Dear Subscriber,
It's been a busy month for me and I'm guessing you as well. Between educational events ramping up (including our Toronto seminar last week and our Calgary and Vancouver events next week), renewals and industry feedback sessions, it feels like we are really ramping up after a fairly busy summer.
We have lots of people joining the slack channel and now have almost 90% of members signed up. There are more taking advantage of the great learning from over 5,000 years of benefits experience. If you're not, just reach out and we'll help you. REALLY, all the best stuff is there.
As always, if you need help, try posting to slack and if you don't get a timely response, feel free to reach out and we'll connect you with someone who can. Dave |
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OUR EVENTS
This will be a regular event sharing and discussing on all things group benefits focussed.A huge thanks to Jason Watt (he/him) CD CLU of BCC for making this possible.
Watch our newsletters and website for upcoming episodes and details. ____________________________________________________________ CGIB COFFEE CHATS
Coffee chats are like a virtual breakfast. Log in, ask questions, share problems, seek solutions and talk about what's on your mind. Best done from a computer, with a camera and a microphone. No CE credits, but also no cost, just show up.
Tuesday November 1st @2pm (EST) Thursday November 24th @2pm (EST) Tuesday December 6th @2pm (EST) Thursday December 22nd @2pm (EST) (festive seasonal get together?) ____________________________________________________________ BREAKFAST MEETINGS CGIB no longer runs the breakfast meetings, but supports the initiative of the volunteers that do.
Please find the details for your closest location below. Ajax, Cambridge, Edmonton, London, Markham, Oakville, St Catherines, Toronto, Vancouver Island, Windsor or the Virtual National Meeting
____________________________________________________________ Upcoming CGIB Events:
Book your spot TODAY for these upcoming events HERE.
Calgary Seminar - Tuesday October 18th Best Western Calgary Plaza Hotel - Selling on Value, not just Price - Dave Patriarche
- Employment Law update - Shane King
- Concerning trends in benefits - Dave Patriarche
- Ethics in Group Benefits - Jason Watt
Vancouver Seminar - Thursday October 20th Sandman Signature Vancouver Airport - Selling on Value, not just Price - Dave Patriarche
- Employment Law update - Cameron Wardell
- Concerning trends in benefits - Dave Patriarche
- Building a practice, being approached, and then merging.
- Is there life after? - Derrek Quon
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GET ON SLACK
The CGIB SLACK channel is a great place to pose questions, share info and learn a ton from your fellow members. The info and discussions that are posted there are unlike anywhere in the industry with documents, videos and information available in MEMBERS ONLY to make your life easier.
NOTE TO ALL SLACK USERS: We now have 70+ channels in Slack to handle different topics. Please take a moment to add these channels to your menu. To do so, just click on the + next to Channels on the top left. Browse the channels and then click JOIN to add each of them. By doing so you won’t be missing really great info. |
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SUGGESTED READING
We think the information contained below is of great value and encourage you to read the articles and check out the events that interest you. In most cases, these articles and events are not run by CGIB, so please contact the organizers for more information. We take no responsibility for the websites, events, organizations or their content. |
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Suggested Reading:
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Ontario Pursues Expansion Of Benefits Coverage The Ontario government is seeking public feedback as it moves forward with plans to expand benefits like health, dental, prescription drug, and vision care for precarious workers. The implementation of a proposed benefits plan would make Ontario the first province in Canada to cover millions of precarious workers in sectors such as retail, the gig economy, and hospitality. “How or where you work, should not determine whether you have access to benefits like health and dental plans,” says Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, immigration, training, and skills development. Most workers in Ontario with full-time, permanent jobs have medical insurance and dental coverage. However, fewer than a quarter of people who work part-time or are in precarious jobs have similar benefits, which means these workers and their families often have to make difficult choices between their health and other necessities like food and shelter. Independent contractors, gig workers, low-wage workers, newcomers, younger workers, and racialized people are less likely to have workplace benefits. Expanding health and benefits coverage is part of Ontario’s ambitious plan to attract the best workers from across Canada and around the world.
