A new year typically brings a renewed focus on health and wellness both at the personal level, via goals or resolutions, and at the corporate level through benefits and wellness programming. Here are five fitness and health trends to watch for 2019. 1. Faster, focused workouts The No. 1 excuse for not working out continues to be lack […]
Two-thirds of Canadians have access to an employer-sponsored health plan, compared to one-in-five Australians and one-in-10 Britons, according to one speaker at Benefits Canada’s 2018 Mental Health Summit Toronto on Nov. 12. Research also found, when looking at publicly funded therapy programs in Australia and England, the goal was to increase access and bridge the gap […]
Despite a growing interest in virtual health care, many employers still aren’t adopting the technology in their benefits plans, according to new research by Medisys Health Group Inc. Just nine per cent of employer respondents said they offer virtual health care, though more than two-thirds (67 per cent) of employee respondents said they’d use the benefit if it was available. Indeed, 71 per […]
The Great-West Life Assurance Co. is now offering Dialogue’s virtual health-care services to employers in all Canadian provinces and the Yukon, as well as its own 10,000 employees. “Making innovative health technologies like Dialogue more accessible to our employees and customers demonstrates our commitment to supporting the physical, mental and financial well-being of Canadians,” said […]
Virtual health-care company Teladoc Health is launching a specialty pharmacy services product aimed at combatting rising prescription drug costs using analytics and medical opinions. “So many people find themselves taking a medication for an extended period of time with limited or no benefit and without the opportunity to fully understand why or learn of alternatives,” said […]
Cossette Inc. introduced webinars and information sessions around mental health and wellness in October. The offerings, which were provided through the communications company’s employee assistance program, are part of its focus on preventative health, according to Yee Makowich, vice-president of talent. With six offices across Canada, each office features its own wellness initiatives, in addition to a company-wide […]
Virtual health-care platform Dialogue is acquiring DXA Inc., a triage, medical charting and diagnosis technology company. DXA’s artificial intelligence-powered platform, which replicates how an emergency room doctor thinks, has been added to Dialogue’s platform. It can be used in doctor-patient interactions ranging from primary to chronic and specialized care. Read: New virtual health-care program aims to save employee […]
Cigna Corp. is collaborating with Happify Health and Prevail Health to offer employers access to the technology companies’ online mental-wellness platforms. In January 2019, the platforms will be available to employers as part of Cigna’s total behavioural health program. “We are continuing to expand and evolve our behavioural health solutions to support the wide and […]
Three-quarters of Canadian employees have taken time off work for a medical appointment, according to a survey by virtual health-care company Wello. The survey, which polled 1,500 Canadian workers, found 39 per cent of respondents have taken a total of two to six or more days off for medical appointments, while 46 per cent have taken the same amount […]
HumanaCare has completed the integration and re-launch of its virtual health platform TranQool. The platform, which the employee health services company acquired in May 2018, will be available to more than 1.3 million Canadians through partnerships with HumanaCare, and allows individuals to access virtual counselling and therapy services. Read: HumanaCare acquires virtual health-care platform “We are excited to […]