To say things have changed since I wrote my last editorial is a massive understatement. Of course, the early rumblings of the coronavirus pandemic were already underway in the early weeks of 2020, but they were still very far removed from Canada’s reality. At the time of writing these words in mid-April, worldwide coronavirus cases […]
In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, virtual health care is taking centre stage. But Ontario Power Generation was ahead of the curve, introducing a pilot project in 2019 to help employees with high mental-health incidences and absenteeism rates minimize their sick leave usage. The pilot, implemented on July 1, 2019, provides about 500 hydro […]
In 2019, Telus Communications Inc. bumped up its combined lifetime plan maximum per employee for fertility benefits to $15,000 for both treatment procedures and drugs. “More than anything, it’s just recognizing that we want to be a good place for women to work,” says Carol Craig, director of pensions and benefits at Telus. Generally, Canadian […]
Plan sponsors and insurers are increasingly wading into the waters of pharmacogenetic testing by offering the service to employees making long-term disability claims. In 2017, Sun Life partnered with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health for a pilot project that offered pharmacogenetic testing to plan members on disability leave due to a mental-health condition. […]
Even as provinces prepare to gradually re-open, Canadians are feeling a little skittish about receiving in-person health care before a vaccine for the coronavirus is developed, according to a new survey by Green Shield Canada. The survey, which polled more than 500 benefits plan members, found that while 62 per cent said they’d be open to visiting […]
iA Financial Group is teaming up with Dialogue Technologies Inc. to improve health-care access for its group benefits plan members. The platform allows plan members and their families to speak with health-care professionals, anywhere in Canada, at any time. Available online or on any mobile device, its services include: prescription renewal and free delivery of […]
As provincial governments start to lay out their plans for slowly reopening the economy, employers have a unique return-to-work scenario to handle. Appropriate sick leave and accommodation policies will be key pieces of the new normal, said Alex Boucher, principal and total health management leader at Mercer Canada, during a webinar on Friday. A second and possibly further […]
MindBeacon Group is partnering with the Ontario government to make its online mental-health service available free of charge for everyone in the province. Beacon is a digital platform that guides individuals through a personalized course of cognitive behavioural therapy. Users complete the therapy with a registered health professional providing one-to-one guidance through digital messaging to […]
Half of Canadian employees said their mental health has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey by Teladoc Health Inc. The survey, which polled more than 1,500 Canadian workers, found women (57 per cent) were more likely to report a harmful impact on their mental health than men (43 per cent). […]
Medavie Blue Cross is adding a virtual health-care tool to its group benefits plans. The Online Doctors Unlimited tool, which is available through a partnership with Maple, includes consultations with Canadian-licensed doctors; access to a doctor immediately; service available 24/7/365; and an efficient administrative process. A lite version of the tool, with a limit of five […]