In the past, quotes for psychology services in an employee benefits plan were nominal, especially compared to other paramedical benefits, such as massage therapy. However, we’re now taking pause and reconsidering all new data, which suggests millennials have a propensity to make full use of the mental-health resources available to them. Consider that over the […]
A controller of a food producing operation asked me recently, “What do you think is the next trend in group benefits affecting employers?” One issue came to mind: workplace-caused mental stress. Currently, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario doesn’t cover mental-health issues caused by a workplace issue unless it’s an acute reaction to a […]
There’s no doubt awareness of gender identity has come a long way in 2016, a trend Canadian benefit plans are starting to see. Compared to previous years, requests to reassign a plan member’s gender and complete a name change are on the rise. While the numbers are still low, the nature of the requests speaks volumes […]
If you’re still trying to figure out how to submit a claim through a smartphone app, you may not want to hear this. There has been much buzz around chatbots lately and how they might affect insurance. Chatbots are just what they sound like: chat robots run by artificial intelligence software that simulate conversation with a […]
Robo-advisors represent the latest evolution of financial advice services and reflect the larger trend towards financial technology. By using software algorithms to assess investor risk profiles, online advisors can offer advice about which investments to hold. Such services have flourished in Canada, following similar trends in Britain and the United States. Online advisors typically charge […]
The pension industry has seen a number of issues disrupt the group retirement market recently. They include low interest rates, financial crashes, the switch to defined contribution pension plans and the introduction of exchange-traded funds. In addition, declining profits at the employer level have stymied interest in introducing or increasing contributions to group pensions. Another […]
“I lay bricks for half the year, so that I can collect disability and surf for the other half.” It was 2009, and I was standing in shock on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. A sandy-blonde surfer had casually admitted how he scammed the system in order to fund his lifestyle. Everyone seems to […]
With Canadian healthcare costs on the rise, I often suggest to benefits administrators plan design modifications that would cut costs without reducing benefits—for example, a preferred provider network. However, these suggestions are often met with distaste. I hear objections such as, “We can’t ask our employees to go to one pharmacy and not the other.” The discussion historically has ended there—until recently.
Plan sponsors are no strangers to the courts for liabilities over life insurance claims. Following are three liability concerns and how to mitigate them. Liability #1:NAAW employees All insurance contracts state that employees who are “not actively at work” (NAAW) are ineligible for coverage, because of the risk involved. Insurance companies don’t ask medical questions […]