A majority (88 per cent) of benefits plan sponsors are very (34 per cent) or somewhat (54 per cent) satisfied with their organization’s virtual health-care offerings, up from nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) in 2021, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. More than a quarter of plan sponsors (29 per cent) and plan […]
Canadian life and health insurers processed nearly $600 million in claims related to mental health in 2021, up 45 per cent since 2020 and 75 per cent since 2019, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. “2021 was a year of recovery and insurers have been proud partners helping employers […]
The union representing employees at Glencore’s Raglan Mine in Nunavik, Que. has ratified an agreement that includes benefits gains and increases in paid disability leave. Nearly two-thirds (61 per cent) of the members of United Steelworkers Local 9449 voted in favour of the five-year agreement, which includes short-term disability coverage of 70 per cent of […]
The amendments to the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board regulations are officially taking effect July 1, after being delayed multiple times. The changes, which were originally proposed in 2019, are the first significant update to the regulations in more than 30 years. After consulting with stakeholders, Health Canada will be moving forward with the implementation of […]
The Federal Trade Commission is launching an inquiry into the operations of pharmacy benefits managers that control access to prescription drugs for millions of Americans. The consumer protection agency will order the nation’s largest PBMs to provide a range of information and records detailing how they do business. Pharmacy benefits managers run prescription drug coverage […]
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is adding gender affirmation coverage to its benefits program and enhancing existing offerings such as paid parental leave and fertility treatments. The gender affirmation benefit will cover specific gender transition surgeries and procedures not covered by provincial programs to an annual maximum of $10,000 and a lifetime maximum of $25,000, according to […]
While almost two-thirds (62 per cent) of British Columbians said they’re covered by either a group or personal health benefits plan, just 18 per cent said they’ve accessed mental-health benefits, according to a new survey by Pacific Blue Cross. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 adults in B.C., found that, among respondents with an […]
Using a real-time benefits scoring tool, Targeted Strategies Group is making changes to its benefits plan to enhance its employee value proposition amid a tight labour market. Since 2017, the insurance brokerage firm, which has 142 employees, has used CloudAdvisors’ benefits ranking tool to gauge whether it’s accomplishing the goals it’s set out to achieve […]
After multiple delays, the amendments to the Patented Medicines Review Board regulations will finally come into force on July 1, 2022. Last week, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced the federal government will proceed with the amendments to provide the PMPRB with new tools to protect Canadians from excessive prices for patented medicines. “This will improve access for […]
Amid plans by the federal government to introduce national dental and pharmacare programs, key stakeholders in the private payer health-care sector should highlight the value of private health plans in Canada, according to a panel during a webinar by the Group Insurance Pharmaceutical Committee last week. In March, the Liberal Party and the New Democratic […]