Since diabetes is a progressive disease, it’s important to get treatment in the middle, according to Dr. Thomas Ransom, endocrinologist at the Nova Scotia Health Authority, during Benefits Canada‘s 2019 Halifax Benefits Summit on Sept. 24. If diabetes is under-treated, blood sugars go up and stick to things — eyes, kidneys, nerves, feet, he said. And if it’s […]
The requirement to measure and report on the quality of the health-care services delivered by providers is growing, alongside the redefined nature of the relationship between payers and health-care providers, such as pharmacy, said Ned Pojskic, leader of pharmacy and health provider relations at Green Shield Canada. “This system . . . is designed in its very nature […]
As Canadian employers seek to attract and retain top talent, the majority (66 per cent) are focusing on making salaries more competitive, according to a new survey by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. However, the survey’s respondents are aware salary isn’t everything. One-third (34 per cent) of employers said they’re upgrading their well-being initiatives to attract talent […]
The Ontario government has launched a consultation on adopting benefits pooling for broader public sector employees. In previous discussions, both public sector employers and bargaining agents expressed interest in looking at centralized benefits pooling, according to a news release. The government said public sector compensation represents about half of all government spending, at a total […]
Sun Life is expanding its suite of digital tools with a disability management toolkit. The new tools include virtual independent medical examination, a solution that aims to help employees on disability participate in an independent examination without leaving their home, as well as online cognitive behavioural therapy. Following a pharmacogenomics pilot project with LifeLabs Genetics and BiogeniQ […]
Montreal-based virtual health-care services platform Dialogue Technologies Inc. is launching the second phase of its stress management and well-being program. Available to Canadian employers, the program aims to ensure plan members have access to doctors, nurses, medical specialists, psychologists, psychotherapists and social workers. These specialists “[work] together as a team to offer a personalized treatment plan and […]
Employers, health-care professionals and people living with obesity disagree on how the disease develops, how to manage it and who’s responsible for treatment, according to a new study by Obesity Canada. The study, which was published in the journal Clinical Obesity this month, surveyed 150 employers, 395 physicians and 2,000 individuals living with obesity. More than […]
Great-West Life Assurance Co. is launching a collaborative health-care program that draws on clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists and other experts to help group benefits plan members get the right diagnosis, and provide them with an action plan and guidance through the mental-health system. The Best Doctors’ mental health navigator services from Teladoc Health Inc. is available […]
Hub International Ltd. is acquiring PDF Financial Group Inc., a Toronto-based brokerage that offers employee benefits, human resources and related financial advice consulting, as well as outsourcing services. Peter Demangos, the brokerage’s founder and president, will join Hub International Ontario Ltd. The deal is the latest in Hub’s ongoing strategy to acquire smaller Canadian employee benefits consulting […]
While society at large is promoting conversations around mental health, stigma is still entrenched in the workplace, according to a new survey by Teladoc Health Inc. The survey was conducted in four countries —Australia, Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. — with 3,894 total participants and 964 in Canada. It found 27 per cent of […]