More than a third (39 per cent) of U.S. employers see promise in using behavioural economics to help employees adhere to their medical treatment plans, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Organizations are employing the theory of behavioural economics through a variety of methods that nudge their workforce […]
United Steelworkers union members in western Labrador have ratified a five-year collective agreement that includes increases to medical benefits, pensions and wages. More than 1,300 union members who work for the Iron Ore Co. of Canada will return to work after a nine-week strike. “Our members are the people who work hard every day and […]
Some organizations are unique. Their employees are genuinely excited to be at work and an undercurrent of energy and vitality permeates the air. They’ve transformed the workplace into a compelling experience and built a thriving workforce. This kind of environment doesn’t come easily; it must be deliberately designed, intentionally built and carefully managed. In an age of […]
Insurance companies expect health costs to rise by 11.8 per cent this year, according to an annual survey by Accompass Inc. The survey determines the anticipated year-over-year cost increase or decrease — or health trend factor — by asking insurers to examine their businesses and take various factors into account, including legislation, claims utilization, inflation, fee increases […]
While a new report shows that introducing a tax on employer-paid health benefits would add $3.8 billion to the federal government’s coffers in the 2018 tax year, it would also dramatically raise health-care costs for many Canadians, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. Tasked with measuring the federal fiscal impact of including employer-paid health […]
Over the past 10 years, administrative staff at arts non-profits have seen a decline in their employee benefits, according to a report by the Cultural Human Resources Council. Nearly 500 organizations participated in the survey, more than double the 218 respondents to the 2008 study. Therefore, the data may simply paint a clearer picture of the […]
With governments having announced a number of changes related to pharmaceutical policy, plan sponsors are facing a shifting environment for their drug plans. “There are a lot of things happening today in the world of pharmaceuticals, drug plans, benefit plans, pricing, reimbursement and access to drugs,” said Wayne Critchley, senior associate for the health and […]
From drug pooling to medical marijuana, plan sponsors have a number of issues to keep track of when it comes to their benefits plans. At the Face to Face Drug Plan Management forum in Vancouver this month, a panel of experts tackled some of the hot topics the industry is thinking about. Pooling: One concern […]
With a number of government reforms and new policies in the works, plan sponsors may well wonder about the potential impact on private drug plans. With that in mind, Suzanne Lepage, a private health plan strategist, led a panel discussion on new government policies and programs in the works at the Face to Face Drug […]
Julie Holden is principal of a new workplace health consultancy, Holden & Associates. Since July 2014, she worked at SEB Benefits & HR Consulting Inc., most recently as a senior vice-president. Holden’s career has spanned a number of consulting firms in roles that include: absence and disability management leader, health and productivity leader and assistant vice-president of […]