U.S. employers are anticipating a median health benefits cost trend of nine per cent in 2026, which could be offset to 7.6 per cent with changes to plan design, according to a new survey by Business Group on Health. The survey, which polled more than 120 employers representing 11.6 million plan members, found, on a […]
Half (51 per cent) of U.S. employers with 500 or more employees say they’re likely or very likely to make plan design changes in 2026 that would shift more costs to employees, such as raising deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums, according to a new survey by Mercer. The survey, which polled more than 500 large-sized companies, […]
The company’s director of corporate human resources services discusses a new women’s health initiative, the challenge presented by GLP-1 drugs and the Ukrainian art of pysanky. Q: What new programs or initiatives are you looking to implement? A: I’m really excited about a new women’s health initiative we’re going to be piloting with one of […]
Nine in 10 (93 per cent) of global employers say they’ll maintain or expand their well-being offerings in 2025, according to a new survey by Business Group on Health. The survey, which polled 131 employers representing 11.2 million global workers, found 94 per cent said they plan to raise expectations for well-being vendors to deliver […]
Weight management medications emerged as the fastest growing drug category in 2024, with claims for these drugs surging by 90.6 per cent since 2023, according to Telus Health’s annual drug report. The report, which is based on claims data from more than 15 million plan members in 2024, found the increase in claims was driven […]
A third (33 per cent) of U.S. employers currently include cell and gene therapies in their benefits plans and 36 per cent are actively evaluating the use of these treatments, according to a new survey by the Integrated Benefits Institute. The survey, which polled more than 400 U.S. employers and more than 200 benefits consultants, […]
The previous year was an interesting one in the world of employee benefits plans. Over the previous 12 months, employers have navigated the explosion of claims for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist medications like Ozempic, some forward momentum on national pharmacare and some employers changed their approach to diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Here are five […]
From the unlocking of pension benefits in Nova Scotia to new pay transparency rules in Ontario, stories about pension and employment legislation caught the eyes of Benefits Canada’s readers in 2024. In addition, a pair of articles on the rollout of new glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist medications in Canada were also popular with readers. Here […]
The percentage of claimants filing claims for obesity drugs increased by 43 per cent in 2023, according to a new report by GreenShield. The report, which analyzed the insurer’s 2023 claims data, found diabetes medications saw a 13 per cent increase in cost, accounting for nine per cent of total drug costs in 2023. There […]
In Canada, the average health benefits cost trend for 2025 is estimated to be 7.4 per cent, up from five per cent in 2024, according to a new report by Aon. It found the top medical conditions driving health benefits plan costs are diabetes, autoimmune diseases (excluding diabetes), mental health, lung disorders/respiratory and cardiovascular and […]