Glucagon-like peptide-1 therapies remain a major cost driver of employer-sponsored drug plans and will further contribute to costs as they become approved for uses beyond managing obesity and diabetes, according to a new report by Alberta Blue Cross. The report, which reviewed more than 440 new drug and supplemental submissions made to Health Canada in […]
Alberta’s recently-passed Bill 11 allows employers to offer employees access to private health services through their benefits plans and protects older employees from losing employer-sponsored health benefits solely based on age. Under the legislation, physicians and surgeons are now allowed work in both the public system and private-pay market. The legislation won’t apply to primary […]
As the drug plan landscape evolves, the nuanced tension between cost management and the imperative to support employee health continues, according to a panel of experts discussing Benefits Canada’s inaugural Drug Plan Opinion Survey during the 2025 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum. The survey, which polled 124 Canadian plan sponsors with at least […]
As dermatological treatments move up the ranking of conditions with the highest paid drug claims, they’ve become increasingly significant for private drug plan sponsors, according to Frances Lehun, a pharmacist with pharmaceutical expertise in high-cost drug management at Beneva. During a session at the 2025 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum, she said this […]
An article on changes to Newfoundland and Labrador’s employee leave legislation was the most-read benefits story on BenefitsCanada.com this year. Here are the top 10 benefits stories of 2025: 1. What Newfoundland and Labrador-based employers need to know about changes to employee leave legislation 2. How national health-care legislation could impact benefits plan sponsors’ virtual […]
Private benefits plan sponsors’ spending on weight-management drugs has quadrupled since 2021, according to a new report by Telus Health. In 2024 alone, the category doubled in size, ranking No. 17 overall by eligible amount (up from No. 29 in 2023). Still, the category’s budget impact remains low. By the end of June 2025, the […]
An article on Ontario’s proposed changes to preferred pharmacy network agreements was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. How Ontario’s proposed changes to preferred pharmacy networks could reshape drug plan costs 2. How predictability in the […]
Ontario’s signal that it may restrict or eliminate preferred pharmacy networks has created urgency for plan sponsors that rely on these arrangements to manage drug plan costs and access. Preferred pharmacy networks have been used in private drug plans for more than a decade. A PPN is a group of pharmacies selected because they offer […]
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 […]
Canada’s Drug Agency is seeking feedback on a national bulk purchasing strategy for prescription drugs and related products. Under the federal Pharmacare Act, the CDA is convening a panel that will develop advice on a national bulk purchasing strategy and is inviting interested parties to provide input on the proposed advice, particularly on approaches that […]