Home Kelsey Rolfe

How plan sponsors can use biosimilars to support employee health, reduce drug costs

Despite the safety and efficacy of biosimilars — and the potential cost savings they offer — uptake among private payers has been low historically and is only starting to gain steam, said Neda Nasseri, pharmacist and private payer product director at Desjardins Insurance, during Benefits Canada’s 2023 Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum in December. The insurer first developed […]

  • January 22, 2024 January 22, 2024
  • 07:54

2023 Mental Health Summit: How plan sponsors can help address the gender health gap

Canadian women are bearing the brunt of a gender health gap that has led to poor understanding and heightened stigma around their unique health needs and worse physical and mental-health outcomes over time. However, there are ways for employers to help, said Sam Mikail, director of mental-health solutions for group claims at Sun Life Financial Inc., […]

  • November 29, 2023 November 24, 2023
  • 07:58

2023 Mental Health Summit: Integrated disability management programs can shorten leave duration

In the face of soaring mental health-related disability leaves and broader challenges with access to mental-health care, integrated disability management programs that include early intervention, accommodations and return-to-work supports can help shorten leave durations.  “Having an effective disability management program not only prevents and mitigates the impact of disability leaves on an organization, but it […]

  • November 29, 2023 November 24, 2023
  • 07:57

2023 Mental Health Summit: The connection between sick days and absenteeism, presenteeism

If absenteeism is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to employees’ mental health and well-being, presenteeism is the bulky underwater mass, said William Lindsay, senior disability management advisor at Desjardins Insurance, during Benefits Canada’s 2023 Mental Health Summit. While absenteeism — defined as an employee being repeatedly absent for more than half a day — is […]

  • November 29, 2023 November 24, 2023
  • 07:56

2023 Mental Health Summit: Early diagnosis and treatment integral in supporting complex mental-health conditions

While employees dealing with mental-health challenges like depression need quality and personalized care as quickly as possible, people seeking care through the public health system face months- or years-long wait times, according to Diane McIntosh, a psychiatrist and founder and chief medical officer of RAPIDS Health, speaking during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2023 Mental Health Summit. “We […]

  • November 29, 2023 November 24, 2023
  • 07:54

2023 Future of Work Summit: What do millennial plan members want from their employers?

When Desjardins Insurance launched a study to redefine employee health and well-being, an unexpected finding came through loud and clear: Canadian employers and insurers should be paying much closer attention to millennial plan members. Millennials are a cohort of people born between 1980 and 1996. Since 2016, the generation has comprised the largest segment of […]

  • November 23, 2023 November 22, 2023
  • 07:58

2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference: The role of mental-health care, support in DEI strategies

As employers increasingly embrace diversity, equity and inclusion strategies, strong mental-health support can be a key pillar in those efforts, said Joby McKenzie, managing director for Canada at Teladoc Health, during Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference in October. Highlighting statistics showing the mental-health disparities across diverse groups, she noted a third of Indigenous people […]

  • November 20, 2023 November 20, 2023
  • 07:57

2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference: How can plan sponsors support employees with menopause?

Since menopause often hits women at the peak of their careers and can have an impact on their workplace productivity, employers must re-evaluate their benefits plans and workplace policies to better support women through the transition. While the common age range for menopause is between 45 and 55, it can also happen before age 40, […]

  • November 20, 2023 November 15, 2023
  • 07:56

2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference: Supporting employees’ financial well-being amid rising inflation, interest rates

As Canadians face the dual effects of the rapidly rising cost of living and interest rates, the resulting financial stress has major implications for plan sponsors, said Valérie Fernandez, senior advisor of workplace health best practices and strategic support for group insurance at Beneva, during Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference in October. Indeed, employers […]

  • November 20, 2023 November 15, 2023
  • 07:54

2023 Healthy Outcomes Conference: How can employers provide targeted chronic illness support?

As the proportion of Canadians living with one or more chronic disease continues to rise, plan sponsors have the opportunity to provide specific solutions to some of the most common conditions in their employee population, said Karen Callaghan, senior director of chronic disease education and patient support at Novo Nordisk, during Benefits Canada‘s 2023 Healthy […]

  • November 20, 2023 November 15, 2023
  • 07:53