‘The sky is not falling’ on drug costs
While Canadians hear about the high cost of drugs all of the time, “the sky is not falling,” said Jim Favaro, senior manager for private…
- By: Jacqueline Louie
- December 6, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 11:58
Latest news in Health benefits
Solutions to ease employee backlash to plan design changes
Keeping private drug plans sustainable is key for all Canadians. While measures such as mandatory generic substitution and prior authorization are standard solutions in many…
- By: Jacqueline Louie
- December 6, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 11:58
Green Shield Canada launches free mindfulness training program for plan members
Green Shield Canada is launching a new mindfulness training program that will be available for free to all of its plan members. The program, which…
- By: Staff
- December 5, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 10:18
Feds propose overhaul of drug pricing regulations
The federal government has announced sweeping changes to drug price regulation in Canada that it estimates will deliver $12.6 billion in net benefits over 10…
- By: Staff
- December 4, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 10:22
Whiskey company moving future hires to DC plan under new agreement
Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd. and Unifor Local 2027 have ratified a four-year collective agreement that includes moving to a defined contribution plan for future…
- By: Staff
- December 4, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 08:45
Alberta plan sponsors, members continue to face pressures despite new dental fee guide
With the new Alberta dental fee guide taking effect on Jan. 1, 2018, many plan sponsors will likely be taking a look at their benefits…
- By: Ryan Murphy
- December 1, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 09:30
Accompass employees laugh all the way to the wellness account
It’s said that laughter is the best medicine. At consultancy Accompass Inc., a good belly laugh, among other activities, is earning employees extra points they…
- By: Martha Porado
- December 1, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 09:00
Manulife announces five pilot projects aimed at mental-health, musculoskeletal issues
Manulife Financial Corp. is has announced a series of pilot projects aimed at improving health outcomes for group benefits plan members dealing with mental-health issues,…
- By: Staff
- November 30, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 09:37
Have your say: Will OHIP+ bring meaningful savings for private plans?
As 2018 quickly approaches, so too does the rollout of Ontario’s new youth pharmacare coverage for those aged 24 and younger. The plan, which launches on…
- By: Ryan Murphy
- November 27, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 16:30
Canadian physicians more familiar with biosimilars but still lack understanding: survey
Canadian physicians are becoming more familiar with biosimilars, according to a new survey by the U.S.-based Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines. The organization’s new survey, which…
- By: Sonya Felix
- November 27, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 10:10
Arbitrator upholds employer’s move to cut down on pharmacy visits
A recent arbitration decision underlines the pivotal role that collective bargaining agreement language plays in the extent to which employers and their insurers can make…
- By: Julius Melnitzer
- November 27, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 09:00
Sounding Board: A primer on OHIP+ for private payers
Although a national pharmacare strategy seems elusive, the Ontario government is making a fairly aggressive investment in that area by spending $465 million to boost its…
- By: Chris Pryce
- November 24, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 10:45
Alberta touts 8.5% price cut under updated dental fee guide
The Alberta government has announced a new dental fee guide for 2018 that provides for an 8.5 per cent cut in suggested prices for 60…
- By: Staff
- November 23, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 07:49
Editorial: Shining a bright light on drug costs
It’s hard enough for plan members to understand how they can best use their benefits plans, particularly when they’re unaware of the details of the…
- By: Glenn Kauth
- November 21, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 09:00
The role of benefits plans in responding to the opioid crisis
More than 2,500 Canadians died from opioid-related overdoses in 2016, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The situation is particularly grave in the…
- By: Sara Tatelman
- November 21, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 08:57
Why startups should resist the allure of a Cadillac benefits plan
More than two years ago, an Oakville, Ont.-based startup — a small technology company with nine employees — was looking to implement a benefits plan.…
- By: Kanupriya Vashisht Handa
- November 21, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 08:53
SSQ’s new peer support program trains mental-health allies
SSQ Life Insurance Co. Inc. is aiming to increase peer support in the workplace with a new service launched this week. The service, MyAlly, is available to…
- By: Staff
- November 16, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 16:30
Manulife rolls out group benefits option through Amazon’s Alexa service
With Amazon.com Inc.’s Alexa service and related devices to be available in Canada in December, Manulife Financial Corp. has developed a capability for the voice-activated digital…
- By: Ryan Murphy
- November 15, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 16:00
New virtual health-care program aims to save employee time, support wellness
Great-West Life Assurance Co. has partnered with digital health-care provider Dialogue to offer its virtual health-care platform as part of its group benefits plans. The platform, which can…
- By: Ryan Murphy
- November 15, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 09:59
TTC condoned benefits fraud, union argues in fighting staff terminations
The Toronto Transit Commission condoned the benefits fraud involving millions of dollars for orthopedic claims, the union representing workers is arguing in a number of…
- By: Glenn Kauth
- November 14, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 15:30
Drugs pushing Canada’s total health spend to $242 billion in 2017: CIHI
As Canada’s total health spend is expected to reach $242 billion by the end of 2017, the amount spent on drugs is expected to grow at…
- By: Staff
- November 7, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 16:30
CUPE launches campaign to reverse B.C. school district decision to cut retiree benefits
The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 561 is calling on the Coquitlam, B.C., school district to reverse its decision to cut post-retirement health benefits…
- By: Jennifer Paterson
- November 6, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 16:28
Smart pill bottles among new technologies emerging to boost patient outcomes
Through emerging options that create automated processes to address prevention and wellness and increase accountability by the patient, specialty pharmacy has the ability to deliver…
- By: Helen Burnett-Nichols
- November 6, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 09:00
Pharmacists’ role evolving to help plans manage costs
An aging population and a trend towards costly drugs entering the market are driving benefit plan costs higher, but pharmacists can play a key role…
- By: Helen Burnett-Nichols
- November 6, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 09:00
Helping plan management measures ‘come alive’ for members
As plan members deal with the increased complexity of benefits plans, what’s the role of pharmacies in helping them understand and navigate the various rules…
- By: Helen Burnett-Nichols
- November 6, 2017 September 13, 2019
- 09:00