Benefits by Design Inc. and PocketPills are partnering on a digital pharmacy platform. Through the partnership, group plan members will be able to instantly connect with pharmacists and manage their medications online. PocketPills’ platform includes automation technology that improves the pharmacy workflow, making pharmacists more accessible to patients via phone or live chat, seven days a […]
Hub International Ltd. is acquiring Clearpoint Benefits Solutions, which includes Clearpoint Advisory Group Inc., Clearpoint Retirement Solutions Inc. and Canwest Group Benefits Inc. Clearpoint, which is located in Edmonton, with additional locations in Grande Prairie, Alta. and Fairview, Alta., is a benefits and retirement consulting firm. Read: Hub International acquires assets of Toronto-based benefits firm “Clearpoint is […]
MindBeacon Group is launching a digital mental-health option to support all Canadians through heightened anxiety and stress related to the coronavirus pandemic. The organization found nearly half (46 per cent) of people starting therapy since the beginning of the pandemic via its Beacon digital platform indicated anxiety as their primary mental-health concern, which was up by 12 per cent when […]
Employer health-care costs will rise in 2021 for several reasons related to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by Willis Towers Watson. With many employees deferring medical visits due to lockdown measures and fear of contracting the coronavirus, health-care costs for U.S. employers are expected to be between 3.3 and 8.8 per cent lower in 2020 than […]
Workplace mental health and resilience app Headversity is partnering with Cowan Insurance Group to offer its resources to the consultancy’s plan sponsor clients. Headversity’s platform will provide plan members with access to training and tools to help build their resilience, level up their mental game and overcome life’s challenges, according to a press release. Read: Trucking […]
Online sleep clinic Haleo and employee assistance program provider Optima Global Health are forming a partnership to make solutions for insomnia and other sleep disorders accessible to millions of Canadian employees. Through the partnership, Haleo’s personalized insomnia treatment will be integrated into all of the basic issues covered in Optima’s EAP framework. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, […]
Ford Motor Co. and Unifor’s new collective agreement tackles everything from racial inequality, medical cannabis coverage and a new pension plan. The $1.8 billion deal ratified on Monday includes a racial justice advocate in a nod to the ongoing racial reckoning occurring in society and workplaces. The newly created role will complement existing inclusivity efforts at […]
The coronavirus pandemic led to a sharp decrease in people visiting health professionals and filing claims, resulting in an estimated savings of $4.8 billion for Canadian private insurers between March 15 and June 15, according to a new report by insurance comparison platform Hellosafe.ca. The report, which used historic data sourced from the Canadian Life and Health […]
Many human resources teams that are planning 2021 salary adjustments and possible changes to total rewards programs need to focus on immediate ways to keep employee morale up as the coronavirus pandemic rages on, while also focusing on the longer term retention and attraction of top talent. The ongoing economic uncertainty wrought by the pandemic means many Canadian […]
An upcoming Sun Life Canada drug plan change that will be implemented outside of plan sponsors’ renewal periods is calling attention to the practice of block-level contract amendments. Sun Life is set to implement the first phase of its reference drug program on Oct. 1, which the insurer says will help plan sponsors with drug plan sustainability by creating categories […]