Latest news in Health benefits

Benefits Canada’s top 10 health benefits stories of 2009

1. Influenza Preparedness Guide The H1N1 pandemic has the business community on edge. Will the frightening scenario of empty offices and unserviced clients come to…

  • By: Staff
  • December 21, 2009 September 13, 2019
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Public versus private sector drug plans: pricing not the only issue

The significant price differences that exist between the public and private sector in many regions across the country is well documented. One other key difference…

  • December 15, 2009 September 13, 2019
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Pandemic preparedness and the law

With H1N1 upon us, pandemic preparedness in the workplace will be of key interest to employers and employees and the duties and legal rights if…

Literacy: the skeleton in the closet

It affects many organizations, but is seldom viewed as a major issue—and rarely mentioned in the context of pensions and benefits. The reality is, however,…

Influenza Preparedness Guide

The H1N1 pandemic has the business community on edge. Will the frightening scenario of empty offices and unserviced clients come to pass? Or will flu…

  • By: Staff
  • December 4, 2009 September 13, 2019
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Face to Face: Preparing for change

The evolving role of pharmacists—and what that means for drug plan costs—was the topic on the minds of most attendees at the annual Face to…

  • By: Leigh Doyle
  • December 4, 2009 September 13, 2019
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Communicating with your employees

A healthy business is largely dependent on the productivity of its employees. If a flu pandemic hits, an estimated 15% to 35% of employees may…

Upgrade Efficiency

Technology has revolutionized the world of group benefits, and there are some key areas where efficiencies can be realized to improve the bottom line of…

Report from Atlantic Canada – Atlantic Canada Adaptations

The H1N1 flu virus, now in its second wave, is only one of many issues putting pressure on employers to develop a more strategic approach…

  • By: Cheryl Kane
  • December 1, 2009 September 13, 2019
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Crystal Clear

I first heard the words “total rewards” when I was a wet-behind-the-ears HR communications specialist working for a big Canadian retailer. It was all about…

Combating drug abuse and diversion: the right approach

Opioid abuse and drug diversion go hand-in-hand and represent a growing problem in Canada and globally. The proliferation of prescriptions for drugs like oxycodone, coupled…

Stress cited as top global health risk

For the majority of organizations around the world, improving productivity by keeping employees healthy and working is emerging as the top business objective, with stress…

  • By: Jody White
  • November 16, 2009 September 13, 2019
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Zero inflation for employee drug plans: it’s possible!

With two provinces at various stages of drug pricing reforms, proactive employers might see little or no price inflation in their drug plans over the…

  • By: Tim Hadlow
  • November 11, 2009 September 13, 2019
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Green slate

Looking through the lens of sustainability opens up a new world of opportunities for group benefits providers to achieve their business goals. Creating a paperless,…

Pandemic Panic

Imagine this scenario. You’re sitting at your desk on Monday morning, digging through the mountain of emails that has amassed in your inbox since Friday…

Worst-case Scenario

The H1N1 flu continues to play hide-and-seek with the public. Will it reach true pandemic proportions as predicted? Considering that pandemics occur in waves and…

Biologic Logic

Irene Klatt, vice-president, health insurance, with the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, talks about biologic drug therapies and where they fit into the group…

Report on Western Canada: Not So Quiet on the Western Front

Many western Canadian companies are struggling with increasing benefits costs as well as retention and attraction issues. Discussions flow as chief financial officers (CFOs) and…

Report on Western Canada: Rated A+ for Family

In one sense, Melodie Li has a “second life.” The part-time HR generalist with Next Level Games Inc., an independent third-party video game developer in…

Why have ASO plans become commodities?

It is amazing to see how many products and services have been commoditized over the past 10 to 15 years as access to the internet…

  • October 19, 2009 September 13, 2019
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A new pharmacy frontier

Trying to get a prescription filled at 2 a.m.? Live in northern Ontario but don’t have access to a healthcare provider? PharmaTrust MedCentre System, a…

H1N1 101

With the change in season, organizations across North America are experiencing a second wave of the H1N1 flu virus. While there are many aspects of…

  • By: Jody White
  • September 28, 2009 September 13, 2019
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Is your business prepared?

Public health officials are busy dealing with H1N1 flu cases as the regular flu season has begun. But it seems that many companies don’t feel…

  • By: Susan Novo
  • September 28, 2009 September 13, 2019
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Employment considerations of the H1N1 pandemic

In June of 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a pandemic alert, Phase 6, for the H1N1 virus. This classification means that H1N1 is…

Taking annual enrollment from passive to active

Benefits enrollment season is only a few weeks away for many organizations. At this point, employers are thinking about what they need to tell their…

  • By: Sarah Beech
  • September 18, 2009 September 13, 2019
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