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 […]
Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of Canadian benefits plan members say they appreciate their health benefits more today than they did before the coronavirus pandemic, according to the 2023 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. It found while this result is generally consistent across all cross tabulations, the biggest variation occurred regionally, with a high of 85 […]
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 […]
Total U.S. sales of workplace disability insurance premiums reached $1.7 billion in the first quarter of 2023 — a year-over-year increase of five per cent — driven by a 17 per cent increase in short-term disability insurance sales, according to a new report by LIMRA. It also found sales of long-term disability insurance premiums were down five […]
After nearly three years mired in the coronavirus pandemic, employers are beginning to put the pieces of their respective workplaces back together, using wellness as the cornerstone. They’re shaping their respective new ways of working — whether remote, in-office or hybrid — and expanding their thinking around wellness to achieve a successful return to a […]
Telus Communications Inc. is training its people leaders to recognize when employees are experiencing mental-health struggles. The organization provides leaders with scripts to refer to when they recognize an employee needs help. The scripts guide managers through broaching the conversation, directing employees to the appropriate company support tools, following up with the individual and maintaining confidentiality. Company […]
The union representing 450 employees at Domtar Corp. in Dryden, Ont. has ratified three collective agreements that include benefits and pension gains. The agreements include several group benefits enhancements, including $100 for vision, a $200 increase for dental and orthodontics, a $10,000 increase in life insurance, $1,000 for eye surgery and improvements in short- and […]
Sales of U.S. workplace supplemental health insurance products totalled US$2.1 billion in the first nine months of 2022, rising 11 per cent year over year, according to a new survey by LIMRA. It also found workplace supplemental health insurers reported a combined total of $453 million in the third quarter of 2022, three per cent […]
During the pandemic, employers are facing the “perfect storm” of major workplace disruption coupled with a poor mental-health baseline leading up to the crisis, according to Judith Plotkin (centre), vice-president of health solutions at People Corporation Inc., speaking during a panel session at Benefits Canada‘s 2022 Healthy Outcomes Conference. “There was already huge pressure on […]
While short- and long-term disability leaves can be challenging and disruptive for both employees and employers, reviewing trends data can help plan sponsors begin to better support workers who are struggling. Ontario Power Generation uses data on disability claims drivers, employee assistance program usage and leave durations to influence its programs, said Tanya Hickey (centre), […]