October 6, 2022 Understanding Lacking On Eye Health In time for World Sight Day on October 13, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society and the Canadian Association of Optometrists have identified issues related to eye care access, mostly driven by the pandemic, and pointed to greater challenges, including a lack of understanding among Canadians about their eye health. It shows among those who did not visit an eye care professional in more than two years, 37 per cent of respondents say the biggest reason is because they believe there is nothing wrong with their vision. Meanwhile, in the past two years, 41 per cent have experienced or been diagnosed with one or more changes to their eye health which would necessitate a comprehensive exam and points to a greater need for education about eye disease and vision loss. "Despite blindness being the most feared disability for the large majority of Canadians, we're seeing a persistent lack of education about eye health, specifically around the major eye diseases which increase the risk of blindness without proper intervention," says Dr. Phil Hooper, president of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. "Vision loss carries significant costs on an individual level, but also to the public health purse. However, 75 per cent of visual impairment is avoidable if detected and treated early, while reducing government spending in the long run."
October 7, 2022 Conversations To Revolve Around Pharmaceutical Innovations Conversations over the next 30 years could revolve around pharmaceutical innovations and how to manage the costs for plan sponsors while still ensuring appropriate access for plan members, says Anne-Marie Smith, practice lead for the drug plan solutions team at Medavie Blue Cross. However, she told the 2022 CPBI Atlantic Regional Conference session ‘Pharmaceutical Benefits: Looking Ahead,’ another conversation may also be taking place. Back in the 1980s, those with a diagnosis of HIV AIDS typically died as a result of the disease. Around 1996, drugs that were launched to treat AIDS second generation and triple drug combination therapies became the standard of care. Today, there are more than 20 drugs to treat HIV and it is now considered a manageable chronic condition. However, in 2016 Truvada was approved by Health Canada to prevent HIV. At the time, it cost $10,000 and it was followed a couple of years later by a generic which costs about half that. However, this has created a conversation around private drug plans and “should we be covering preventative therapies,’ she said. Tara Anstey, director, business development client value, at Medavie Blue Cross, said another new frontier is gene therapies. This will prompt more interest in plan management across the board just to address sustainability concerns. And, in a perfect world, plan sponsors would like to balance financial, legal, and reputational risk, but that “can certainly be challenging,” she said. The legal risks are not litigation, but members challenging decisions made around plan design or a decision a carrier has made about coverage. This may come through either as a human rights challenge or as a grievance because the member “doesn't fit the bill.” In the context of drugs, challenges may be in lifestyle categories or even weight loss drugs. She said it may be prudent for plan sponsors to review their stance on these. It may also mean doing more consultation by bringing plan changes to the bargaining table and making sure that all the parties are really comfortable
Sick Getting Sicker “The sick, unfortunately, are getting sicker,” making the value of workplace supports starting with a comprehensive benefit plan never greater, says J. P Girard, executive vice-president and head of insurance at Green Shield Canada. Speaking at the 2022 CPBI Atlantic Regional Conference on ‘Reshaping Benefits in a Post-Pandemic World,’ he said 48 per cent of workers see their employer healthcare plan are important in their decision to join a company. This is up from 32 per cent in 2010. However, COVID-19 changed the way healthcare is being delivered in Canada. It put the healthcare system in a “pressure cooker” and forced it to adopt new ways of thinking including unprecedented levels of collaboration between private and public sectors with them coming together to protect Canadians. In 2019, before the pandemic, the benefits world was more siloed. “From a drug and pharmacy perspective, some of the important trends that held our attention were specialty drugs, drug costs and cost concentration, and little bit of pharmacogenomics,” said Girard. Much of this was coloured by the growing prevalence of chronic disease including hypertension, asthma, and diabetes. In fact. in 2019, 87 per cent of plan members wanted to know more about their chronic conditions and how to treat them. A big change due to COVID was virtual care. In 2019, only 17 per cent of Canadians accessed their personal medical records electronically. Only six per cent consulted with their healthcare providers online and just three per cent visited with their healthcare provider virtually. Now half of Canadians are interested in getting mental health support virtually and three quarters are interested in getting their script and script history online. Within weeks of