The union representing employees at Community Support Centre-Northwest in Dryden, Ont. has ratified a three-year agreement that includes retirement savings and benefits gains. The agreement includes a new group registered retirement savings plan with a 100 per cent employer match when employees contribute up to four per cent to the plan. It also includes four […]
Changes to the Public Service Health Care Plan, which took effect on July 1, include $75,000 for certain gender affirming procedures not covered by provincial or territorial health-care programs. Other new benefits include: $300 per year each for a registered dietician, occupational therapist and lactation consultant; $200 per year for batteries for hearing aids; $600 per […]
Canadian plan sponsors and insurers are revisiting how they classify obesity drugs under their benefits plans, amid plan members’ rising demand for Ozempic as a weight-loss treatment. Ozempic, also known under the generic name semaglutide, is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. However, the medication has also been credited as a weight-loss treatment, […]
The annual Benefits & Pension Summit, which was hosted virtually on June 1, is the only Benefits Canada event that brings together health benefits and capital accumulation plans in one event. This year, delegates heard the results of Benefits Canada‘s exclusive CAP Member Survey with a panel of experts discussing the findings, case studies from two leading […]
Three main drug categories — diabetes, asthma and stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — accounted for rising drug claims in 2022, according to Lavina Viegas, Telus Health’s director of client account management, speaking during Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Benefits & Pension Summit in June. Referring to Telus Health’s 2023 drug plan trends report, she said […]
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. is providing employees and their dependants with $10,000 in lifetime gender affirmation coverage. The additional coverage complements existing benefits that support transitioning employees, including prescription drug coverage for hormone therapy, mental-health coverage, disability insurance and medical leaves for employees who are recovering from surgeries. The new coverage is also extended to […]
It has been called “the change.” Menopause. That time, occurring roughly between the ages of 45 and 55, when a female’s reproductive life ends and any number of incapacitating symptoms appear. These symptoms — from hot flashes to memory issues to muscle and joint pain — can impact physical health, mental health and, inevitably, performance […]
Benefits Canada is extending the deadline for entering the 2023 Workplace Benefits Awards to Friday, July 7 at 5 p.m. EST. The original industry awards program has been recognizing employers and plan sponsors for more than 20 years, highlighting their innovative approaches to supporting the mental, physical and financial well-being of their employees. Enter the 2023 Workplace Benefits […]
Specialty drugs are accounting for a slightly smaller portion of the total eligible amount for all drug claims, declining from 33.6 per cent in 2021 to 33.1 per cent in 2022, according to Telus Health’s annual drug trends report. The report, based on claims data from more than 4.6 million plan members in 2022, found the […]
While half (51 per cent) of peri- and post-menopausal U.S. women say menopause has negatively impacted their work life, just 14 per cent believe their employer recognizes the need for menopause-specific benefits, according to a new survey by Bank of America Corp. and the National Menopause Foundation. The survey, which polled more than 500 employers […]