Group insurers are considering data more intelligently to develop products, services and plan designs that are optimal for plan sponsors, but also engage members by using their own personal health and transactional data to involve them in their own well-being. Speaking at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Halifax Benefits Summit on Sept. 24, Chris Goguen, manager of pharmacy benefits strategy and partnership at […]
Medavie Blue Cross is launching a digital health platform that helps plan members access resources to manage their health when and where they need it. Available through a mobile app and online through the insurer’s plan member services site, Connected Care has accessible virtual opportunities that connect directly to Canadian doctors through a partnership with virtual care provider Maple. […]
Great-West Life Assurance Co. is launching a collaborative health-care program that draws on clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists and other experts to help group benefits plan members get the right diagnosis, and provide them with an action plan and guidance through the mental-health system. The Best Doctors’ mental health navigator services from Teladoc Health Inc. is available […]
Rise People Inc. is partnering with Planswell Inc. to expand on its employee health and wellness offerings. Planswell offers employees the ability to create free online financial plans and receive personalized advice from financial planning professionals to help them grow their wealth and reduce debt. Read: Financial wellness programs must go beyond education: survey “As […]
While society at large is promoting conversations around mental health, stigma is still entrenched in the workplace, according to a new survey by Teladoc Health Inc. The survey was conducted in four countries —Australia, Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. — with 3,894 total participants and 964 in Canada. It found 27 per cent of […]
Scotiabank is providing its eligible Canadian employees with an additional two paid personal days to support their mental health. Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, the bank’s Canadian workforce will have a total of five personal days and the flexibility to take them as needed, in addition to existing sick and vacation days. “Our people are our […]
Equitable Life Insurance Co. of Canada is expanding the services it offers to plan sponsors through its partnership with Homewood Health Inc. While the insurer has worked with Homewood Health for seven years to provide plan members on disability with specialized return-to-work support, it will now make the latter organization’s employee assistance program and online health and wellness […]
Hub International Ltd. is acquiring Saskatoon-based Regency Advisory Corp., an employee benefits consulting firm. “We continue to build on our efforts to add talented organizations like Regency to boost our employee benefits and pension capabilities in Canada,” said Keith Jordan, president and chief executive officer of Hub International Manitoba Ltd., in a press release. “Regency has been involved in many […]
Canadian employees suffering from mental-health issues aren’t accessing support through their workplace benefits, according to new data from Sun Life Canada. The data found 59 per cent of working Canadians said they’ve experienced a mental-health issue, an increase from 52 per cent in 2017. Among this group, 60 per cent said they aren’t accessing support through their workplace benefits […]
While employer-provided wellness programs can include incentives or penalties for members, the industry is divided on which tactic is most effective in encouraging employee participation. Dominic Cole-Morgan, senior vice-president of total rewards at Scotiabank: The reality is the workforce has never been more diverse than it is today. No employee’s needs, preferences or backgrounds are […]