Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Canada, predominantly affecting women, with more than 29,000 diagnoses in 2023. It’s complexity is underscored by more than 50 unique types, making each diagnosis distinct and challenging to treat, according to Kimberly Carson, chief executive officer of Breast Cancer Canada, during a session supported by AstraZeneca Canada […]
Advances in medical science and innovations in drug development necessitate updated drug plan strategies, according to Frédéric Leblanc (pictured far right), strategic leader of drug programs, group benefits and retirement solutions at iA Financial Group. During a panel discussion supported by EMD Serono Inc., GSK, iA Financial Group, Merck & Co. Inc., Novo Nordisk Canada Inc. […]
Private drug plans play a pivotal role in ensuring faster and broader access to medications for 27 million Canadians, said Joe Farago, executive director of private payers and investment at Innovative Medicines Canada, during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum. The federal government’s new pharmacare plan is designed as a universal, […]
One of the keys to managed care is to reflect on past experiences, understand lessons learned and consider their implications for the future, said Bobby Currie, director of drug evaluation at Manulife, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum. While traditional tools like caps, deductibles and co-insurance that employers […]
An article on declining mental health among Canadian workers 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. Canadian workers’ mental health on the decline, driven by financial anxiety: survey 2. Why employers should have a policy addressing political discourse […]
Between 2019 and 2023, chronic disease drug claims increased much faster among younger plan members compared to older generations, according to a new report by Sun Life. The report, which analyzed drug claims data of more than 3 million plan members over a five-year period, found across all age groups, nearly half (45.1 per cent) of […]
As plan sponsors contend with high utilization of their drug plans and a host of costly new drugs coming to market, a variety of cost-containment measures can ensure plans remain sustainable while still supporting members. Plan sponsors’ annual drug plan spend has been steadily rising, said Martin Gascon, senior director of group benefits at Eckler […]
With lyrics adapted to the tune of ‘Magic’ by Scottish pop group Pilot, the melody of ‘Oh, Oh, Oh, Ozempic’ is splashed across U.S. televisions in a snappy advertising campaign. The commercial push is likely unnecessary. Ozempic, one of the brand names of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, […]
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on provinces and territories to start negotiating pharmacare deals as soon as possible, now that the federal legislation to enact the program has become law. “This is real progress, but now we need the provinces and territories to come to the table and sign agreements with us that supports […]
Ontario’s Ministry of Health is consulting on the role of preferred pharmacy networks in the province’s employer-sponsored drug insurance sector to determine how these agreements impact plan members’ costs, choice, accessibility and access to medicine and quality of care. In its draft consultation paper, the ministry said a common concern among consumers is when PPNs are closed and […]