It’s not often that the issues relevant to benefits plans emerge as an area of focus in the political realm. But with votes up for grabs and politicians eager to find any way to harness them, it appears issues of drugs and dental care are moving up the political agenda. In the federal arena, the […]
A prescription drug cap is among the issues in a strike by United Steelworkers union members in western Labrador. The union members work for the Iron Ore Co. of Canada, a joint venture involving Rio Tinto, which holds 58.7 per cent, Mitsubishi Corp. and the Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Income Corp. According to the CBC, the […]
Toronto-based software company Symbility Solutions Inc. has sold its health division to Telus Health for approximately $16.5 million. “We are proud to announce the sale of the Symbility Health division to Telus Health, one of Canada’s leading health technology companies and most recognized brands,” said James Swayze, chief executive officer of Symbility Solutions, in a […]
Employer-sponsored drug plan spending increased 2.5 per cent from 2016 to 2017, according to Express Scripts Canada’s latest drug trend report. “The trend was fairly moderate in terms of the year-over-year increase that we saw,” says John Herbert, director of strategy, product development and clinical services at Express Scripts. “But there’s still cause for concern when we […]
Willis Towers Watson has appointed Amanda Voegeli as the Canadian national leader in its rewards practice. Voegeli joined the consulting firm’s executive compensation practice in Vancouver in 1998. Moving to the Toronto office in 2000, she took on the leadership role in the executive compensation practice there in 2010. In 2014, she moved into a client services-focused position where she […]
Hub International Ltd. has acquired yet another benefits brokerage: Quebec-based Les Avantages Sociaux Delta Inc. Based in the Montreal area, Delta provides support and actuarial services for group insurance and retirement plans, as well as human resources and disability management. With the acquisition, Delta will join Hub’s Quebec business. Delta’s founder and chairman, Roger d’Eschambault, […]
As the debate over pharmacare heats up, a new report released by the C.D. Howe Institute is suggesting expanded public coverage for dental services. “Many Canadians today, including most of the working poor and the retired, are covered neither by government programs nor by private insurance,” said Ake Blomqvist, an adjunct research professor at Carleton […]
The Co-operators Group Ltd. and Morneau Shepell Ltd. have partnered on a new employee and family assistance program that will be available to the Co-operators’ group benefits clients. Called Here4You, the program offers a host of services, including financial literacy support and help with caring for aging parents, according to a press release from the […]
Health-care costs are projected to increase a whopping 130 per cent over the next eight years after a period of relatively flat growth, according to a study published by Mercer in 2017. One of the key drivers is rising drug costs, with expensive specialty medications and gene therapies making up the majority of new products in development. So […]
SurveyMonkey Inc. is introducing health benefits, improved time-off policies and transportation subsidies for its contract employees and those who work with the company through third-party commercial services. Working with California-based i2i Benefits and Insurance Services, the company developed a benefits framework for its on-site contract workers and vendor partners, including its janitorial and food service providers. The company […]