Plan sponsors are facing a chronic disease “tsunami” that is leading to higher benefits and drug plan spend and increasing disability claims. But the three root causes of this growing problem — undiagnosed health issues, the availability of primary and preventative health care and challenges navigating the health-care system — are issues plan sponsors are […]
PepsiCo Canada aims to ensure all employees have equitable coverage and access to resources by offering a competitive and flexible benefits program, as well as inclusive policies, said Jaye Calder (pictured left), the company’s manager of pension, benefits and wellness, during a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Healthy Outcomes Conference. “We’re taking it a […]
Canadians employees aged 20 to 29 continue to have the lowest general well-being, with a score of 46.3 out of 100, according to a new report by Dialogue Health Technologies Inc. The report, which analyzes data across five dimensions of well-being — including mood, stress, sleep, activeness and sense of purpose — found Canadians’ average well-being has […]
Seven in 10 (70 per cent) employees say they’re dissatisfied with their employer’s current benefits plan, according to a new survey by Robert Walters Canada. The survey, which polled more than 500 employees, found more than a quarter (27 per cent) agreed the benefits their employer offers are mostly trivial and do more to attract employees […]
The percentage of claimants filing claims for obesity drugs increased by 43 per cent in 2023, according to a new report by GreenShield. The report, which analyzed the insurer’s 2023 claims data, found diabetes medications saw a 13 per cent increase in cost, accounting for nine per cent of total drug costs in 2023. There […]
An article on how a national drug pooling program would impact employer-sponsored benefits plans was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. How would a national drug pooling program impact employer-sponsored benefits plans? 2. Leadership changes at the AIMCo […]
In Canada, the average health benefits cost trend for 2025 is estimated to be 7.4 per cent, up from five per cent in 2024, according to a new report by Aon. It found the top medical conditions driving health benefits plan costs are diabetes, autoimmune diseases (excluding diabetes), mental health, lung disorders/respiratory and cardiovascular and […]
In light of the federal government developing a national pharmacare program, it’s important it considers the implementation of a national drug pooling program for private payers, says one expert. “If the government is going to invest in a universal drug program, it needs to have two main objectives,” said Edward Sabat, partner at The Consulting […]
Most employees have experienced the powerful impact, whether positive or negative, that a manager can have on their work experience and overall well-being. As conversations about mental health become more common in the workplace, the expectation for support and accommodation has grown. However, many managers still feel unequipped and lack confidence in addressing mental-health issues […]
Cancer treatments represented 33 per cent of medicines in all phases of clinical trials in 2023, followed by treatments for infectious diseases (13 per cent) and central nervous system diseases (12 per cent), according to a new report by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board. It found more than 12,000 new medicines were undergoing clinical […]