This month marks the second anniversary of the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, a 24-month span that has had profound effects on the health of benefits plan members and the status and structure of their plans. For drug plans in particular, several trends have come to light — or have accelerated — during the course […]
Chronic physical health conditions and anxiety and mood disorders are frequently co-morbid conditions, so it’s important for employers to understand the link and how to support staff in the workplace, said Deborah McLeod, clinical director at Carepath Inc., during Benefits Canada’s 2022 Chronic Disease at Work conference in February. People living with chronic physical health […]
Nearly two years into the coronavirus pandemic, leading Canadian employers are demonstrating their unwavering commitment to supporting their employees’ mental health. In fact, Benefits Canada’s 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards’ mental-health category was so packed with standout entries that it was split into two categories based on company size. The four finalists and two winners have […]
Landing in the emergency room in the middle of the night was a wake-up call for Margaret Eaton. She started a new job as the Canadian Mental Health Association’s national chief executive officer in January 2020. Then, about two months into her new gig, the coronavirus pandemic hit. As the pandemic’s finish line kept moving […]
Employers are turning to virtual health care offerings to support employees’ physical wellness amid the ongoing pandemic. Since Alithya, a Montreal-based technology company, launched a wellness portal last July, a virtual fitness program has become one of the most utilized benefits offerings, says Catherine Bourque, its vice-president of human capital. The program — which allows employees to […]
This year, Canadian employers are marking Bell Canada’s Let’s Talk Day by addressing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the mental health of employees. The annual event, which began in 2010 to encourage discussions about mental health, is built on four pillars: mental-health research, workplace leadership, ending stigmas around mental health and advocating for mental-health […]
The coronavirus pandemic is demonstrating that pharmacists are a key health-care provider, with one study finding nearly 75 per cent of pharmacists have had patients who sought care at the pharmacy because they were afraid of going to any other health-care setting. A panel during Benefits Canada‘s Face to Face in Drug Plan Management Forum in […]
As competition to attract talent continues to heat up amid a tight labour market, the vast majority (90 per cent) of U.S. employers are planning to invest more in employee mental-health support, according to a new survey by Wellable. The survey, which polled almost 200 U.S. health insurance brokers and wellness consultants, found slightly more than […]
A story on the Toronto-Dominion Bank’s enhancement to its benefits offerings in 2022 with expanded family planning coverage took the top spot over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. TD expanding fertility treatment coverage, bereavement policy 2. N.S. Pension Services Corp. appoints new CIO 3. 82% of Canadian workers think […]
Toronto-based virtual-care platform Maple Corp. is acquiring Wello, a Calgary-based virtual health-care brand. Wello, which was founded in 2017, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coril Holdings Ltd. and provides access to virtual primary medical care to employees of more than 350 companies across Canada. Maple was founded in 2015 and is billed as “Canada’s largest […]