Plan sponsors and members are increasingly interested in making non-core benefits like pharmacogenetic testing and medical cannabis part of their plans, according to the 2019 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. For pharmacogenetics, 74 per cent of plan members said they’d consent to giving a sample of their DNA so a physician could prescribe the most effective medication […]
Genetic testing is gradually growing in popularity as some employers adopt a more preventative benefits and wellness strategy. In its annual employee benefits report, the U.S.-based Society of Human Resources Management found 18 per cent of organizations offered genetic testing in 2018, up six per cent from 2016. It also found plan members are increasingly interested in learning […]
Medavie Blue Cross is launching a pharmacogenetic testing pilot project to help group benefits plan members find ideal medication and dosing amounts. The project uses GeneYouIn Inc.’s Pillcheck cheek-swab DNA test, analyzing patients’ genes to understand how their bodies might process certain medications. After the test, the swabs are destroyed for patient privacy. While the project will initially […]
Specialty medications and high-cost drugs for common conditions are driving up private plan drug spending, according to Express Scripts Canada’s annual drug trends report. The report found the rapid increases in drug spending for private plans over the last 20 years have started to slow. The average annual drug spending per plan member was up just 0.9 per cent […]
Canadian insurers expect health costs to rise by 11.55 per cent this year, according to a new report by Accompass Inc. The annual 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 and reforms, economic events […]
On the eve of his retirement, with more than 40 years in benefits under his belt, Aon’s Art Babcock considers the industry’s move to technology, health-care spending accounts and drone piloting Q. How did you get into the group benefits industry? A. I began my career in the insurance industry out of university, with Metropolitan […]
Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. is partnering with Acclaim Ability Management Inc. to offer one-on-one coaching services to employees on short-term disability leave with mental-health issues. With the goal of getting their employees back to work sooner, employers can choose between two offerings to lower the risk of STD turning into a long-term disability leave. “We’re taking employee support to the […]
Though many plan sponsors are still using step therapy to manage drug plan costs, pharmacogenetic testing is receiving attention as more providers enter the market, lower the cost and familiarize employers and insurers with the technology. As it becomes more sophisticated, there’s more information about how pharmacogentic testing works, says Sandra Ventin, associate vice-president at […]
Pharmacogenetic testing can produce significant results for plan members, but it isn’t appropriate for everyone and should never be looked at in isolation, according to a panel discussion at Benefits Canada‘s Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum. Speaking on the panel in Toronto on Dec. 5, Mark Faiz, chief executive officer of Personalized Prescribing Inc., said […]
One young man is on the road to recovering from depression following timely pharmacogentic testing through his employer. Allison Hazell, director of genetics at Medcan, presented the case study during her presentation on genetics and pharmacogenetics at the company’s event in Toronto on Friday. The patient, a 28-year-old Medcan employee, had a history of depression. However, […]