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, […]
Nearly half (47 per cent) of Canadians say they’ve been injured in a way that impedes or has impeded them from being fully functional at work, at home or at play, according to a new survey by Ipsos on behalf of the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association. The survey, which polled 1,000 Canadian workers aged 18 and […]
Sales of U.S. workplace supplemental health products totalled nearly US$1.3 billion in new annualized premiums in the first quarter of 2024 ― a three per cent increase year over year, according to a new report by LIMRA. It found major product lines of accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity insurance combined grew four per cent from […]
Mental-health claims by Canadians have increased by 132 per cent since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by GreenShield. The report, which compiled data from the insurer’s claims database between 2020 to 2023, found women and younger generations account for the majority of mental-health services accessed. Among those accessing mental-health services, stress […]
Plan sponsors worried about the expense and sustainability of their drug plan might initially embrace a pharmacare plan, hoping to shift drug costs to a new program funded by provincial and federal governments. However, this may not be the solution it seems. A single-payer universal pharmacare system might limit medication access for individuals with employer-sponsored benefits […]
Everyone loves a deal, but many Canadians either forget or don’t realize they can find discounts through their workplace. “There really are a lot [of perks] that employees just don’t seem to know about,” says Debby Carreau, chief executive officer and founder of Inspired HR, a human resources consultancy with offices across Canada. “Those things […]
Roughly a third (34 per cent) of employers in the U.S. are providing coverage for glucagon-like peptide-1 medications for both diabetes care and weight-loss management in 2024, up from 26 per cent in 2023, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. However, the survey, which polled more than 270 U.S. employers, found more […]
A story discussing the factors leading employees to delay taking time off and instead engage in ‘quiet vacationing’ was the most-read story this week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the past week: 1. Employees hesitant to take time off turning to ‘quiet vacationing’: expert 2. 42% of […]
The University Pension Plan’s chief people officer discusses expanding the talent pool, providing access to personalized and culturally relevant mental-health practitioners and finding time to enjoy the theatre. Q: What top challenges do you face in your role? A: As a new organization responsible for delivering pension security to 40,000 members, we need to attract […]
Okta Inc.’s enhanced parental leave benefit for non-birthing parents is helping more employees who are fathers take time off to bond with their newborn or adopted children. The software company is offering 18 weeks of parental leave topped up to 100 per cent of their full salary to non-birthing parents. Employees who use the benefit can […]