The average cost increases for employer-sponsored health-care plans are set to increase at a faster rate than inflation in 2018, according to a new report by Aon. Global average cost increases are projected to be 8.4 per cent in 2018, nearly three times the projected rate of inflation of 3.1 percent. Results vary depending on region, with […]
Saskatchewan’s auditor says she is concerned about the number of sick days being taken, particularly by workers in the province’s health-care and gaming sectors. Provincial auditor Judy Ferguson highlighted employee absenteeism at the Heartland Regional Health Authority and Saskatchewan Gaming Corp. in her annual report released Tuesday. She said she zeroed in on both because […]
Green Shield Canada will offer plan sponsors more options for including medical marijuana in their group benefits plans in early 2018. The insurer said its new offering has a much greater level of oversight than is currently available through health-care spending accounts. Read: Key questions for plan sponsors as marijuana legalization approaches There will be benefit maximums put in place, noted […]
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is expanding its work-related mental-stress policy following decisions at the appeals tribunal that found the limits currently placed on entitlement criteria are unconstitutional. Over the last few years, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal has issued several decisions that determined the provisions in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act limiting entitlement only […]
Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada is partnering with Medical Confidence Inc. to help Canadian employees navigate the health-care system when they go on disability leave. Beginning in 2018, Medical Confidence’s disability management service will be rolled out to Sun Life’s employer clients. The service provides one-on-one support through a health-care professional, arranges accelerated access to […]
Despite rising health-care costs, there’s a gap when it comes to seeing the results of all of that spending, according to a speaker at the recent Calgary Drug Trends Summit. “Although health-care costs are increasing, we have not seen a significant improvement in the health of Canadians,” said Dr. Doug Klein, an associate professor at […]
Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd. and Unifor Local 2027 have ratified a four-year collective agreement that includes moving to a defined contribution plan for future hires. The union, which represents 137 production and skilled trades workers at the distillery in Windsor, Ont., noted in a news release that 66 per cent of union membership voted […]
As 2018 quickly approaches, so too does the rollout of Ontario’s new youth pharmacare coverage for those aged 24 and younger. The plan, which launches on Jan. 1, 2018, will provide universal coverage of all medicines listed in the Ontario Drug Benefit formulary. But will the government’s program, also known as OHIP+, lead to savings for […]
Although a national pharmacare strategy seems elusive, the Ontario government is making a fairly aggressive investment in that area by spending $465 million to boost its provincial drug coverage by covering residents under age 25 and from 65 onwards. The program, known as OHIP+, begins Jan. 1, 2018. Children and youth under age 25 will by automatically eligible […]
More than 2,500 Canadians died from opioid-related overdoses in 2016, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The situation is particularly grave in the West. This year, British Columbia alone is on track to see 1,400 deaths due to opioids. The province declared a state of emergency in April 2016, and Alberta followed suit […]