While the Bank of Canada had long talked down the idea of raising interest rates any time soon, the sentiment changed last month when it announced the economy was now strong enough to handle an increase. The move followed the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to raise its key interest rate for the third time in […]
Ontario is joining Alberta and New Brunswick in making abortion pill Mifegymiso available at no cost to the public. The abortion pill first became available in Canada in January 2017 at a cost of about $300. This spring, the common drug review recommended public drug coverage for Mifegymiso. “We continue to make important progress helping women across […]
An independent review panel has provided the Alberta government with a report that includes 60 recommendations to restructure the province’s Workers’ Compensation Board and its processes. The panel spent nearly two years compiling its review of the board. It examined previous reviews and spoke with employers, injured workers, unions, employee advocates and safety organizations. “It […]
While employees want good benefits, finding ways to effectively convey information about the plan can be a challenge, particularly when today’s workforce is far from homogeneous. Employees are different ages and at disparate stages of life. They may be from various ethnic backgrounds and speak different languages. Another distinction is union versus non-union settings where […]
There has been much in the news these days about concussions in sports. But concussions and traumatic brain injuries can occur on or off the sports field and can have an impact on the workplace. “For traumatic brain injury or concussion, there isn’t any common pattern,” says Sil Cabral, director of group life and disability […]
Many people would love to volunteer, but when it comes to actually doing it, time is a major concern. How can people give their time when they spend so much of it at work? Cisco Systems Inc. has given its employees a chance to use some of that time to volunteer. In 2015, the information […]
If employees don’t take their medications as required, their non-adherence can affect not only themselves but also their employer. Non-adherence involves many issues, Chris Goguen, strategic pharmaceutical partnerships lead at Medavie Blue Cross, said during a panel discussion at the Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum in Toronto on Dec. 8. “It’s not only […]
Toromont Industries Ltd., a construction equipment business with about 3,500 employees, has been on a long journey to revamp its drug plan after it noticed its benefits costs were increasing quickly several years ago. “Our plan at the time was a pretty simple gold-plated plan. Whatever you wished to obtain, you’re good, but you’re paying […]
With the cost of health benefits projected to rise by another eight per cent in 2017, plan sponsors have yet another incentive to find ways to curb their spending on drugs. So what can they do? Participants at the Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum in Toronto heard about some of the solutions. From […]
There was a solid interactive element to Benefits Canada’s Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum as participants took part in a live-polling session on the various myths surrounding drugs. Are prescription drugs the same price at all pharmacies? Are biosimilar and biologic drugs the same thing? Those were among the issues the audience weighed […]