Toronto Benefits Summit

Conference Coverage: 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit

In both an in-person and virtual format on Sept. 16, the inaugural Toronto Benefits Summit brought together more than 300 employers, consultants, industry providers and other key stakeholders for a full day of exploring trends in the benefits and wellness space.

The packed agenda, which was presented to a sold-out room, included panel discussions presenting and analyzing the key highlights and takeaways from the 2025 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey, featuring experts who shared their insights and responses to the findings, putting them into context for Canadian employers and other industry professionals.

Find out what you missed!

PHOTO GALLERY

Barbara Martinez
Canada Life

Michael Kondrat
Beneva Inc.

Dr. Ayla Azad
Canadian Chiropractic Association

Lancelot Lambert
Desjardins Insurance

2025 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey: Plan members more likely to choose extra cash over benefits plan

Three in five (60 per cent) plan members would choose an extra $10,000 in cash per year over their benefits plan.

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Troy Diakow
Alberta Blue Cross

Kate Kilganan
Sun Life

2025 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey: Plan members want personalized health communications from benefits plan provider

Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of plan members are open to receiving personalized communications about their health from their benefits plan provider.

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Michael Kondrat
Beneva Inc.

Barbara Martinez
Canada Life

2025 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey: Plan sponsors continue to underestimate chronic illness in the workforce

Canadian plan sponsors are consistently underestimating the share of their employees living with at least one chronic condition.

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Dr. Ayla Azad
Canadian Chiropractic Association

Lancelot Lambert
Desjardins Insurance

2025 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey: Insurers using AI, data sharing and private investigators to crack down on rising benefits fraud

A fifth (22 per cent) of plan sponsors said their organization has seen an uptick in benefits fraud, either by plan members, service providers or organized crime.

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Kate Kilganan
Sun Life

Troy Diakow
Alberta Blue Cross

2025 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey: Amid back-to-office mandates, plan members say flexible work opportunities would support health and well-being

As more Canadian employers introduce return-to-office mandates, remote work opportunities remain a sought-after perk by plan members.

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Tracy Weng
Specsavers Canada

A closer look at the impact of eye health on productivity

Inconsistency in public health care and private benefits coverage for vision care could be keeping many Canadians from getting their eyes checked regularly.

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Erika Hatherly
iA Financial Group

Greater flexibility in benefits plans would better support women’s health

While society’s understanding of women’s health has significantly evolved in the last few years, employee benefits plans haven’t yet caught up.

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Marie-Hélène Dugal
Medavie Blue Cross

Rethinking obesity treatment, prior authorization for weight management drugs

As effective weight management drugs come to market, it’s time to move beyond outdated approaches to obesity care and towards holistic treatment strategies.

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Tara Wood
Purpose PR and Fertility Benefits Matter

Fertility coverage a fast-growing benefit but gaps remain

While roughly half of Canada’s provinces now provide some form of public coverage for fertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilization, the cost is still too prohibitive for many people.

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Julie Holmes
Desjardins Insurance

Supporting plan members with cancer before, during and after a leave

With many Canadian employers likely to have employees go on leave related to cancer, one survey suggests they need guidance on how to support those plan members before, during and after their leave.

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Laura Carter
Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan

Tracey Riccardi
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd.

2025 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey: Benefits plan sustainability top of mind for plan sponsors

Balancing benefits plan sustainability against meeting the evolving needs of employees continues to keep Canadian plan sponsors up at night.

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