British Columbia is introducing a new employer health tax as it moves to fully eliminate medical services plan premiums. During the province’s 2018 budget announcement on Tuesday, Finance…
Hub International Ltd. has acquired a British Columbia-based pension and benefits consulting firm. On Friday, Chicago-based Hub International announced it had acquired the shares of…
Sun Life Financial Canada is adding optional medical marijuana coverage to its group benefits plans from March 1, 2018. Coverage of the drug will be added as an extended health-care…
A group of 28 patient advocacy organizations are urging Health Canada to stop its review of drug pricing. The federal government announced changes to drug price regulation…
The Great-West Life Assurance Co. is contributing $300,000 to a Toronto-based program that aims to help technology startups working to improve economic productivity and human well-being. The…
Counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs are a rising risk to Canadians as they’re appearing in brick-and-mortar pharmacies, rather than just on the street or online, according to a new report…
Virtual health and telemedicine provider Dialogue has closed on a Series A funding round for $12 million. Dialogue has distribution agreements with Great-West Life Assurance…
Almost one million Canadians cut spending on necessities such as food and heating to afford prescription drugs in 2016, according to a report by researchers at…
British Columbia’s plan to eliminate or reduce prescription drug deductibles for low-income earners could also lead to lower drug costs for plan sponsors in the…
Manulife Financial Corp. is partnering with Vitech Systems Group Inc. as a software provider and system integrator for its Canadian group benefits business. Vitech’s insurance…
As the new year gets underway, it’s a busy season for predictions about what’s ahead for 2018. When it comes to employer-sponsored drug plans, costs…
It’s a familiar situation: An employee is feeling ill at work but is too busy to leave for a medical appointment. Or perhaps the employee’s…
It’s an exciting time for group benefits in Canada. That’s not a phrase you hear every day, but it’s one that’s coming up more and…
The Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association is taking issue with a new report from the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board that raised concerns about high prices…
Canadians continue to pay more than most other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries for generic drugs, despite provincial and territorial policies that have…
Financial Horizons Inc. has acquired Abex Central Financial Services Ltd. Founded in 2006, Abex Central is a managing general agent based in Barrie, Ont. The company…
The Empire Life Insurance Co. is introducing a new drug-only pooling product for plan sponsors. With advancement in medicine and higher-cost drugs on the market, it’s important…
The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is seeking feedback on a number of areas related to its new compensation disclosure guideline. Last month, the…
Before making changes to a benefits plan or building one from scratch, plan sponsors should first determine what problems they’re trying to solve, according to a human…
Express Scripts Canada has won a five-year contract to process millions of pharmacy, dental, vision, mental health and medical supplies and equipment claims for Indigenous Canadians.…
Alberta Blue Cross is reducing its rates for dental benefits to align with recent changes to Alberta’s dental fee guide. The new fee guide, which took effect on…
Plan sponsors looking to integrate pharmacogenetic testing into their benefits plan will soon have lots of information to consider as Canada’s biggest insurance companies roll out pilot projects…
The average medical marijuana patient likely uses less of the drug than prescribers think, according to an industry participant whose company has experience with coverage…
The Co-operators Group Ltd. is expanding its mental-health support for employees by increasing its annual coverage of mental-health services to $5,000 a year per family member.…
Three of the world’s largest organizations are joining up to form an independent health-care company with the aim of providing U.S. employees and their families with simple,…