Following the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario’s decision in a landmark age discrimination case last year, former high school teacher Steve Talos has reached a settlement with the Grand Erie District School Board. Though Ontario abolished mandatory retirement in 2006, it still allowed employers to terminate benefits plans for workers age 65 and over. In […]
Brand-name drug companies could put off introducing new medicine in Canada and scale back research here if the country makes a major shift to cheaper generic alternatives under a national pharmacare plan, according to an internal federal analysis. The concerns were included last year in a briefing document for federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau that […]
The Reformulary Group Inc. is launching the Cannabis Standard, an evidence-based medical marijuana formulary and research platform that operates on a subscription basis. It determines if patients are a good candidate for medical cannabis based on research, reviews, clinical evidence and the advice of an expert committee. The Cannabis Standard will allow employers to access evidence and expert advice on […]
Does your organization’s mental health or diversity program deserve recognition? Are you leading the way when it comes to drug and benefits plan innovation? Is your company’s pension performance award-worthy? Benefits Canada’s annual Workplace Benefits Awards is officially open for nominations. Submit your entries here. The 2019 awards will continue to honour the triumphs and […]
While some say a single-payer system would mean reduced drug prices and expenditures, others argue it could have unintended consequences, particularly for private plan sponsors. Marc-André Gagnon, associate professor at Carleton University’s school of public policy and administration: Canada’s drug coverage is a patchwork without coherence or purpose. Some think more patches can solve the […]
In September 2018, Health Canada approved, for the first time, the use of a chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy. Called Kymriah, it treats pediatric and young adult leukemia and adult lymphoma. The federal regulator is also reviewing a second gene therapy, called Yescarta, for an aggressive kind of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Both therapies are […]
On the eve of his retirement, with more than 40 years in benefits under his belt, Aon’s Art Babcock considers the industry’s move to technology, health-care spending accounts and drone piloting Q. How did you get into the group benefits industry? A. I began my career in the insurance industry out of university, with Metropolitan […]
Employees at Glencore Canada’s Brunswick Smelter operation are considering striking over what their union is calling “never-ending” concession demands from the company on pensions and benefits packages. While members of the United Steelworkers Local 7085 are expected to vote on a strike on March 28 and 29, negotiations between the employer and the union, which represents […]
On Feb. 27 in Toronto, the 2019 Employers Cancer Care Summit addressed cancer-related concerns tied to benefits plans in the workplace. Here’s what you missed: Gap services one solution to evolving developments in immunotherapy When it comes to cancer treatment, immunotherapy is a game changer with an exciting future ahead, according to Dr. Jeff Rothenstein. […]
Since today’s cancer patients are much younger than they were in the past, doctors are treating patients who are actively working and are young parents, said Dr. Christine Brezden-Masley, oncologist and division head of hematology/oncology at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. “When you get a cancer diagnosis, it changes your entire life,” she said at a session at Benefits Canada‘s Employers Cancer […]