The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association has published a guide to help health-care providers and patients understand private health insurance. The guide, released during financial literacy month, was produced with the Extended Healthcare Professionals Coalition, a group that represents medical professionals, including psychologists, physiotherapists, audiologists, occupational therapists, chiropractors and pharmacists, among others. It’s geared toward […]
Hub International Ltd. is expanding its Canadian employee benefits and retirement services with six key service areas. It also named its employee benefits leadership team for the country, including Robert Taylor of TRG Group Benefits, which was acquired by Hub in January; Hub chief innovation officer Faizal Mitha; Mary-Lou MacDonald, Hub’s national practice lead of health and […]
Police in Kingston, Ont. are warning the public about a new email phishing scam that uses employee benefits enrolments and annual pay raises as bait. Posing as representatives from company human resources departments, the scammers are sending emails about topics such as employee benefits surveys and salary increases. The emails include dangerous attachments or links that bring […]
Hub International Ltd. has acquired the assets of Winnipeg-based benefits consulting firm W.R. Carey Corp. W.R. Carey provides a wide range of programs to employers, including benefits plan consulting and group retirement services. Bill Carey, the firm’s president, and all of its employees will join Hub International Manitoba Ltd. Read: Hub acquiring Alberta-based employee benefits consultancy “Carey Corp. […]
On Oct. 24, the 2019 Calgary Drug Trends Summit featured presentations to educate plan sponsors and advisors about specific disease states and their challenges, new drug treatment categories and key drug trends facing benefits plans. Here’s what you missed! New drug therapies for common conditions could impact private plan sustainability While medical advancements and drug […]
While medical advancements and drug therapy innovations have been life-changing for patients and plan members, they also come with increasing costs, said Victoria Shaw, drug benefits manager at Alberta Blue Cross, speaking at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Calgary Drug Trends Summit on Oct. 24. Between 2011 to 2017, the number of high-cost drugs doubled. From 2016 to 2017, in […]
When it comes to switching from a biologic to a biosimilar drug, patient choice and engagement is extremely important, according to Durhane Wong-Rieger, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders. “While a patient’s on a drug, they need to be continuously monitoring,” she said during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Calgary Drug […]
Alongside Fluor Canada’s recent move to a flexible benefits plan, it also introduced a managed drug formulary, which includes generic substitution, prior authorization, lifetime maximums and an annual out-of-pocket maximum. While the organization was hesitant to make the change, it knew it was necessary to help control drug costs, said Michelle Ginter, senior human resources […]
Mercer is launching an all-in-one digital platform that gives employees access to a variety of wellness vendors to support their physical, mental, financial or social well-being. Mercer 365, which will be rolled out in January 2020, allows employers to offer their staff benefits through an online, self-serve platform. It will also include access to benefits utilization and […]
The Empire Life Insurance Co. is partnering with Rimouski, Que.-based insurtech company Magik-Net to build a real-time platform for third-party administrators. The platform aims to help TPAs handle tasks related to the administration of employers’ group benefits plans. It’s also designed to reduce the time insurers spend processing files and confirming successful transactions. Read: The value-added proposition of group […]