The Co-operators Group Ltd. is partnering with WorldCare Health Inc. on a mental-health, medical second-opinion product for the insurer’s group benefits clients. The product combines an existing critical-illness, medical second-opinion review with access to hundreds of sub-specialized psychiatrists and 60 specialty clinical and research programs that address a wide range of psychiatric disorders. In using the […]
Digital mental-health platform Snapclarity is appointing Karen Adams as its chief commercial and health innovation officer. Previously, Adams was president of Cira Health Solutions and executive vice-president of marketing and business development at Morneau Shepell Ltd. “Karen brings deep expertise in mental health and wellness and an understanding of how to scale a rapidly growing company that’s […]
SSQ Life Insurance Co. Inc. is partnering with Haleo and MindBeacon Software Inc. to offer digital cognitive behavioural therapy to group insurance plan members. Both companies offer online CBT, with Haleo’s tool focusing on sleep disorders and MindBeacon’s option directed at mild to moderate anxiety and depression symptoms. The partnerships are part of a broader digital health strategy, according to the insurer, which is aiming to […]
Hub International Ltd. is expanding its Canadian employee benefits and retirement services with six key service areas. It also named its employee benefits leadership team for the country, including Robert Taylor of TRG Group Benefits, which was acquired by Hub in January; Hub chief innovation officer Faizal Mitha; Mary-Lou MacDonald, Hub’s national practice lead of health and […]
While medical advancements and drug therapy innovations have been life-changing for patients and plan members, they also come with increasing costs, said Victoria Shaw, drug benefits manager at Alberta Blue Cross, speaking at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Calgary Drug Trends Summit on Oct. 24. Between 2011 to 2017, the number of high-cost drugs doubled. From 2016 to 2017, in […]
Although migraine is disabling, it’s also very common, with 2.7 million or 8.3 per cent of Canadians suffering from the condition, according to Dr. Farnaz Amoozegar, a neurologist and clinical assistant professor at the University of Calgary. The condition affects one in seven people and is the second-leading cause of disability worldwide, she said during […]
Alongside Fluor Canada’s recent move to a flexible benefits plan, it also introduced a managed drug formulary, which includes generic substitution, prior authorization, lifetime maximums and an annual out-of-pocket maximum. While the organization was hesitant to make the change, it knew it was necessary to help control drug costs, said Michelle Ginter, senior human resources […]
Mercer is launching an all-in-one digital platform that gives employees access to a variety of wellness vendors to support their physical, mental, financial or social well-being. Mercer 365, which will be rolled out in January 2020, allows employers to offer their staff benefits through an online, self-serve platform. It will also include access to benefits utilization and […]
While organizational leaders may not be convinced about the return on investment of mental-health programs, the costs of the alternative — doing nothing — are great and rising, according to a new report by Deloitte. “While average workplace absences per employee have fallen over the last decade, the proportion of days lost due to poor mental health […]
With a wellness strategy focused on complete employee health, Nav Canada was recognized with the Sanofi Canada Wellness Pioneer Award at Benefits Canada’s Workplace Benefits Awards in Toronto on Oct. 17. The award is open to Canadian plan sponsors that have provided plan members with a wellness program for at least five years. It acknowledges an organization that’s developed […]