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 […]
Canadian Baptist Ministries is supporting employee health and managing costs through a flexible benefits plan model that will be introduced at the end of 2025. The new model has been in the works for several years, following feedback from plan members on the current benefits offering, says Rob Jackett, senior director of finance and administration. […]
Canadian employees with caregivering responsibilities are facing rising levels of stress, lost income and workplace strain, according to a new survey by virtual-care platform Maple Corp. The survey, which polled more than 1,500 employees, found working caregivers were almost twice as likely as non-caregivers to miss work due to mental-health reasons (10 per cent compared […]
Cancer rates among Canadian women age 50 and younger are twice as high as those of men in the same age group, according to a new report by Sun Life Financial Inc. The report analyzed health claims data from more than three million plan members and 20,000 employers. It found cancer continued to drive a […]
Global health insurance costs are expected to rise by an average of 10.3 per cent in 2026, according to a new report by WTW. It found Asia-Pacific is anticipating the steepest jump at 14 per cent, while Latin America is expecting a an increase of 11.9 per cent. The Middle East and Africa will see […]
It’s difficult to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the hype around artificial intelligence and its many applications in our day-to-day lives. I was a kid during the early days of the internet, so I wasn’t in the middle of that buzz. But I gradually started using it — in high school, university and beyond — and […]
An article on proposed changes to preferred pharmacy networks outlined in the Ontario government’s fall economic statement 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. Ontario taking steps to end preferred pharmacy networks, introducing VPLA framework 2. […]
Despite the World Health Organization declaring the coronavirus pandemic over in May 2023, the health crisis continues to shape workplaces around the globe. “Before the pandemic, workplaces were more structured and, if something occurred in an employee’s life that meant they couldn’t get into the office, they weren’t working,” says Erin Evans, a benefits and […]
The organization’s senior manager of employee benefits talks voluntary benefits, balancing costs with flexibility and travelling around the world. Q: What new programs or initiatives are you looking to implement? A: We’re currently focused on building a more streamlined and centralized benefits experience across 123Dentist. A key initiative is moving to a more integrated platform […]
While emerging forms of artificial intelligence such as agentic AI may hold promises and challenges for pension plan sponsors, the human touch remains important when advising plan members on financial decisions, said Francis Boulianne, principal in Normandin Beaudry’s group benefits practice, during a recent webinar hosted by the consultancy. “[Chatbots] were never intended to replace […]