A U.S. study released by Buck Consultants indicates that the use of third-party pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) has increased by 10% in the past two…
The importance of the communication of an employee benefits plan cannot be undervalued. It creates employee awareness of the available benefits, plan restrictions and general…
Every Canadian wants a little more money. But what if you were offered more money in lieu of your health benefits plan? According to the…
How can we preserve and protect the Canadian healthcare system for future generations? The Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care with the…
I was talking to a client recently about the potential implications of a particular biologic drug on their future benefits plan costs. The client listened…
Manulife Financial has launched Health Management Services, a new service to help plan sponsors manage their benefits costs. The new service offers employers a “unique…
Great-West Life has introduced a new smart-phone app to help plan members better manage their prescription medications. DrugHub, which is available for the iPhone, iPad…
A new type of employee benefit trust — the employee life and health trust (ELHT) — was created recently after amendments to the Income Tax…
What’s cooking for employees at Campbell Company of Canada? A lot, according to Fanny Karolev, Campbell’s manager of health and wellness, who we caught on…
Many of today’s employees work in an environment where companies fight to hire the best. In its February 2010 review of hiring trends, HRinfodesk.com (a…
A great deal of the potential that has been touted about the impact of lower generic drug prices on the private sector has yet to…
In 2009, there were almost 58,000 oil patch jobs in Alberta. Analysts say if oil prices continue to rise, there would be about 102,000 jobs…
Canadians are paying into one of the world’s most expensive healthcare systems but aren’t getting full value for that investment, according to a new report…
Healthcare costs south of the border are scheduled to further increase in 2012, and that jump will be met by increased deductibles for employees, according…
READER POLL: Do you have mandatory generic drug substitution in your plan? Vote now. Canadian organizations are considering innovative strategies as a means to better…
Ever-increasing prescription drug prices have generated much discussion about how best to control these escalating costs. However, the results of a recent Aon Hewitt Rapid…
Long-term care spending in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries is set to double, or even triple, by 2050, led by aging…
Sun Life Financial has announced the launch of the new Sun Life Wellness Institute, which will act as a health and wellness knowledge exchange for…
In any discussion about healthcare in Canada, there are some basic assumptions, health policy analyst Michael Rachlis told a group of members of the International…
Canada’s health spending per capita is the fourth-highest of 17 countries assessed in The Conference Board recent study looking at whether or not countries get…
Today’s workforce is made up of four different generations—gen X, gen Y, boomers and traditionalists—but that is only one aspect of workforce diversity. Family units…
Canadian companies should ask some tough questions and take a closer look at the way their employee drug plans are being managed or risk further…
Desjardins Financial has launched a new healthcare platform. The Health is Cool 360º platform will give eligible group insurance plan members 24/7 access to the…
Why worry about details? You are just being overcautious. That has never happened in the 20 years I have been administering the plan, and I…
Sun Life Financial plans to offer a free mobile application for group benefits and group retirement and savings plan members. Submitting benefit claims and saving…