Epcor Utilities Inc.’s senior manager of pension and benefits talks mental-health training, volunteering benefits and whitewater canoeing. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. A big challenge is employees . . . thinking the company is 100 per cent responsible for all of their paramedical [and] dental costs, and that any […]
Canadian insurers paid out $98 billion in benefits in 2018, an increase of seven per cent over 2017, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. Similar to previous years, this was led by retirement benefits from annuities ($49 billion), health benefits for prescription drugs and extended health providers like dentists […]
Almost all employers offer paramedical benefits for psychology and many are adopting programs to support employee mental health, according to a new survey by Aon. Canadian employers are increasingly realizing the individual and business risks that arise from mental-health issues. “While fewer than half of the employers we talked to identified mental health as a serious […]
Almost half (44 per cent) of plan members said they’ve had a benefits claim denied, according to the 2019 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Among this group, 20 per cent have had a dental claim denied, followed by a prescription drug claim (15 per cent) and a claim for a paramedical service (13 per cent). More […]
Phzio Canada has signed an agreement with Benefits by Design Inc. and Green Shield Canada to launch a virtual physiotherapy pilot project. The partnership will enable BBD’s existing group benefits plan members to access Phzio’s tele-physiotherapy platform, which is available in Canada and the U.S. Green Shield Canada will support BBD in the launch of the […]
More than four out of five (83 per cent) Canadian workers are satisfied with their work, according to a study on the Canadian workplace by office supplies, technology products and furniture distributors Novexco Inc. The majority (90 per cent) of employee respondents said they’re very engaged, 81 per cent are motivated by their job and 75 per […]
Most people agree massage offers some therapeutic benefits, such as reduction of muscle tension and pain related to soft tissue strains and injuries. Studies have also shown it’s helpful in treating symptoms related to anxiety, digestive disorders, headaches and several other conditions. It wasn’t that long ago that paramedical practitioners represented about 15 to 20 per […]
Canadian insurers expect health costs to rise by 11.55 per cent this year, according to a new report by Accompass Inc. The annual survey determines the anticipated year-over-year cost increase or decrease — or health trend factor — by asking insurers to examine their businesses and take various factors into account, including legislation and reforms, economic events […]
Not all chiropractors practice according to the same philosophy. This is leading some in the benefits industry to believe more scrutiny is necessary when it comes to paramedical expenses and determining whether they’re being used for evidence-based treatments. A recent article in the Globe and Mail highlighted a divide within the chiropractic profession between those who practice evidence-based treatments and those […]
While a new collective agreement negotiated between the British Columbia Nurses’ Union and the Health Employers Association of B.C. won’t bring significant changes, the round of negotiations did raise an issue with paramedical benefits, specifically the amount spent on massages. Currently, nurses in the province have unlimited dollars to spend on massages, which are 100 per cent paid […]