While artificial intelligence isn’t a novel concept in benefits administration, all sides of the industry are still considering best uses and areas for improvement. 1Password’s benefits provider incorporates AI for data analytics, as well as typical service requests and personalization, says Katya Laviolette, the software company’s chief people officer. For employees looking for different resources, […]
An article on the structural barriers Indigenous women continue to face in workplace retirement plans and benefits programs 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. Indigenous women face persistent barriers to workplace retirement, benefits plans: expert 2. […]
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, […]
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 […]
While emerging forms of artificial intelligence such as agentic AI may hold promises and challenges for pension plan sponsors, the human touch remains important when advising plan members on financial decisions, said Francis Boulianne, principal in Normandin Beaudry’s group benefits practice, during a recent webinar hosted by the consultancy. “[Chatbots] were never intended to replace […]
Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of benefits managers are reporting more pressure due to higher health-care costs now than at any point in the past 10 years, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled more than 400 employers, found a third (34 per cent) believe it will be necessary to make […]
An article on an arbitrator’s confirmation of the long-term disability exception to Ontario’s mandatory retirement rule was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Ontario arbitrator confirms validity of LTD exception to mandatory retirement rule 2. Insurers […]
A fifth (22 per cent) of plan sponsors said their organization has seen an uptick in benefits fraud, either by plan members, service providers or organized crime, according to the 2025 Benefits Healthcare Survey. During a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit last week, Lancelot Lambert, regional vice-president of Ontario and Atlantic […]
In 2016, the Toronto Transit Commission sued its insurer for allegedly not having appropriate benefits fraud controls in place to detect unusual trends or patterns. The lawsuit was settled three years later. In the meantime, 10 people, including nine TTC employees, were convicted in relation to the scheme and more than 250 TTC staff resigned […]
In the year ahead, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association will continue its advocacy efforts to ensure the federal government’s proposed pharmacare plan extends coverage for those who lack benefits without disrupting workplace benefits that millions of working Canadians rely on, says Stephen Frank, the association’s president and chief executive officer. The right approach to […]