Weight management drugs and high-cost specialty treatments are expected to have the biggest impact on private drug plans this year, according to Telus Health’s annual drug pipeline report. It found spending on weight management drugs has more than quadrupled since 2021. In 2024, the category doubled in size following the launch of Wegovy (semaglutide) in […]
Roughly two-thirds (64 per cent) of global employers say cost control is their No. 1 benefits priority in 2026, citing it as a key focus as they navigate rising benefits costs, data gaps and operational complexity, according to a new report by Normandin Beaudry and MBWL International. The survey, which polled more than 300 global […]
Preventing benefits fraud is a core priority for the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association because it helps keep benefits plans accessible and affordable for the 27 million Canadians that depend on them, says Richelle Feddema, the organization’s senior manager of anti-fraud member management. Insurers are working together through the CLHIA’s ‘Fraud = Fraud’ program, […]
Mental and physical health care have long been treated as separate silos, but there’s a growing recognition in the benefits industry that an integrated, personalized care experience can improve health outcomes, manage chronic disease and reduce “ballooning health spend,” according to Matthew Chow (pictured right), chief mental health officer at Telus Health. “We’re moving employee […]
An article on how legislative changes in Alberta are impacting employer-sponsored benefits plans was the most-read article on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Alberta legislation allowing access to private health services through employer-sponsored benefits plans 2. 1 in 3 […]
With the adoption of new regulations in 2022, Australia is leading the way in the global movement to enhance rules around psychosocial hazards in the workplace to align with physical safety hazards. The movement is driven by escalating benefits costs and lost productivity since psychosocial risks — defined as causing psychosocial or physical harm — […]
An article on the suspension of the board chair at the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan was the most-read article on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. CAAT pension plan’s board chair suspended following senior executives’ departure […]
Canadian benefits plan sponsors are anticipating an average medical trend rate of 8.3 per cent in 2026, up from 7.4 per cent in 2025, according to a new report by Aon. The report, which analyzed data from plan sponsors across 112 countries, found medical plan costs worldwide will rise by an average of 9.8 per […]
As the drug plan landscape evolves, the nuanced tension between cost management and the imperative to support employee health continues, according to a panel of experts discussing Benefits Canada’s inaugural Drug Plan Opinion Survey during the 2025 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum. The survey, which polled 124 Canadian plan sponsors with at least […]
Pharmacy benefit managers in Canada have undergone a significant transformation over the years, said Akhil Pandit Pautra, senior manager of clinical services, health claims administration and fraud, waste and abuse at Express Scripts Canada, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum. The role has evolved from the early […]