prescription drugs – Benefits Canada.com https://www.benefitscanada.com Canada's most influential pension and benefits publication for decision-makers Fri, 03 May 2024 21:03:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8 More private payers seeking to reduce costs turning to preferred pharmacy networks: expert https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/more-private-payers-seeking-to-reduce-costs-turning-to-preferred-pharmacy-networks-expert/ Wed, 01 May 2024 13:00:24 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=154972 As more insurers turn to preferred pharmacy networks to decrease costs, their efforts are being met with some resistance by plan members who may be finding it difficult and inconvenient to switch pharmacy providers. In January, Manulife Financial Corp.’s move to a preferred pharmacy network with Loblaw Cos. Ltd.’s Shoppers Drug Mart was met with […]

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]]> Liberals table bill paving way for future pharmacare program a day before deadline https://www.benefitscanada.com/news/bencan/liberals-table-bill-paving-way-for-future-pharmacare-program-a-day-before-deadline/ Thu, 29 Feb 2024 20:00:25 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=152559 Health Minister Mark Holland tabled a long-awaited bill Thursday meant to pave the way for national pharmacare and preserve a deal that secures the New Democratic Party’s support for the government in the House of Commons. The bill includes a program to cover birth control as well as diabetes drugs and supplies for anyone with […]

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]]> CLHIA focusing on improving pharmacare, rare disease drug coverage in 2024 https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/clhia-focusing-on-improving-pharmacare-rare-disease-drug-coverage-in-2024/ Mon, 29 Jan 2024 14:00:29 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=151208 In the year ahead, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association will continue its advocacy efforts to ensure the federal government’s proposed pharmacare plan extends coverage for those who lack benefits without disrupting workplace benefits that millions of working Canadians rely on, says Stephen Frank, the association’s president and chief executive officer. The right approach to […]

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]]> 55% of Canadians were covered under employer-sponsored drug plans in 2019: report https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/55-of-canadians-were-covered-under-employer-sponsored-drug-plans-in-2019-report/ Fri, 12 Jan 2024 14:00:07 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=150227 More than half (55 per cent) of Canadians were covered under employer-sponsored drug plans in 2019, while roughly a third were covered under government-sponsored plans (21 per cent), private plans (six per cent) and association-sponsored plans (five per cent), according to a new report by Statistics Canada. Nearly 50 per cent of recent and established immigrants […]

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]]> Canadian insurers paid out record $114BN in health, retirement benefits in 2022: CLHIA https://www.benefitscanada.com/news/bencan/canadian-insurers-paid-out-record-114bn-in-health-retirement-benefits-in-2022-clhia/ Fri, 29 Sep 2023 13:00:39 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=144232 Canada’s life and health insurers paid out a record $114 billion in health and retirement benefits last year, up $11 billion since before the coronavirus pandemic and up 60 per cent from a decade ago, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. “During a year when many households faced higher […]

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]]> Half of plan members say coverage of certain benefits limits their ability to seek treatment: survey https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/half-of-plan-members-say-coverage-of-certain-benefits-limits-their-ability-to-seek-treatment-survey/ Fri, 22 Sep 2023 13:00:16 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=143907 Half (51 per cent) of plan members say the coverage levels of at least one of their health benefits limit their ability to seek necessary treatment, jumping to 84 per cent among those with a major injury in the past 12 months, according to the 2023 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. It found this percentage increased […]

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]]> Are insurers updating their benefits policies to include the evolving role of NPs? https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/are-insurers-updating-their-benefits-policies-to-include-the-evolving-role-of-nps/ Fri, 25 Aug 2023 13:00:11 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=142386 Last year, a benefits plan member in British Columbia was shocked when his insurance provider rejected an orthotics claim because the prescriber was a nurse practitioner rather than a “physician.” In the story, reported by the Victoria, B.C.-based Times Colonist, the chief executive officer of Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of B.C. said it wasn’t the […]

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]]> Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada providing employees, dependants with $10K in gender affirmation coverage https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/toyota-motor-manufacturing-canada-providing-10k-in-gender-affirmation-coverage/ Wed, 28 Jun 2023 13:00:41 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=140297 Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. is providing employees and their dependants with $10,000 in lifetime gender affirmation coverage. The additional coverage complements existing benefits that support transitioning employees, including prescription drug coverage for hormone therapy, mental-health coverage, disability insurance and medical leaves for employees who are recovering from surgeries. The new coverage is also extended to […]

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]]> Collaboration key in maintaining value of private payer health care: experts https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/collaboration-key-in-maintaining-value-of-private-payer-health-care-experts/ Thu, 10 Nov 2022 14:00:48 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=129562 Amid the increasing introduction of specialized medicines in Canada, key stakeholders in the private payer health-care sector are enhancing their collaborations to maintain the value of private drug coverage, said Joe Farago, executive director of private payers and investment at Innovative Medicines Canada, during a webinar by the Group Insurance Pharmaceutical Committee this week. “[The […]

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]]> 88% of benefits plan sponsors satisfied with virtual health-care offerings: BCHS https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/88-of-benefits-plan-sponsors-satisfied-with-virtual-health-care-offerings-survey/ Mon, 26 Sep 2022 13:00:42 +0000 https://www.benefitscanada.com/?p=127368 A majority (88 per cent) of benefits plan sponsors are very (34 per cent) or somewhat (54 per cent) satisfied with their organization’s virtual health-care offerings, up from nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) in 2021, according to the 2022 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. More than a quarter of plan sponsors (29 per cent) and plan […]

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