drug trends report. The report, based on the drug claims activity of more than 10 million plan members in 2021, found just 56 per cent made a claim in 2021, reflecting a decreased frequency of in-person […]
The union representing 225 part-time workers at Metro Inc. warehouses in Etobicoke, Ont. has ratified a three-year agreement that includes multiple benefits gains. Unifor members voted overwhelmingly in favour of a collective agreement that includes a prescription drug plan for all eligible part-time workers. The plan offers single coverage with a three-year maximum of $6,000, […]
A British Columbia labour arbitration decision is providing insight on how a block level implementation of a benefits provider’s drug cost-control program violated a collective agreement in a unionized workplace. The Douglas College Faculty Association grieved the implementation of Manulife’s DrugWatch program contravened their collective agreement, which ensured “there will be no change to the […]
The coronavirus pandemic has marked a sea change in how Canadians receive health care. While just four per cent of primary care visits were conducted virtually pre-pandemic, that rose to roughly 60 per cent after the onset of the global health crisis. This represents an opportunity to reshape how health care can be delivered and, in […]