In early 2016, Rogers Communications Inc. announced it would be closing its defined benefit plan to new entrants and replacing it with a defined contribution plan. The company offered staff six months to enrol in the DB plan before its closure on July 1, 2016. While it faced several challenges in administering the DB plan, […]
In September 2018, Health Canada approved, for the first time, the use of a chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy. Called Kymriah, it treats pediatric and young adult leukemia and adult lymphoma. The federal regulator is also reviewing a second gene therapy, called Yescarta, for an aggressive kind of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Both therapies are […]
Despite changing demographics and rising health-care costs, it’s uncommon for employers to include retirees in their pension and benefits governance. However, the University of Waterloo Retirees Association, which has been around for more than 30 years, not only connects retired employees with each other and the university, but also allows them to weigh in on […]
In June 2017, Doctors Without Borders added lifestyle and health-care spending accounts to its traditional benefits plan. The organization still provides insurance, drug coverage of up to $100,000 and extended health benefits, including hospital and dental expenses. But now it also provides permanent, full-time employees with $2,500 for other health-care services and $250 for wellness […]
Though many plan sponsors are still using step therapy to manage drug plan costs, pharmacogenetic testing is receiving attention as more providers enter the market, lower the cost and familiarize employers and insurers with the technology. As it becomes more sophisticated, there’s more information about how pharmacogentic testing works, says Sandra Ventin, associate vice-president at […]
As the federal government continues its consultations on a national pharmacare system, many questions are still up in the air. Will the new system follow a single-payer model? And if so, what would be the implications for a private-payer system? As discussions examine the various possibilities, the private industry says pharmacare reform is a complex issue that requires more […]
Not all chiropractors practice according to the same philosophy. This is leading some in the benefits industry to believe more scrutiny is necessary when it comes to paramedical expenses and determining whether they’re being used for evidence-based treatments. A recent article in the Globe and Mail highlighted a divide within the chiropractic profession between those who practice evidence-based treatments and those […]
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is charging a 60-year-old London, Ont., woman after an investigation revealed she benefited from her parents’ pension payments long after they passed away. Gladys O’Brien is facing three counts of fraud over $5,000, two counts of theft over $5,000 and possession of proceeds of crime. The RCMP began investigating O’Brien in October 2017 when it received […]
While a new collective agreement negotiated between the British Columbia Nurses’ Union and the Health Employers Association of B.C. won’t bring significant changes, the round of negotiations did raise an issue with paramedical benefits, specifically the amount spent on massages. Currently, nurses in the province have unlimited dollars to spend on massages, which are 100 per cent paid […]
Canada should be considering the feasibility of a portable benefits plan for employees across the country, according to the Public Policy Forum. A portable benefits plan would fill the needs of transient employees engaged in part-time or temporary work who have limited or no access to benefits and pensions, noted the report. It would also provide […]