In 2020, members of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association spent $650 million on drugs for rare diseases for more than 13,000 patients. Rare diseases affect one in 12 Canadians and between 6,000 and 8,000 rare diseases are known globally. In addition, roughly 80 per cent of these diseases occur in children and only […]
To say the coronavirus pandemic has had an unimaginable impact on Canadian life is an immense understatement — it has literally reshaped the way we work, interact socially and access health care. To that end, the pandemic has — and continues to — carve a path for a range of health-care innovations now supported by […]
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has put a six-month pause on new regulations designed to lower the cost of patented medicines in Canada. Health Canada first announced in 2019 that the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board would change how it sets a price cap on medicines in Canada in an effort to lower excessively expensive […]
With many employers taking steps to support their employees’ emotional, financial and physical health during the coronavirus pandemic, the top benefits stories on BenefitsCanada.com in 2021 highlighted some of these innovative initiatives, including among the finalists and winners of this year’s Workplace Benefits Awards. Twitter’s monthly #DaysofRest initiative helping prevent employee burnout amid pandemic RBC […]
The Canadian Drug Insurance Pooling Corp.’s high-cost drug framework provided coverage to almost 28,000 Canadians and their families where drug costs exceeded $10,000 annually in 2020. According to its results, the CDIPC estimated that its member insurance companies reimbursed claims associated with 54 new high-cost drugs including those for rare diseases. As well, based on past experience, […]
A new report by the Ontario government’s advisory committee on the future of work is recommending the introduction of a new portable benefits program. The Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee, which delivered its interim report this summer, set out 21 recommendations, including supporting workers who fall outside the purview of traditional benefits programs. The report […]
Recognized as the leading and most well-known event in workplace mental health for more than 15 years, Benefits Canada‘s 2021 Mental Health Summit, which was held virtually on Nov. 23-24, highlighted areas including links to disease impacts, treatment options, disability management and much more. Here’s what you missed: The importance of self-management in employee mental health How […]
The World Health Organization has designated diabetes as the only non-viral epidemic and diabetes drugs continue to be ranked as the second highest cost category for private drug plans, said Lisa Maks, clinical nurse specialist at Juravinski Hospital and St. Peter’s Hospital sites, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2021 Mental Health Summit. Eight per cent […]
Pharmacogenetic testing has become a popular addition to employee benefits packages, primarily because of its ability to inform personalized drug treatment, especially in mental health where it can be challenging to find an appropriate treatment and dosage that’s effective without causing side-effects. Many patients end up trying multiple medications and dosages without achieving improved outcomes, […]
Mental health is a major pandemic in and of itself, with surveys showing a 300 per cent increase in people reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the availability of hundreds of drug treatments, rates of mental illness continue to increase and “there hasn’t been any pharmacotherapy innovation for mental illness,” […]