Treating mental health with medications is very different from treating an infection, so why do many people, and many employers, treat them like they’re one and the same? When enhancing communications around wellness programs, plan sponsors should seek innovative ways to support employees with how they use medications and help them understand the interactions between drugs and mental […]
A majority of Canadians, health-care providers, labour organizations and employers agree a national single-payer system is an idea whose time has come, according to a report by the Broadbent Institute. Canada has attempted to bring in a national pharmacare plan nine times in the last 73 years — in 1945, 1947, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1997, 2002, and […]
On Dec. 5, the 2018 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum in Toronto highlighted the leading issues for plan sponsors to consider in the year ahead, including medical cannabis, pharmacogenetics and drug plan sustainability. Here are some of the highlights of the sessions: A look at the benefits of patient support programs for plan […]
With patient support programs providing a number of benefits for private plan stakeholders, ongoing digitization is likely to allow even greater connectivity and personalization for patients, physicians and payers in the near future. During a panel exploring these initiatives at Benefits Canada‘s Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum in Toronto on Dec. 5, Sandra Anderson, vice-president of […]
As plan sponsors and private payers begin integrating medical cannabis coverage into benefits plans, it’s crucial they account for the dynamic nature of the industry and remain adaptable to anticipated changes around distribution and product innovation. Although medical cannabis isn’t new, current offerings are just a first step, said Matt Gaudry, director of product support and management at […]
Pharmacogenetic testing can produce significant results for plan members, but it isn’t appropriate for everyone and should never be looked at in isolation, according to a panel discussion at Benefits Canada‘s Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum. Speaking on the panel in Toronto on Dec. 5, Mark Faiz, chief executive officer of Personalized Prescribing Inc., said […]
Trends, benefits fraud and drug coverage led the top health and benefits stories in 2018. Benefits Canada rounds up the industry’s favourite health and benefits stories of the year: 1. Seven benefits trends to watch in 2018 2. Ontario unveils new drug, dental coverage for people without workplace benefits 3. TTC fraud update: More than 220 employees fired or have resigned, retired […]
While a national pharmacare program in Canada could mean reduced expenditures and drug prices, there could also be unintended consequences, according to a new report by the Fraser Institute. Shining a light on the national programs in Australia, New Zealand and U.K., the report looked at the cost-saving mechanisms they use, as well as the side-effects. Specifically, it noted the programs […]
With 44 per cent of Canadian workers experiencing mental-health issues and mental health the fastest growing and leading cause of disability claims, benefits plans are feeling the strain. “The numbers are staggering in terms of what we’re seeing and the continual growth of this as an issue,” said Rebecca Smith, director of group life and […]
The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is asking the Ontario government to act cautiously in welcoming private label products under the provincial drug program and allowing them to be interchangeable with other products. Presently, the Ontario Drug Benefit Act doesn’t list private label products as drug products, meaning they’re not eligible for public funding under the drug benefit program. […]