Before making changes to a benefits plan or building one from scratch, plan sponsors should first determine what problems they’re trying to solve, according to a human resources consultant. The reasons for implementing changes can vary, but moving forward without a clear motivation can cause problems, said Phyllis Retty, owner and human resources consultant at Lift HR Consulting, during […]
Alberta Blue Cross is reducing its rates for dental benefits to align with recent changes to Alberta’s dental fee guide. The new fee guide, which took effect on Jan. 1, 2018, provides for an 8.5 per cent cut in suggested prices for 60 common procedures. Group benefits plans provided by Alberta Blue Cross that refer to usual and customary dental […]
Plan sponsors looking to integrate pharmacogenetic testing into their benefits plan will soon have lots of information to consider as Canada’s biggest insurance companies roll out pilot projects and research begins to shed light on the return on investment. “The market is expanding. Insurers are piloting projects. You will hear a lot about pharmacogenetics over the next 12 months,” said […]
The average medical marijuana patient likely uses less of the drug than prescribers think, according to an industry participant whose company has experience with coverage under its benefits plan. Speaking at an event held by Aon Hewitt in Toronto on Wednesday, Jonathan Tafler, senior director of product and operations for employer health solutions at Shoppers […]
The Co-operators Group Ltd. is expanding its mental-health support for employees by increasing its annual coverage of mental-health services to $5,000 a year per family member. It’s also expanding the number of eligible practitioners covered by its plan, beyond psychologists and social workers to include family therapists, clinical counsellors and psychotherapists. The company is also introducing a new […]
Three of the world’s largest organizations are joining up to form an independent health-care company with the aim of providing U.S. employees and their families with simple, reasonably priced and transparent health care. While the move by Amazon.com Inc., Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and JPMorgan Chase and Co. is in the early stages, its initial focus will be on […]
The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance and the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association have reached a deal aimed at reducing the prices for some generic drugs by as much as 40 per cent. While the parties are touting significant savings for Canada’s public drug plans, they also say employers and patients will benefit from price reductions of 25 to 40 per cent, as of […]
While Amazon.com Inc. has Alexa and Apple Inc. has Siri, Morneau Shepell Ltd. is introducing a new virtual assistant designed to help employees with their human resources needs. Ava, which stands for automated virtual assistant, uses artificial intelligence to answer human resources questions through platforms used by both Morneau Shepell and its employer clients. “An ever-increasing number of employees are […]
SSQ Life Insurance Co. Inc. is partnering with digital health-care provider Dialogue to provide its employees and insured plan members with same-day access to health professional services through video conference. The services include video consultations with general practitioners, live chats with nurses, prescriptions and renewals, as well as referrals to specialists. Adding the Dialogue platform to its group insurance offering […]
When it comes to issues such as medical marijuana, it’s important to draft tightly worded benefits plans, according to a Toronto lawyer. Ross Gascho, a partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, was one of the speakers at the firm’s pension, benefits and litigation seminar in Toronto on Thursday. Gascho looked at two case studies involving coverage of medical […]