Apple has just introduced its new iPhone5. And once again, it is expected to dominate the cell phone market and maintain a sizable lead over its nearest competitors. Much has been written about Apple’s success and the lessons learned can be applied in the employee benefits world.
Can Canada afford its healthcare? This is a question that has been frequently asked in the last several years—and it will undoubtedly be asked time and time again in the months and years ahead.
Mental illness costs the Canadian economy a staggering amount of money—in excess of $50 billion annually, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. One in five Canadians will suffer from a mental health issue in their lifetime. In excess of 25% of all disability claims in Canada are now due to mental health issues.
I recently had the opportunity to spend some time in Angola. It may be a stretch for many to translate this African experience into a discussion on Canadian employee benefits plans, but, in some respects, the lessons learned from Angola could not be more relevant. Simply stated, it’s a matter of perspective.
The federal government is about to undertake a review of this nation-defining piece of legislation and it’s important that all Canadians formulate a point of view on the future of our healthcare system. Employers in particular, have a vested interest in the outcome of these deliberations given the inter-relationship between the public system and employee benefits programs.
The year 2014 will be an important one for Canadians. For one, it’s the year of the next winter Olympics and an opportunity to build on the gold medal success of Vancouver 2010. But it will also be important for another reason; it is the year the federal-provincial health deal expires.
The debate between the provinces and the feds about healthcare funding rages on. The question of who owns what remains at the core of the debate, but one undeniable truth underlies the discussion: We—as Canadians—cannot afford our current healthcare funding commitments.
pointed out a cascade effect: one insurer published its health trend factor, and, subsequently, several other insurers published the same trend number.
Trend factors and, more specifically, health trend factors, use an organization’s experience with historical claims to forecast future healthcare benefits costs. Insurers apply these trends as a way to rate your plan. The trend factor captures anticipated increases in the cost of medical goods and services and considers changes in utilization patterns driven by factors […]
There has been tremendous focus in recent years on advancements in insurer technology in areas such as employee self-service, online reporting, e-claims and Web-based administration systems. For an industry that has historically been slow to embrace technology, there has now been a significant amount of catch-up in the last three to five years. But are […]