Latest news in Health benefits

A look at the role of biomarkers in improving mental-health treatments

A look at the role of biomarkers in improving mental-health treatments

Major depression is more likely to be a heterogeneous group of disorders rather than a single condition, Dr. Sidney Kennedy, professor of psychiatry at the…

Promoting mental wellness through creativity and open dialogue

Promoting mental wellness through creativity and open dialogue

Lakeside Process Controls Ltd. had gone eight years without a disability claim, but the company took notice when it saw three mental health-related short-term disability…

Employers urged to make it easier to discuss mental health at work

Employers urged to make it easier to discuss mental health at work

On any given week, thousands of Canadians won’t make it into work due to a mental-health problem or illness. “[Mental health is] the No. 1…

Plans need to consider going beyond DINs in contract language on drug coverage

Plans need to consider going beyond DINs in contract language on drug coverage

What happens in a world where a drug identification number can mean two very different things, depending on the product? Most drug plans have contract…

  • November 29, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 10:08
‘Room for change’ in benefits plans, conference told

‘Room for change’ in benefits plans, conference told

As employers continue to grapple with rising benefits costs, there’s “room for change” in what their plans cover, a speaker at Innovative Medicines Canada’s conference…

New medical marijuana policy for veterans cuts reimbursement allowance by seven grams

New medical marijuana policy for veterans cuts reimbursement allowance by seven grams

The government is implementing a new reimbursement policy for veterans claiming marijuana for medical purposes, reducing the allowance from 10 grams per day to three…

OPSEU and government reach agreement on retiree benefits

OPSEU and government reach agreement on retiree benefits

The government of Ontario and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union have reached an agreement on post-retirement benefits for members of the OPSEU pension plan,…

  • By: Staff
  • November 23, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:12
A primer on treatments for inflammatory bowel disease

A primer on treatments for inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease is on the rise, particularly among children. And at a cost to the Canadian economy of approximately $2.8 billion a year, early…

Getting plan members the right drugs at the right time

Getting plan members the right drugs at the right time

What are the best ways for plan sponsors to ensure the affordability of their drug plans while providing their employees with the medications they need?…

A patient perspective on access to treatments

A patient perspective on access to treatments

When she was in her early 30s, Dawn Richards had so much inflammation and pain in her hands that she couldn’t turn the key to…

Plan sponsors urged to sound ‘early-warning bells’ about opioid addiction

Plan sponsors urged to sound ‘early-warning bells’ about opioid addiction

The benefits industry is in a unique position to make a difference to Canada’s growing opioid crisis, according to Margaret Wurzer, senior manager of benefits…

Navigating the drug approval labyrinth to ensure access to new medications

Navigating the drug approval labyrinth to ensure access to new medications

With a complex approval process in Canada and new medications in rapid development, it’s important to look carefully at what a drug plan covers, according…

Cost, effectiveness of biosimilars touted

Cost, effectiveness of biosimilars touted

Biosimilar medicines present a significant opportunity to address the demands on drug benefit plans, the president of Biosimilars Canada told Benefits Canada’s Calgary Drug Trends…

How do patients feel about biosimilars?

How do patients feel about biosimilars?

As the debate continues over which drugs plan sponsors should cover, how do patients feel about biosimilars? According to survey data presented at Benefits Canada’s…

Employers encouraged to ‘invest in making people healthier’

Employers encouraged to ‘invest in making people healthier’

In the face of rising overall health premiums, how can plan sponsors ensure the sustainability of their benefit plans? “It’s not just about drugs,” says…

KPMG staff to get credits for health pledges during benefits enrolment

KPMG staff to get credits for health pledges during benefits enrolment

KPMG has opened its annual flexible benefits enrolment window for the coming year and is encouraging employees to actively make selections for their 2017 coverage.…

Most Canadians support Shoppers’ bid to sell medical marijuana

Most Canadians support Shoppers’ bid to sell medical marijuana

Fresh on the heels of Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw Companies Ltd. making a formal bid to dispense medical marijuana, most Canadians are giving the…

Sounding Board: Processing benefit plan requests to change gender is easy

Sounding Board: Processing benefit plan requests to change gender is easy

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…

How do Alberta’s dental fees compare to other provinces?

How do Alberta’s dental fees compare to other provinces?

A year and a half ago, Roberta Hardern of St. Albert, Alta., travelled to Los Algodones, Mexico, for dental work. The neighbouring town of Yuma,…

  • By: Jann Lee
  • November 15, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 08:59
How to use analytics to improve your benefits plan

How to use analytics to improve your benefits plan

When 3sHealth wanted to look at its dental plan design, prescription drug deductibles and the impact of new benefit enhancements, the first step was to…

Quebec move to boost pharmacy transparency could save plan sponsors money

Quebec move to boost pharmacy transparency could save plan sponsors money

Amendments to Quebec’s Bill 92 could reduce how much private insurers spend on dispensing fees by requiring pharmacists to detail which service corresponds to which fee on…

What does a Trump presidency mean for U.S. employers?

What does a Trump presidency mean for U.S. employers?

After months, and even years, of buildup and anticipating, Republican nominee Donald Trump is the next president of the United States. Looking at his platform,…

How health benefits plan design is changing

How health benefits plan design is changing

Today’s health benefits plans are under pressure. Our labour force is changing. Based on data compiled in 2015 by Statistics Canada, 46 per cent of…

  • November 9, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:10
Drug costs for expensive and recurring treatments rose 22% in 2015, report finds

Drug costs for expensive and recurring treatments rose 22% in 2015, report finds

Costs for expensive and recurring drug treatments increased by about 22 per cent between 2014 to 2015, according to new data published by the Canadian…

  • By: Jann Lee
  • November 8, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:45
Have your say: Should plan sponsors consider a cap on drugs for erectile dysfunction?

Have your say: Should plan sponsors consider a cap on drugs for erectile dysfunction?

At the end of October, a City of Toronto audit committee meeting revealed that the city has four times the occurrence of claims for erectile…

  • By: Staff
  • November 8, 2016 September 13, 2019
  • 09:30