More than three-quarters (79 per cent) of plan sponsors said they’re interested in their benefits providers sending targeted communications to plan members, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. That’s up slightly from the amount who said the same in 2019 (74 per cent) and 2018 (64 per cent). However, slightly fewer (62 per cent) plan members […]
Benefits plan members are increasingly using digital devices and mobile apps to improve their health, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. More than half (53 per cent) of plan members said they used at least one device or app in the past year to help them achieve a personal health or fitness goal, a […]
On May 21, Benefits Canada hosted a webinar to explore the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on chronic disease in the workplace, as well as how virtual solutions can support employee health through this unprecedented time. All employers are currently facing the same concerns, said Marie-Josée Le Blanc, a partner at Mercer, during the webinar. Pointing to the 2019 […]
Desjardins Insurance is joining Obesity Canada’s partnership program, which leverages resources from Canadian organizations to fund obesity research, education and advocacy initiatives. Marc Bertossini, director of marketing for group and business insurance at Desjardins, said in a press release the partnership is another way the organization can support Canadians and help them improve their health. […]
Green Shield Canada is partnering with ManagingLife Inc. to offer the software developer’s Manage My Pain app at no cost to benefits plan members for the rest of 2020. The app allows users to track, analyze and share the details of their chronic pain condition with their physician and other health-care providers. It also provides […]
On May 12, Benefits Canada hosted a webinar to discuss the pharmaceutical industry’s efforts during the coronavirus crisis, as well as some key policy issues for Canadian insurers and their potential impact from the private-payer perspective. Since the end of April, 139 coronavirus treatments have been under investigation and Health Canada has approved several clinical trials […]
Plan sponsors and insurers are increasingly wading into the waters of pharmacogenetic testing by offering the service to employees making long-term disability claims. In 2017, Sun Life partnered with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health for a pilot project that offered pharmacogenetic testing to plan members on disability leave due to a mental-health condition. […]
The Royal Bank of Canada is expanding its partnership with telemedicine platform Wello to give Canadian businesses and their employees access to virtual health care during the coronavirus pandemic. Through Wello’s platform, RBC’s plan sponsor clients and their employees will have access to health resources including prescription and medical referrals, consultations for chronic health conditions, mental-health […]
Private drug plans saw a slight uptick in costs in 2019 due to the increased use of specialty drugs and higher price points for traditional medications, according to Express Scripts Canada’s annual drug trends report. The report found private drug plan spending per claimant increased one per cent over 2018’s figures. Plans’ annual spend per claimant on […]
While kidney cancer is uncommon in patients younger than age 45, there’s an increasing incidence in diagnosis in young people because of the advent of imaging technology, according to Dr. Nazanin Fallah-Rad, medical oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Mount Sinai Hospital. “There’s an increasing incidence of younger people being diagnosed with kidney cancer and […]