The use of obesity medications among Canadian employer-sponsored benefits plan members has grown substantially, with claims increasing 42 per cent in 2023 and roughly 92 per cent since 2020, according to a new report by Manulife Financial Corp. The report, based on aggregate claims data, found more women are using obesity drugs than men (79 […]
This Mental Health Week and beyond, employers can support employee mental health using digital toolkits, mental-health coaching and by providing adequate coverage, says Marie-Chantal Côtè, senior vice-president of group benefits at Sun Life Financial Inc. Mental-health practitioner claims more than doubled between 2019 and 2023, according to a recent report by Sun Life that examined claims […]
Stigmatization is a pervasive issue for people living with a substance-use disorder, said Anthony Esposti, chief executive officer at the Community Addictions Peer Support Association, during a session at Benefits Canada’s Chronic Disease at Work conference in February. Stigma is best understood as a deeply held set of false beliefs about a group of people […]
The coronavirus pandemic put mental health squarely on employers’ agendas and this focus on employee well-being is even more important as some organizations return to in-person work. In 2023, employers will continue to re-evaluate how they support their employees and it’s likely many organizations will provide increased flexibility, such as remote working options or a […]
In Canada, the year-over-year cost increase for claims under a medical plan on a per-person basis is projected to reach seven per cent in 2023, according to a new report by Mercer. The report, which analyzed responses from more than 200 insurers across 56 countries, found the global year-over-year cost is expected to increase to […]
More than three-quarters (78 per cent) of plan sponsors say they’re concerned about the coronavirus pandemic’s long-term impact on the cost of health benefits plans, up from 71 per cent in 2021, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. Among these respondents, 31 per cent strongly agreed with this statement, up from 23 per cent […]
Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of employers have increased their communications emphasis on mental-health and behavioural health offerings in the past two years, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. In addition, the survey found 90 per cent of employers said they offer employee assistance programs, 86 per cent […]
A third (33 per cent) of Canadians say their employer doesn’t offer workplace addiction support programs, according to LifeWorks Inc.’s latest mental-health index. The survey, which polled 3,000 working Canadians, found the overall mental-health score rose very slightly in March to negative 10.5 points from negative 10.6 in February. However, those without workplace addiction support […]
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, 96 per cent of U.S. employers say their employees are stressed out, with 58 per cent saying they’re “somewhat” stressed out and 38 per cent saying they’re “very” stressed out, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. In addition, 88 per cent said the […]
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, people found different ways of coping, from baking sourdough bread to clapping for health-care heroes to drinking ‘quarantinis’ during Zoom happy hours. While the baking, clapping and drinking has tapered off for many, some employees have struggled with substance use as the pandemic drags on. But many […]