Private payors spent a collective $37 billion on health care in 2024 out of a total Canadian health-care spend of $372 billion, with the benefits industry continuing to see unprecedented advancement in technologies such as data analytics and artificial intelligence. Despite this, “we’re still not actually nudging substantial health outcomes,” said Dr. Andrew Bond, senior […]
Since the only treatment for type one diabetes is insulin, there’s only one option for treating the condition, according to Andrew Muirhead (pictured right), territory manager at Insulet Corporation, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Healthy Outcomes Conference. Around 400,000 Canadians require insulin multiple times a day with type one diabetes cases growing about 4.4 per […]
Balancing benefits plan sustainability against meeting the evolving needs of employees continues to keep Canadian plan sponsors up at night. “I think since COVID we’ve seen such a shift in expectations [around] work-life balance, a focus on [diversity, equity and inclusion] and mental health,” said Laura Carter (pictured left), associate director of benefits at the […]
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Canada, predominantly affecting women, with more than 29,000 diagnoses in 2023. It’s complexity is underscored by more than 50 unique types, making each diagnosis distinct and challenging to treat, according to Kimberly Carson, chief executive officer of Breast Cancer Canada, during a session supported by AstraZeneca Canada […]
Private drug plans play a pivotal role in ensuring faster and broader access to medications for 27 million Canadians, said Joe Farago, executive director of private payers and investment at Innovative Medicines Canada, during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum. The federal government’s new pharmacare plan is designed as a universal, […]
Plan sponsors are facing a chronic disease “tsunami” that is leading to higher benefits and drug plan spend and increasing disability claims. But the three root causes of this growing problem — undiagnosed health issues, the availability of primary and preventative health care and challenges navigating the health-care system — are issues plan sponsors are […]
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 […]
Plan sponsors worried about the expense and sustainability of their drug plan might initially embrace a pharmacare plan, hoping to shift drug costs to a new program funded by provincial and federal governments. However, this may not be the solution it seems. A single-payer universal pharmacare system might limit medication access for individuals with employer-sponsored benefits […]
Although mental health is approached differently in workplaces around the globe, most multinational employers want to ensure a continuity of care and maintain a similar experience for all employees, while respecting local cultural and legal considerations. For Scotiabank, these considerations include focusing on what types of support are needed, what the employee experience is going […]
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 […]