Home Benefits Health benefits

Latest news in Health benefits

Average cost of U.S. health benefits per employee rose 5.2% in 2023: survey

The average per-employee cost of U.S. employer-sponsored health benefits has risen by 5.2 per cent in 2023 to reach US$15,797, according to a new survey…

Coverage of the 2023 Mental Health Summit

On Nov. 7, Benefits Canada hosted its annual Mental Health Summit, the industry’s most popular and well-known conference in this space. Designed for our audience of employers…

2023 Mental Health Summit: Positive work relationships can support employee mental health

Many employees try to carry on with work while dealing with stresses in their personal lives — and many wait too long before sharing their…

2023 Mental Health Summit: How plan sponsors can help address the gender health gap

Canadian women are bearing the brunt of a gender health gap that has led to poor understanding and heightened stigma around their unique health needs and…

2023 Mental Health Summit: Integrated disability management programs can shorten leave duration

In the face of soaring mental health-related disability leaves and broader challenges with access to mental-health care, integrated disability management programs that include early intervention,…

2023 Mental Health Summit: The connection between sick days and absenteeism, presenteeism

If absenteeism is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to employees’ mental health and well-being, presenteeism is the bulky underwater mass, said William…

2023 Mental Health Summit: A closer look at intensive outpatient treatment programs for mental health

Many Canadians are dealing with mental-health challenges that require support beyond what’s available through an employee assistance program — that’s where intensive mental-health treatments could help,…

2023 Mental Health Summit: Early diagnosis and treatment integral in supporting complex mental-health conditions

While employees dealing with mental-health challenges like depression need quality and personalized care as quickly as possible, people seeking care through the public health system face…

2023 Mental Health Summit: How First West Credit Union is supporting employee health, well-being

Data analysis, education and early intervention are the key components of First West Credit Union’s Live Well employee health program, according to Liz Bailey-Connor, the…

  • By: Staff
  • November 29, 2023 November 24, 2023
  • 07:53

Liberals say pharmacare bill unlikely to pass this year, despite promise to NDP

Government House leader Karina Gould warned Tuesday the Liberals are unlikely to get a pharmacare bill passed by the end of the year, despite their…

Copyright_marcogovel_123RF

How employers can support employee well-being amid global conflict

For Canadians and people around the world, the current news stream can be particularly bleak. While a brief ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas punctuated…

  • By: Blake Wolfe
  • November 27, 2023 November 24, 2023
  • 09:00
Copyright_ jirsak_123RF

Federal tax for mental-health care a barrier for many Canadians: psychotherapist

The head of a group that represents psychotherapists and counsellors says Ottawa’s plan to lift federal taxes on those services is a good start to…

2023 Future of Work Summit: Employee attraction and retention, engagement and workplace culture top list of employers’ HR priorities

Even as signs emerge that the labour market is starting to shift in employers’ favour, employee attraction, retention and engagement remain top priorities. During Benefits…

2023 Future of Work Summit: What do millennial plan members want from their employers?

When Desjardins Insurance launched a study to redefine employee health and well-being, an unexpected finding came through loud and clear: Canadian employers and insurers should…

Copyright_marcbruxelle_123RF

Feds consider end of ‘30% rule’ for pensions, propose EI adoption benefit: fall economic statement

In its 2023 fall economic statement, the federal government said it will consider removing the rule that restricts Canadian pension funds from holding more than…

  • By: Staff
  • November 22, 2023 November 22, 2023
  • 09:00
Copyright_anaken2012_123RF

65% of U.S. employees cite flexible work as top compensation component: survey

Two-thirds (65 per cent) of U.S. employees rank flexible work options as the No. 1 component of compensation beyond salary, down from 71 per cent…

  • By: Staff
  • November 20, 2023 November 20, 2023
  • 15:00
Copyright_Wavebreak Media Ltd_123RF

Survey finds a quarter of U.S. employers provide coverage of diabetes management drugs for weight loss

While three-quarters (76 per cent) of U.S. employers say they provide coverage of glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs for diabetes management, about a quarter (27 per cent)…

  • By: Staff
  • November 20, 2023 November 20, 2023
  • 09:00

Coverage of the 2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference

Nearly 50 employers gathered at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto on Oct. 20 for Benefits Canada’s 2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference, a premier event…

2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference: A closer look at the mental, physical, financial risk factors facing plan members

Many plan members are experiencing risk factors related to poor mental, physical and financial well-being, but often don’t know they can turn to their benefits…

2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference: The role of mental-health care, support in DEI strategies

As employers increasingly embrace diversity, equity and inclusion strategies, strong mental-health support can be a key pillar in those efforts, said Joby McKenzie, managing director…

2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference: How can plan sponsors support employees with menopause?

Since menopause often hits women at the peak of their careers and can have an impact on their workplace productivity, employers must re-evaluate their benefits…

2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference: Why Hydro Ottawa’s wellness program isn’t one size fits all

Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. is tailoring its benefits and wellness programs to its unique demographics to more effectively support employee well-being, said Donna Burnett Vachon,…

  • By: Sadie Janes
  • November 20, 2023 November 15, 2023
  • 07:55

2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference: Supporting employees’ financial well-being amid rising inflation, interest rates

As Canadians face the dual effects of the rapidly rising cost of living and interest rates, the resulting financial stress has major implications for plan…

2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference: How can employers provide targeted chronic illness support?

As the proportion of Canadians living with one or more chronic disease continues to rise, plan sponsors have the opportunity to provide specific solutions to…

2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference: Panel: Taking a proactive approach to absence and disability management

Long before the coronavirus pandemic upended the workplace and impacted absence and disability management, employers have been rethinking these programs by taking a proactive approach.…

  • By: Blake Wolfe
  • November 20, 2023 November 30, 2023
  • 07:53