When a 49-year-old woman attended Dr. Phil McFarlane’s multi-care kidney clinic with polycystic kidney disease, she had multiple health issues, including chronic flank pain and fatigue, and had been to the emergency room multiple times. She was dealing with a “high anxiety burden” from her health issues, the financial burden from the necessary medications and […]
Chronic illnesses are strongly linked to worse outcomes from vaccine-preventable diseases. Given the rising rate of chronic conditions in the workplace, employers should consider implementing benefits coverage for vaccines and hosting workplace vaccine clinics, said Ajit Johal, a community pharmacist and clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia and the founder of immunize.io. […]
Over the past 20 years, the amount Canadians spend on their personal fitness, health and wellness has more than doubled, yet they’ve experienced worse health outcomes during that time. Specifically, roughly half of Canadians have at least one chronic disease, the prevalence of diabetes has almost doubled and mental-health challenges represent an increasing share of […]
Women over the age of 40 represent a quarter of the Canadian working population, with those between the ages of 45 and 55 the fastest growing cohort of working women. Those ages coincide with the time period when women are most likely to begin perimenopause and menopause, making it incumbent on employers to create menopause-inclusive […]
Employees returning from a disability leave and their people managers have notably different perceptions about the return-to-work experience, according to recent research by Sun Life. “On the employer side, we can assume they have the best of intentions, but our research indicates many may not be in tune with or aware of what employees’ needs […]
With Canada’s workforce in the midst of multiple significant demographic shifts, group benefits plans will need to evolve to meet the changing needs of workers, according to Shelley Sjoberg, assistant vice-president of group product development and support at Canada Life. Speaking during Benefits Canada’s 2024 Healthy Outcomes Conference, she pointed to Statistics Canada data that […]
A significant share of Canadians with diabetes struggle to keep their glucose levels in check, a worrying trend given the growing prevalence of diabetes in the country. Roughly 75 per cent of Canadians who use insulin to manage their diabetes — and 40 per cent of those who don’t — aren’t hitting their glucose targets, […]
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 […]
With defined contribution pension plan assets expected to double in the near term and members now using target-date funds at “unprecedented” rates, plan sponsors need to determine which TDFs are the best for their employee population, said Wyatt Lee, portfolio manager and head of target-date strategies for T. Rowe Price Inc., during Benefits Canada’s 2024 […]
The majority of Canadian defined contribution plan members are invested in the appropriate target-date fund vintage and those who are may be better prepared for retirement, according to research by Fidelity Investments. The research, which examined data from Canadian record keepers to understand investors’ savings behaviours in a DC context, found about 70 per cent of […]