With more data emerging showing vaping can lead to lung injuries and other adverse health issues, many employers have concerns about the potential cost of providing extended health-care benefits to employees who vape, says Julie Stich, vice-president of content at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. “We’re seeing more and more evidence coming forth […]
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, fewer Canadian benefits plan members are making drug claims, according to Telus Health’s annual drug trends report. The report, based on the drug claims activity of more than 10 million plan members in 2021, found just 56 per cent made a claim in 2021, reflecting a decreased frequency of in-person […]
While medications used for treating inflammatory disease accounted for just 0.7 per cent of claims across Telus Health’s Canadian block of business in 2021, they represent the largest percentage of eligible drug costs at 12.6 per cent, due to the prevalence of high-cost treatments in this drug class. By comparison, diabetes medications accounted for 12 […]
Highlighting the power of the mind to overcome physical obstacles, Silken Laumann, four-time Olympic rower and founder of the charity Unsinkable, shared the struggles she faced after an injury during a warmup for the 1992 Summer Olympics. “I was the No. 1 ranked rower in the world,” she said during the closing session of Benefits […]
Nearly three-quarters (71 per cent) of U.S. employers feel the deteriorating mental health of their workforce is having a negative financial impact on their companies, according to a survey by the Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. The survey, which polled more than 500 U.S. employers and 1,000 workers, found 34 per cent of employees reported […]
While the overall private drug plan spend per member increased by 4.3 per cent in 2021, fewer plan members submitted claims and the per-claimant cost grew, according to Express Scripts Canada’s latest prescription drug trends report. Specifically, the percentage of plan members that made a claim decreased by 0.3 per cent last year while spend […]
Chronic physical health conditions and anxiety and mood disorders are frequently co-morbid conditions, so it’s important for employers to understand the link and how to support staff in the workplace, said Deborah McLeod, clinical director at Carepath Inc., during Benefits Canada’s 2022 Chronic Disease at Work conference in February. People living with chronic physical health […]
One in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime and by age 40 about 50 per cent of the population will have or have had one. Mental illness includes conditions such as depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, which “can really affect the ability of an individual to function,” said Nida Mian, senior […]
Recognized as the leading and most well-known event in workplace mental health for more than 15 years, Benefits Canada‘s 2021 Mental Health Summit, which was held virtually on Nov. 23-24, highlighted areas including links to disease impacts, treatment options, disability management and much more. Here’s what you missed: The importance of self-management in employee mental health How […]
When Nasreen, a 32-year-old marketing manager at a Toronto firm, started to suffer from anxiety and depression related to her isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, her manager and colleagues took notice. Nasreen, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, was experiencing increased presenteeism and absenteeism as she suffered from an increasing number of […]