the pandemic starting, the actions of Canadians changed instantly, he said. Use of virtual care exploded with 60 per cent all primary care visits conducted using video or secure messaging. Today, it is estimated that 18.8 million hours per year of time off work could be saved if Canadians consulted their physicians electronically. “That's $400 million in the Canadian GDP,” he said. “What we're noticing is a gap between what employees are looking for in their health plans and what employers are looking to provide,” he said. This deep into the pandemic members are beginning to look at their health holistically and they're all about fitness. “In fact, the top five plan member wants are fitness classes, personal fitness trainers, and fitness tracking devices. Rachel Cholodenko, vice-president of clinical services at Inkblot, said the pandemic increased and accentuated the need to address mental health and find some real solutions to address the concerns of Canadians as almost seven million are experiencing mental health concerns. In terms of the future of mental health, the goal is to prioritize accessibility, affordability, and treatment efficacy. “We want to make sure that whatever we're doing, it's easy to access, it's affordable, and it works,” she said. Here too, virtual mental health care is important because they are able to track progress and measure outcomes. They are also looking at a more collaborative care approach. “Health and mental health are the same,” she said. If, for example, diabetes is creating anxiety or depressive symptoms because it's affecting quality of life, currently the care and the results of treatment are fragmented. “We want to collaborate with other specialists so for the diabetic patient, we're going to put you in touch with a nutritionist, a medical doctor, and whatever other specialists is needed,” she said. Liana O’Brien, team vice-president, national accounts, at Hub International, said benefits will become an investment. “As we do our homework and we invest in what is truly going to meet our employee needs, then they will become an investment and not just a cost, she said. This is going to be important going forward. There will be the need for strong business cases when benefits are added to plans. “Our future goal will need to be that our benefit strategy needs to roll up to our overall strategy,” she said. Benefit programs need to support recruitment, retention, and wellness. It really comes down an organization believing in supporting the physical and mental health of its employees and having “great tools for both,” said O’Brien.
October 7, 2022 Conversations To Revolve Around Pharmaceutical Innovations Conversations over the next 30 years could revolve around pharmaceutical innovations and how to manage the costs for plan sponsors while still ensuring appropriate access for plan members, says Anne-Marie Smith, practice lead for the drug plan solutions team at Medavie Blue Cross. However, she told the 2022 CPBI Atlantic Regional Conference session ‘Pharmaceutical Benefits: Looking Ahead,’ another conversation may also be taking place. Back in the 1980s, those with a diagnosis of HIV AIDS typically died as a result of the disease. Around 1996, drugs that were launched to treat AIDS second generation and triple drug combination therapies became the standard of care. Today, there are more than 20 drugs to treat HIV and it is now considered a manageable chronic condition. However, in 2016 Truvada was approved by Health Canada to prevent HIV. At the time, it cost $10,000 and it was followed a couple of years later by a generic which costs about half that. However, this has created a conversation around private drug plans and “should we be covering preventative therapies,’ she said. Tara Anstey, director, business development client value, at Medavie Blue Cross, said another new frontier is gene therapies. This will prompt more interest in plan management across the board just to address sustainability concerns. And, in a perfect world, plan sponsors would like to balance financial, legal, and reputational risk, but that “can certainly be challenging,” she said. The legal risks are not litigation, but members challenging decisions made around plan design or a decision a carrier has made about coverage. This may come through either as a human rights challenge or as a grievance because the member “doesn't fit the bill.” In the context of drugs, challenges may be in lifestyle categories or even weight loss drugs. She said it may be prudent for plan sponsors to review their stance on these. It may also mean doing more consultation by bringing plan changes to the bargaining table and making sure that all the parties are really comfortable. |
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You might want to make something that a lot of people want a little… Or you could make something that a few people want a lot.
It’s usually neither. It’s rarely (very rarely) both.
If you work hard and make intentional choices, though, you might end up with one or the other.
My Take on Seths Post
Put another way...I think (IMPO) that being a benefits specialist and working closely with a many small groups (lots wanting a little) is better than one or two large ones (which hurt when you lose them). Set your self apart with intention.
