Alberta’s recently-passed Bill 11 allows employers to offer employees access to private health services through their benefits plans and protects older employees from losing employer-sponsored health benefits solely based on age. Under the legislation, physicians and surgeons are now allowed work in both the public system and private-pay market. The legislation won’t apply to primary […]
While Canada’s financial system was fit for purpose across decades of liberal democratic order, it’s important to look at how the system should be structured in the future, said Mark Zelmer, former deputy superintendent of financial institutions at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions and a fellow-in-residence at C.D. Howe Institute. Speaking in […]
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 […]
An article on how incoming health-care legislation could impact plan sponsors’ virtual care offerings 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. How national health-care legislation could impact benefits plan sponsors’ virtual care offerings 2. Labatt attracting, […]
The incoming Canadian Health Act Services Policy could limit benefits plan sponsors’ ability to offer virtual health care, according to experts. The policy, which will come into effect on April 1, 2026, aims to ensure that medically-necessary services are covered by provincial or territorial health-care plans. It establishes criteria and conditions that provinces and territories […]
Donald Trump is poised to be the “most transformational” U.S. president due to his corporate tax rate approach and a unique deregulation plan across financial and energy sectors, according to Charles Myers, chairman at Signum Global Advisors, speaking during the keynote session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Defined Contribution Plan Summit on Feb. 27. In addition […]
Eliminating sick notes for Canadian employees would help remove the administrative burden for both employers and medical professionals, while also improving workplace trust, says Olivia Cicchini, human resources and employment law expert at Peninsula Canada. The Canadian Medical Association is calling for the elimination of sick notes for short-term minor illnesses across the country, which could […]
Only 16 per cent of Canadian employers have implemented a pay transparency strategy, while 41 per cent have strategies in development and 22 per cent plan to develop their strategy within the next year, according to a new survey by Mercer. The survey, which polled more than 1,100 global companies, found 60 per cent said […]
Innovative Medicines Canada is calling on the federal government to introduce amendments to Bill C-64 that clarify the impact on all aspects of Canadians’ drug coverage. In a press release, the association urged the feds to ensure its new pharmacare program doesn’t disrupt existing coverage for the 27 million Canadians who are insured under a […]
Sustainable investing needs to take a much more nuanced approach today than it did in the past, according to Edward Vaughan Dixon, head of sustainability and private markets at Aviva Investors, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Risk Management Conference. Environmental, social and governance strategies should result in a holistic view of the risks behind a […]