With Canada’s public and private drug market an ever-evolving landscape, what value can be gained from collaboration and innovative solutions to ensure patient access to new medicines and vaccines in the future? During Innovative Medicines Canada’s virtual policy summit in June, Declan Hamill, vice-president of policy, regulatory and legal affairs, said the organization appreciates the […]
Many employees may be dreaming of a carefree retirement following many years in the trenches — but they’ll likely have to keep dreaming if they don’t have first-rate, post-retirement health and dental insurance coverage. Many employers provide supplemental health insurance (drug, dental, extended health and out-of-country medical) as part of comprehensive packages of employee benefits, […]
While a national pharmacare program is yet to be revealed by the federal government, any future plan should contain provisions for all costly treatments and not just rare diseases, says Jennifer Schmidt, a principal at Mercer Canada. Read: Federal budget highlights national childcare system, extension of pandemic subsidies This week’s federal budget announcement contained only […]
Federal opposition leaders are criticizing the Liberal government’s first budget in two years for omitting pharmacare, while suggesting alternatives to a proposed $30-billion national childcare system. Debate began in the House of Commons Tuesday with leaders pushing to shape the economic blueprint more to their liking. Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he knows where […]
In its 2021 budget on Monday, the federal government said it’s proposing nearly $30 billion over the next five years towards a national community-based childcare system. The budget stated that starting in 2021/2022, an investment of up to $27.2 billion over five years will bring the federal government to a 50/50 share of childcare costs […]
Specialty drugs can significantly improve (or even save) an employee’s life, but can come at a high cost. Over the past few decades, many employers dove headfirst into drug-pooling arrangements as a key way to deal with those costs, while also ensuring employees get the access needed to an array of medications. But with dozens […]
In Monday’s fall economic statement, the federal government proposed changes to employee stock option rules and offered additional support for essential workers. The statement provided an overview of the government’s approach to combating the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, while offering details on additional measures moving forward. The changes to employee stock option tax rules include an annual […]
With employers and employees still suffering through the limbo of the coronavirus pandemic, Wednesday’s throne speech clarified how the federal government plans to continue to support Canadians. In her speech, Governor General Julie Payette said the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy will be extended into 2021. She also said the government intends to shift away from emergency benefits […]
While 67 per cent of Canadian plan members described their level of knowledge about a possible national pharmacare program as low or medium, 27 per cent said they don’t know anything at all about it, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Among plan sponsor respondents, 73 per cent described their level of knowledge […]
Taking a look at private drug plans in 2020, a number of trends are converging: spending on specialty drugs is continuing its upward trajectory, advancements in a number of lifechanging therapies are in the pipeline and policy developments are coming at both the federal and provincial levels. In the face of this potential storm, plan […]