The Co-operators Life Insurance Co. is adding online cognitive behavioural therapy to its extended health-care coverage from January 2019. The new offering, through Morneau Shepell Ltd., will be included alongside the insurer’s group benefits coverage for psychologists and social workers. “We’re proud to be one of the first group benefits providers to offer iCBT in our extended health-care coverage,” said […]
Assumption Mutual Life Insurance Corp. is appointing Sébastien Dupuis as president and chief executive officer following the retirement of André Vincent. Vincent will assume the role of senior advisor to Dupuis until he officially retires on June 30, 2019. With 17 years at the company, Dupuis has held a variety of roles, including director of finance, chief risk officer, […]
Aon has partnered with six Canadian insurance providers to offer traditional and flexible benefits through its Aon Choice platform. The new partnership includes Sun Life Financial Inc., Manulife Financial Corp., Great-West Life Assurance Co., Desjardins Insurance, SSQ Life Insurance Co. and Green Shield Canada. The companies comprise 82 per cent of the Canadian group benefits […]
Medavie Blue Cross has appointed Marc Avaria as vice-president of product and disability management. In the new role, Avaria will lead the development of new products for the insurer’s group and individual businesses with a focus on digital options and pharmacy benefit management functions. He will also help advance Medavie Blue Cross’ disability management business and […]
While advisors are supportive of greater transparency in group benefits and retirement services, some say the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s proposed amendments to its compensation disclosure guideline last week still presents a conflict of interest. The suggested changes to G19 included requiring the disclosure of both the percentage and dollar value of direct compensation […]
After consulting with more than 500 advisors, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is making a number of changes to its G19 guideline pertaining to compensation disclosure in group benefits and group retirement services. The proposed guideline, which was introduced nearly a year ago, would require insurers to disclose to plan sponsors the compensation paid to intermediaries for […]
Manulife Financial Corp. is making its Vitality health and wellness platform available to Canadian group benefits plan members next year. The platform, which connects with wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness bracelets, is designed to help users make healthy choices and then rewards them with discounts and gift cards for doing so. “We believe this program will help […]
Equitable Life of Canada is introducing a fully online option for employees enrolling in group benefits plans. “Plan members can easily enter all their enrolment information, including dependant details, banking information for direct deposit of claim payments and details for coordination of benefits,” said Norma Crouse, assistant vice-president of claims and administration at Equitable Life, in a […]
Two-thirds (67 per cent) of group insurance brokers said their client base would decrease if employer-paid benefits became taxable income, according to a survey by the Canadian Group Insurance Brokers and Digital Journal Group. In February 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Parliament his government wasn’t planning to tax employee health and dental plans. However, the […]
Medical plan costs paid by employers are outpacing inflation, according to a new report by Aon. In Canada, however, medical cost inflation is trending down, lower than both the global and North American averages. Aon expects Canadian medical costs to rise by six per cent next year. Factored against average general inflation of 2.1 per cent in 2019, […]