The new five-week parental sharing benefit announced in the 2018 federal budget is causing some concern among employers. Commenting on Benefits Canada’s website, Asha Mohammed, director of human…
As the workplace undergoes rapid transformation amid automation and technological advancements, plan sponsors will need to re-imagine the crossroads between new technology and employee benefits. The…
The federal budget has proposed the end of health and welfare trusts, suggesting either a conversion to employee life and health trusts or a windup by the…
B.C. plan sponsors will have lots of questions to consider as the provincial government prepares to introduce a new employer health tax. “It’s going to…
From brain fog to fatigue, cancer patients face a range of challenges when it comes to staying at or going back to work. And with a…
The 2018 budget has confirmed the federal government is creating an advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. Marc-André Gagnon, associate professor at Carleton…
Saskatchewan’s announcement that it’s reinstating its provincial sales tax exemption for life and health insurance premiums is welcome news for plan sponsors in the province. …
Anyone who’s ever suffered from chronic pain will tell you it’s a great motivator. When you’re in pain, you’ll go to great lengths and will try just…
British Columbia is introducing a new employer health tax as it moves to fully eliminate medical services plan premiums. During the province’s 2018 budget announcement on Tuesday, Finance…
Hub International Ltd. has acquired a British Columbia-based pension and benefits consulting firm. On Friday, Chicago-based Hub International announced it had acquired the shares of…
Sun Life Financial Canada is adding optional medical marijuana coverage to its group benefits plans from March 1, 2018. Coverage of the drug will be added as an extended health-care…
A group of 28 patient advocacy organizations are urging Health Canada to stop its review of drug pricing. The federal government announced changes to drug price regulation…
The Great-West Life Assurance Co. is contributing $300,000 to a Toronto-based program that aims to help technology startups working to improve economic productivity and human well-being. The…
Counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs are a rising risk to Canadians as they’re appearing in brick-and-mortar pharmacies, rather than just on the street or online, according to a new report…
Virtual health and telemedicine provider Dialogue has closed on a Series A funding round for $12 million. Dialogue has distribution agreements with Great-West Life Assurance…
Almost one million Canadians cut spending on necessities such as food and heating to afford prescription drugs in 2016, according to a report by researchers at…
British Columbia’s plan to eliminate or reduce prescription drug deductibles for low-income earners could also lead to lower drug costs for plan sponsors in the…
Manulife Financial Corp. is partnering with Vitech Systems Group Inc. as a software provider and system integrator for its Canadian group benefits business. Vitech’s insurance…
As the new year gets underway, it’s a busy season for predictions about what’s ahead for 2018. When it comes to employer-sponsored drug plans, costs…
It’s a familiar situation: An employee is feeling ill at work but is too busy to leave for a medical appointment. Or perhaps the employee’s…
It’s an exciting time for group benefits in Canada. That’s not a phrase you hear every day, but it’s one that’s coming up more and…
The Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association is taking issue with a new report from the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board that raised concerns about high prices…
Canadians continue to pay more than most other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries for generic drugs, despite provincial and territorial policies that have…
Financial Horizons Inc. has acquired Abex Central Financial Services Ltd. Founded in 2006, Abex Central is a managing general agent based in Barrie, Ont. The company…
The Empire Life Insurance Co. is introducing a new drug-only pooling product for plan sponsors. With advancement in medicine and higher-cost drugs on the market, it’s important…