Musculoskeletal issues have a far-reaching impact on the mental, physical and emotional wellness of benefits plan members and their families — however, they also come at a cost to plan sponsors. According to Sun Life Assurance. Co.’s 2020 disability claims, 20 per cent were related to musculoskeletal health conditions and 30 per cent of these affected […]
Kristy Dickinson woke up on a recent Monday unable to move her body. The delay waiting for medication and a heating pad to kick in threw off her morning routine and a flare-up of gastrointestinal symptoms forced her to reschedule back-to-back work meetings. She wasn’t able to get her work done until later in the […]
People living with multiple sclerosis can continue to thrive in the workforce with early access to specialists in the disease and accommodations that give them control over their work environment. “MS really has a pretty broad impact on affected individuals’ health system and [on] society,” said Ruth Ann Marrie, professor of medicine and community health […]
It took an “intense, painful and scary” flare and emergency surgery at age 38 for Marie-Josée Lafleur (pictured right) to finally be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, after being misdiagnosed for 15 years. IBD, which is typically diagnosed between ages 16 and 30, is caused by the body’s immune system attacking the gastrointestinal tract, creating […]
An article on British Columbia’s paramedics and their need for enhanced mental-health benefits was the most read story over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. B.C. paramedics seeking enhanced mental-health benefits 2. Canadian pension plans overcoming legislation, governance challenges: webinar 3. Ontario’s DB pension plans should take steps […]
ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada is renewing three collective agreements with its employees, including improvements to the defined benefit pension plan, disability benefits and life insurance. The new six-year agreements were ratified by 800 unionized employees. For the DB plan, the agreements include a total $9 increase in the monthly pension credit, so at the end […]
As this wave of the coronavirus pandemic abates and more organizations settle into their respective futures of work, leadership teams are considering how the many factors around the management of work and people will need to evolve. While some organizations don’t want — or can’t — change where people work, those that can have numerous […]
The majority (69 per cent) of employed generation Z and millennial Canadians are struggling with anxiety, while 59 per cent are dealing with depression, according to a new survey by Ipsos for RBC Insurance. The survey, which polled more than 1,500 employed Canadians aged 18 and over, found those aged 18 to 34 were significantly […]
While there’s a 2.5 per cent lifetime chance of having alopecia areata, the progression can be unpredictable and cause a lot of stress for patients, according to Dr. Lyn Guenther, professor of dermatology at Western University, during a webinar hosted by Benefits Canada and supported by Pfizer earlier this month. Alopecia areata is more than […]
On Dec. 15, the industry’s most popular drug benefits conference returned in a virtual format, highlighting the trends and opportunities for Canadian benefits plan sponsors to consider. Here’s what you missed: Using proactive drug plan design to ensure future sustainability Ensuring plan sponsors get value for money from their drug plans Patient support program insights […]