Since diabetes is a progressive disease, it’s important to get treatment in the middle, according to Dr. Thomas Ransom, endocrinologist at the Nova Scotia Health Authority, during Benefits Canada‘s 2019 Halifax Benefits Summit on Sept. 24. If diabetes is under-treated, blood sugars go up and stick to things — eyes, kidneys, nerves, feet, he said. And if it’s […]
Sixty per cent of all prescriptions in Canada are paid for by employer-provided drug plans and some have life-time limits for biologic reimbursement. However, transitioning to a biosimilar could extend this limit for patients, said Dr. John Esdaile, scientific director at Arthritis Research Canada, during Benefits Canada’s Halifax Benefits Summit on Sept. 24. Biologic drugs are derived through […]
Canada’s health-care system isn’t working or sustainable, and the gap between private and publicly funded services deserves our attention, according to Rose Dipchand, regional manager of professional affairs at Pharmasave Atlantic, during Benefits Canada‘s 2019 Halifax Benefits Summit on Sept. 24. “We’re caught in a tug of war . . . . We’re trying to work with the […]
For institutional investors looking at farmland, various strategies are available that span a range of asset classes, from real assets to private equity to venture capital, said Bernice Miedzinski, president of Starbridge Capital Ltd., during a webinar hosted by the Canadian Investment Review this week. Lower risk strategies include buying land and leasing it back to farmers, […]
Recent research by MSCI Inc. is suggesting conventional virgin plastic could become the next stranded asset. The move toward electric vehicles and global efforts to reduce carbon emissions may cause oil demand for road transport to peak in 2025, according to the research. In response, oil and gas companies are expected to pivot their focus […]
Pethealth Inc.’s senior vice-president of HR talks flexible working, mental health and crime fiction. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. A key challenge is balancing between the needs and wants of employees. For example, employees at different life stages value different benefits — some employees want more vacation time, while […]
As the likelihood of a new Italian coalition government continues to solidify, institutional investors are watching the country’s extremely volatile bond markets. The hard-left Five Star Movement and centre-left Democratic Party have joined forces to avoid snap elections, which would have strongly reinforced the power of Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy’s far-right League party, says Stephane Dutu, director […]
As the labour dispute between Western Forest Products Inc. and United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 heads into its third month, tensions are running high over health benefits. Employees who are members of the Steelworkers chapter have been on strike since July 1, 2019. The proposed collective agreement in question includes concessions on a number of issues, […]
When an employee with diabetes is working in a safety-sensitive role experiences severely low blood sugar, what are the ramifications for employers? This question was addressed at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Chronic Disease at Work conference in Toronto in June. “For you, as an employer, what if this was your employee on their way to meet […]
As Canadians face increasingly competing financial priorities while juggling busy lives at work and home, the overlap between financial worry, stress and employee health is becoming more intense. In 2018, a study published in the U.S.-based Journal of Social Service Research found employees without paid sick leave are more prone to feel stressed about their […]