Employer-sponsored health benefits costs are set to increase by 9.8 per cent in 2026, according to a new report by Aon. The report pointed to a return to single-digit growth for the first time since 2023, but also underscores the reality that price inflation, advanced medical technologies, increased benefits utilization and rising prescription drug costs […]
As effective weight management drugs come to market, it’s time to move beyond outdated approaches to obesity care and towards holistic treatment strategies, said Marie-Hélène Dugal, national pharmacy strategy lead for Medavie Blue Cross, during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit. Obesity is a progressive, relapsing and complex chronic disease characterized by abnormal and excessive […]
With many Canadian employers likely to have employees go on leave related to cancer, one survey suggests they need guidance on how to support those plan members before, during and after their leave, according to Julie Holmes, senior advisor for disability management at Desjardins Insurance, during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit. The survey, by […]
Nearly all (86 per cent) U.S. employers are reporting an increase in cancer care costs through their benefits plan, with a median increase of 11 per cent since 2024, according to a new report by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. It found the most popular steerage techniques that organizations are using to mitigate […]
The Canadian Cancer Society estimates 30,500 women and 290 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025, with about 5,500 Canadians expected to die from the disease. For employers, the numbers show how often breast cancer intersects with the workplace and why clear, compassionate support is critical. At BDO Canada, support begins the moment […]
U.S. employers are anticipating a median health benefits cost trend of nine per cent in 2026, which could be offset to 7.6 per cent with changes to plan design, according to a new survey by Business Group on Health. The survey, which polled more than 120 employers representing 11.6 million plan members, found, on a […]
Canadian employees who are on long-term disability leave are two-times more likely to claim for a chronic disease medication related to a secondary condition and three-times more likely to claim for medication treating two or more symptoms than those who aren’t on LTD, according to a new report by Sun Life Financial Inc. The report […]
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Canada, predominantly affecting women, with more than 29,000 diagnoses in 2023. It’s complexity is underscored by more than 50 unique types, making each diagnosis distinct and challenging to treat, according to Kimberly Carson, chief executive officer of Breast Cancer Canada, during a session supported by AstraZeneca Canada […]
Cancer treatments represented 33 per cent of medicines in all phases of clinical trials in 2023, followed by treatments for infectious diseases (13 per cent) and central nervous system diseases (12 per cent), according to a new report by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board. It found more than 12,000 new medicines were undergoing clinical […]
The Canada Dental Care Plan will help make dental services more accessible for unionized employees who don’t currently have a dental program within their contract, says Sandeep Kakan, director of pension governance at Unifor. Kakan, who until recently was the union’s director of pension and benefits, says the new program has established a standard from which […]