Benefits
Virtual Care: All in the Delivery
Virtual Care: All in the Delivery When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, virtual care was in its infancy. Then overnight it seemed that patients were connecting with their clinicians by phone, computer or SMS, not only for medical advice but also for prescriptions, referrals, lab work and diagnostic tests. Fast forward three years and virtual care…
Wherefore Pharmacare?
Wherefore Pharmacare? With less than four months to go for the federal government to table legislation to enact a national pharmacare program in Canada, the silence is deafening. And Benefits Alliance’s advocacy committee says it’s high time that employers with private drug plans raise their voices to be part of the conversation on what happens…
EI Update: What you need to know
As of December 18, 2022, employees can collect sickness benefits from Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) plan for an additional 11 weeks, bringing the total period of coverage to 26 weeks (up from 15 weeks). That sounds like good news for both employees and employers—but is it? As is often the case when there is change,…
The Art & Science of Group Retirement Programs
What do Van Gogh and retirement savings plans have in common? Not so much on the surface, perhaps, but painting is a useful analogy to demystify the seemingly complicated options for employer retirement programs. “For an artist, the colour palette of paint in essence hasn’t changed for hundreds of years, yet every painting is different.…
Canada’s Two Dental Programs: Get the Facts
The federal government has formally begun the process of creating the Canadian Dental Care Program (CDCP) by 2025; however, it’s not to be confused with the Canada Dental Benefit (CDB) that took effect on December 1, 2022. “We have an interim measure right now for children up to age 12. But it’s not really a…
Bring your A-Game to Recruiting
Imagine your workforce is like a hockey team vying for the “Stanley Cup” in terms of performance and profitability. But you don’t have enough top players to make up even one of your four lines of play. The vision of a championship quickly becomes a pipe dream—yet that’s the reality for most employers today. Employees…
New Era for Health Benefits?
Has the war for talent ushered in a golden era for health benefits plans and wellness programs? The 25th annual Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey appears to suggest that. While “golden” may be too strong a word, given competing pressures for sustainability, today’s market certainly does reflect a changing mindset for a growing number of plan…
Why Financial Wellness Pays Off for Employees
When employees are financially well, employers reap the rewards of a healthier, more productive and loyal workforce, emphasizes Saijal Patel, founder and CEO of Saij Wealth Consulting and creator and host of The News Forum’s national online personal finance program, Strictly Money. In a recent webinar for The Benefits Alliance Group, the financial wellness consultant…
5 Top Trends in Total Rewards
With attrition levels well above the norm in many sectors, employee total rewards are coming into their own. “Three to five years ago, total rewards still meant compensation for most people, maybe with a couple of bells and whistles attached. Today, total rewards include greater focus on health and well-being, culture and the values of…
3 Things You Should Know About The Pricing Of Employee Benefits
1. Target Loss Ratio (TLR) The Target Loss Ratio is the percentage of every dollar your insurance carrier expects to pay out in the form of claims for experience-rated benefits (typically short-term disability, health and dental). The difference between the TLR and 100% represents the carrier’s expenses for managing your program. For example: If your…