In 2020, Canada Life Assurance Co. saw a decrease in the number of benefits plan members making a drug claim, though the costs of those claims were higher, according to Barb Martinez, the insurer’s national practice leader in drug solutions, speaking during a session at Benefits Canada‘s Face to Face in Drug Plan Management Forum […]
The drug pipeline is full of new medications that may be more effective but may also be more expensive than existing treatments. Although they could significantly improve a benefits plan member’s health, they could also render a plan unaffordable. “Because drugs represent a significant portion of group insurance plan costs, plan sponsors are concerned about […]
As the phenomenon of coronavirus long-haulers — individuals who display symptoms for months following infection — becomes more prominent amid the ongoing pandemic, plan sponsors are taking a flexible and individualized approach through their human resources practices and benefits offerings to support impacted plan members. Mike Mousseau, national well-being and engagement consultant at Arthur J. […]
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 […]
Approximately two in five Canadians live with a mental-health disorder and about eight million are struggling with non-prescriptive addiction. Medically managed intensive outpatient programming, or MMIOP, provides rapid access to treatment, resolution of symptoms and rapid return to work, said Dr. Rob Tanguay, vice-president and chief medical officer at the Newly Institute, during a session […]
The Fraser Health Authority has always taken care of its employees when they go on disability leave, but the organization recently decided to change the trajectory of employees’ disability journey, introducing new services that can help them earlier in the process. One cause of disability the health authority aimed to address was substance use disorder, […]
It isn’t surprising that the Canadian Mental Health Association reported 41 per cent of adults saw a decline in their mental health due to the coronavirus pandemic — it’s been the perfect storm of stressors, particularly for people living with obesity, said Stéphanie Ipavec-Levasseur, product director of health insurance at Desjardins Insurance, during Benefits Canada‘s 2021 […]
Mental health is the leading cause of disability for Canadian employers of all types, sectors and sizes, with 70 per cent of employers saying expanding access to mental-health care is a top priority. Speaking during a Tech Insights spotlight session at Benefits Canada‘s 2021 Mental Health Summit, Anna Chif, co-founder and chief strategy and product officer […]
Mental health is a major pandemic in and of itself, with surveys showing a 300 per cent increase in people reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the availability of hundreds of drug treatments, rates of mental illness continue to increase and “there hasn’t been any pharmacotherapy innovation for mental illness,” […]
When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, Fluor Canada was ready with ample mental-health supports for its employees, all thanks to a mental-health strategy the company had put in place years ago and has continued to build on. It began in 2018 when Fluor Canada’s newly appointed senior management team wanted to renew the […]