A single drug can be approved for multiple conditions, but each new use requires its own clinical trials and regulatory approval, even if the drug is already approved for other indications, according to Suzanne Lepage, a private health plan strategist, during a session supported by Novo Nordisk at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Face to Face Drug […]
Generation Z workers are facing greater mental-health difficulties and increasing rates of chronic disease compared to other age groups, according to a new report by Sun Life Financial Inc. The report, which drew data from more than 20,000 employers and more than three million plan members, found more than 50 per cent of gen-Zers’ long-term […]
When a plan sponsor was seeing musculoskeletal issues come up in disability claims, it wanted to figure out if it could do more to support employees, according to Tamara Harduwar (pictured right), Manulife Canada’s director of health insights and outcomes for group benefits. During a session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Healthy Outcomes Conference, she said […]
Since the only treatment for type one diabetes is insulin, there’s only one option for treating the condition, according to Andrew Muirhead (pictured right), territory manager at Insulet Corporation, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Healthy Outcomes Conference. Around 400,000 Canadians require insulin multiple times a day with type one diabetes cases growing about 4.4 per […]
As effective weight management drugs come to market, it’s time to move beyond outdated approaches to obesity care and towards holistic treatment strategies, said Marie-Hélène Dugal, national pharmacy strategy lead for Medavie Blue Cross, during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 […]
A think tank is urging the federal government to abandon plans for a single-payer pharmacare program in the face of tariff-related fiscal uncertainty. Rosalie Wyonch, associate director of research at the C.D. Howe Institute, says in a new report released Thursday that the government should instead look to fill existing gaps in coverage. Ottawa should […]
Half (51 per cent) of U.S. employers with 500 or more employees say they’re likely or very likely to make plan design changes in 2026 that would shift more costs to employees, such as raising deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums, according to a new survey by Mercer. The survey, which polled more than 500 large-sized companies, […]
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 […]
For the past 10 years, Benefits Canada’s Chronic Disease at Work conference has examined the current trends in chronic disease in Canada and what they mean for plan sponsors. Hosted in a virtual format on Feb. 12, the 2025 conference explored several chronic diseases, as well as their impacts on the workplace and the role of employers […]
Chronic disease rates are rising and cases are becoming more complex, with a higher share of plan members experiencing multiple co-morbidities. This growing trend necessitates an approach to chronic disease management that promotes self-management and healthy lifestyle choices, as well as helps plan members better navigate the health-care landscape, said Jeffery Chan, assistant vice-president of […]