The costs of employer medical benefits around the globe are forecasted to rise 7.2 per cent in 2021, outpacing general inflation by five per cent, according to a new medical trends report by Aon. “There is still a significant amount of uncertainty regarding COVID-19’s impact on deferred treatments and long-term health care,” said Tim Nimmer, Aon’s […]
Benefits Canada is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2020 Workplace Benefits Awards. At a virtual roundtable and awards ceremony on Friday morning, 19 finalists gathered to discuss their leading benefits and pension strategies, followed by winner announcements across seven categories. The following winners — and all of the finalists — represent benefits and pension plans covering more than 280,000 Canadians. These […]
While medical cannabis coverage is appearing in more benefits plans, most insurers that cover it still have very specific conditions. Sun Life Canada covers the most conditions, at seven, after adding two ailments to its roster in 2019. Marie-Chantal Côté, the insurer’s vice-president of market development for group benefits, says evidence is emerging that shows […]
When the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association rolled out its proposed compensation disclosure guideline in January 2018, it quickly inflamed tensions with group benefits and retirement advisors. The guideline, G19, stipulated that all of the CLHIA’s insurer members begin disclosing to plan sponsors the fees, commissions and bonuses they paid to advisors. Facing backlash […]
Medavie Blue Cross is launching a new drug management solution that will offer broader drug coverage while aiming to lower costs for group benefits plan members. The program, Rxperience, offers plan members open access to traditional drug benefits and specialty drug management via increased standardized core benefits, according to a press release. Read: Medavie Blue Cross […]
Despite a decline in mental health and well-being since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Canadians are still hesitant to access support, according to Morneau Shepell Ltd.’s latest monthly mental-health index. About half (53 per cent) of respondents indicated the pandemic has made them less likely to access health care for physical (29 per cent) and mental-health […]
On average, one in three Canadians will be disabled for 90 days or more at least once before they reach age 65, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. Therefore, income protection is important, but it’s not always fully understood and cost is sometimes perceived as too high. As a result, some groups […]
Morneau Shepell Ltd. is expanding into the growing telemedicine market to provide Canadian benefits plan members and their families with more convenient access to digital health-care services. Through its LifeWorks’ business, the company is launching a unified telemedicine service that will provide Canadians with quick access to medical practitioners such as doctors, nurse practitioners and other clinical professionals […]
More than two-thirds (67 per cent) of working Canadians said they’d use video chat, web or telephone-based health support to consult with a mental-health practitioner, up 17 percentage points since 2019, according to a new survey by RBC Insurance. The survey, which polled 1,001 employed or recently laid-off Canadians in July, also found the percentage of working […]
Health and wellness platform Dialogue is acquiring employee assistance program provider Optima Global Health. The purchase is part of Dialogue’s growth strategy to tap into the increasing demands for health and wellness services for employers and employees during this turbulent time, according to a press release. “Tapping into Optima’s established expertise and leadership is critical to the […]