Aurora Cannabis Inc. is rolling out a new employee benefits plan that includes coverage of medical marijuana.
The plan, which will be administered by Sun Life Financial Inc., will cover the drug for Aurora’s employees and their dependents.
“The speed with which Canada’s largest insurers are moving to cover the costs of medical cannabis reflects the increasing recognition of cannabis-based therapies and marks a significant milestone for patients across the country,” said Debra Wilson, senior vice-president of human resources at Aurora Cannabis, in a news release.
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“Including medical cannabis in the company’s benefits plan reflects our position as one of the leading advocates for the availability of medical cannabis, as well as employee health and wellness being major pillars in Aurora’s mission to be the employer of choice in the sector.”
Jonathan Zaid, Aurora’s director of advocacy and corporate social responsibility, said providing insurance coverage for the drug and making the reimbursement process easy is the right thing to do. “At the same time, we recognize there is still more work to be done to ensure patients across Canada receive coverage for medical cannabis, and we intend to continue supporting advocacy initiatives in this area,” he said.
The new benefits plan will take effect Aug. 1.
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