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How employers can prioritize women’s health in benefits plans

Amid a wave of frank and open discussions about women’s health, more plan sponsors are beginning to review their benefits and human resources policies with…

Coverage of the 2024 Chronic Disease at Work conference

For nearly 10 years, Benefits Canada’s Chronic Disease at Work conference has examined the current trends in chronic disease in Canada and what they mean for plan…

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A closer look at menopause-inclusive workplaces

Employers can support employees going through menopause by improving their workplace culture, communication and accommodation policies and employee benefits, said Janet Ko, president and co-founder of…

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Plan members with Alzheimer’s still have plenty to offer the workplace: patient advocate

After her husband Mike Kessler was diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease in 2021, Karen Kessler admitted she would hover around him. The Windsor, Ont. couple…

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What employers need to know about pulmonary arterial hypertension

Employees with pulmonary arterial hypertension can experience significant impacts to their quality of life and workplace experience, said John Granton, a respirologist with the University…

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How plan sponsors can support employees with inflammatory bowel disease

With the increased availability of treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, patients can achieve longer periods of remission, said Vipul Jairath, a gastroenterologist at the London…

2023 Defined Benefit Investment Forum: Can institutional investors expect a recession in 2024?

The “most widely anticipated recession in history” could arrive in 2024, said Eric Lascelles, chief economist at RBC Global Asset Management, during the keynote session…

Coverage of the 2023 Defined Benefit Investment Forum

On Dec. 6, the Canadian Investment Review hosted its annual Defined Benefit Investment Forum. With the close of a year marred by financial fragility and global…

2023 Defined Benefit Investment Forum: How exposure to multi-family real estate can optimize risk-adjusted returns

Multi-family real estate is set up for long-term sustained returns given the extreme dislocation between housing supply and demand in Canada and record-high federal immigration…

2023 Defined Benefit Investment Forum: How quality investing can help plan sponsors navigate uncertain markets

A quality investing strategy has some of the same benefits of a well-made pair of sneakers, said Ranjit Sufi, managing director and head of institutional…

2023 Defined Benefit Investment Forum: Managing liquidity through listed assets

After the simultaneous sell-off of both equities and bonds in the first half of 2022, many defined benefit pension plan sponsors were forced to “pay…

2023 Defined Benefit Investment Forum: The value of active management in emerging markets

With historic perceptions of emerging markets and equities no longer matching reality, institutional investors have the opportunity to scoop up good companies at low valuations,…

2023 Defined Benefit Investment Forum: How policy-makers, plan sponsors can manage, mitigate cybersecurity risks

Pension plan sponsors must effectively employ care, diligence and skill when facing cybersecurity threats, said Sandeep Kakan, board trustee and secretary at the Canada-Wide Industrial…

Coverage of the 2023 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum

On Dec. 5, 2023, Benefits Canada held its annual Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum, the industry’s most popular drug benefits conference. Industry experts…

High-cost drug claims lead to 20-times greater cost per claim for small plan sponsors

A recent survey by Innovative Medicines Canada found there are growing listing delays among Canada’s private drug plans, said Joe Farago, the organization’s executive director…

Innovative drugs helping plan members manage chronic conditions

Many plan members with diabetes struggle with adherence to daily insulin injections and research has found the majority of patients wish they could achieve the…

How preferred pharmacy networks can lower drug plan costs, boost access to care

Pharmacists are now uniquely positioned to support Canadians at a time when the public health-care system is stretched thin, creating significant barriers for people looking…

A closer look at growing asthma drug spend

Many Canadians living with asthma are experiencing poor control over their symptoms, impacting the workplace, said Anjila Arora, director of pharmaceutical benefits at Sun Life…

How plan sponsors can improve employee health outcomes while optimizing drug plan spend

With chronic conditions growing in prevalence among plan members, plan sponsors have their work cut out for them in designing benefits plans that provide adequate…

Examining the link between cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity

While medications for three interconnected chronic conditions — cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity — represent a growing proportion of employers’ drug spend, there’s plenty that…

How plan sponsors can use biosimilars to support employee health, reduce drug costs

Despite the safety and efficacy of biosimilars — and the potential cost savings they offer — uptake among private payers has been low historically and is only starting to…

Plan sponsors, private payers can work together to help employees with rare diseases access novel treatments

It’s important for private payers and employers to be nimble and innovative to support plan members seeking access to novel drugs and treatments by addressing…

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: How emerging medical technology is disrupting traditional health-care investments

Innovations in medical technology in the next 10 years could unlock a new dawn of health investments that will make the last decade look slow…

Robertas Stancikas

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: Equities, fixed income assets generating real returns in volatile market regime

Institutional investors are preparing for a bumpy return risk space where volatility is higher for all assets and real returns are much lower than what…

Karin Sullivan

2023 Investment Innovation Conference: How institutional investors can hedge risk, find positive alpha in volatile economy

Despite pension funds navigating a “swim-at-your-own-risk” environment with a lower probability of positive returns, they can’t just stop and sink — they have to keep swimming,…