Bonus Post Nerds, geeks, early adopters: they do things because they’re fresh and new and might not work. They’re novel.
Most people, though, hesitate in the face of novelty. Because novelty is risky. Shoes with goldfish in the heels. The latest techno-ska-punk track. The new kind of phone…
The reason we haven’t taken systemic action is that it’s scary, not because it isn’t novel enough.
If you want more people to take more action, make it safe, don’t make it interesting.
Put another way...Get back to basics. Skip selling the wellness, telemedicine and techie add ons and instead concentrate on providing great benefit solutions to help clients and prospects. |
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EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
ONLINE CE CREDITS
Looking for benefits dedicated online CE courses? Want to provide your admin and support staff with basic knowledge? Want to dig into something more detailed for your benefits/insurance business? Business Career College (BCC) has an extensive catalogue of online CE courses with a number of group benefits specific courses covering topics ranging from contractual concerns, plan designs, and underwriting requirements, to product specifics and integration with government benefits. Courses consist of narrated videos with short, online quizzes. The full catalogue includes over 60 courses, podcasts, and videos covering topics from the world of insurance, investments, financial planning, taxation, and ethics with a focus on technical content and real-world application. Courses are accredited for the maximum categories of credits and can include provincial Life and A&S credits, FP Canada, Advocis, and more! Use code CGIB on registration for your first three months free! |
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The Benefits Trust Educational Webinars...
You to a Few: Profitable Clients with 1 to 5 Employees (1.0 CE Credit)
A Few to a Bunch: Profitable Clients with 5 to 20 Employees (1.0 CE Credit) A Bunch to A Lot: Profitable Clients with 20 to 100 Employees (1.0 CE Credit)
Knowing Your Corporate Client in the Building, Trades, and Construction Industry Zoomcast Series (1.0 CE Credit)
Zoomcast Guidelines To ensure a lively discussion, we have a few guidelines that we’d like you to adhere to: - Only the first 100 registrants will get a spot for each Zoomcast.
- Please have your CAMERA ON and be ready to interact with others.
- Be prepared to engage in conversation. We want our Zoomcast series to be productive, insightful, and conversational, so please be ready to talk, ask questions, and converse.
__________________________________________________________ Vaccines in Group Benefits Plans: Current Gaps, Claims Data, and Access to Coverage
Mapol Inc. invites you to attend a complimentary webinar sponsored by GSK, Merck Canada, and Pfizer Canada.The webinar will be held on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time.
The Speakers are:
Dr. Jia Hu Public Health and Preventive Medicine Physician, CEO of 19 To Zero, and Adjunct Professor at University of Calgary
Johnny Ma President & COO of Mapol Inc.The Learning Objectives are to: - Discuss the value of vaccines
- Identify the gaps between public and private payers in terms of vaccines coverage
- Share claims data to highlight how group benefits plans can play a critical role in improving access to vaccines
Please follow the below steps to register: - Click the registration link.
- Fill in the required information on the registration page, then click "Register."
- Closer to the webinar date, you will receive a registration confirmation email with the webinar login details.
An application for 1 CE credit will be submitted to the Institute for Advanced Financial Education. Individual CE applications are not submitted to any other regulatory body (i.e. AIC, ICM, CSF, IIROC, etc.).Please note, this complimentary webinar is limited to invited guests including insurers, PBMs, TPAs, benefits consultants, and employers.
__________________________________________________________ Tuesday, October 18, 2022 10 a.m. (ET) / 11 a.m. (AT) Did you know? 72% of working Canadians employed by a small business would leave their current jobs for one that offers a health benefit package— something they don’t have in their current workplace. That’s a key finding of a survey recently commissioned by Medavie Blue Cross to take the pulse of small business employees and their employers on the relationship between health benefits and workplace wellbeing.
Join us for a special webinar when we share results of our research plus enhancements we have made to our Benefits for Small Business product. Get in the know and grow your business by discovering how you can help small businesses (2-10 employees) meet their objectives with an affordable, flexible and sustainable solution that helps build healthy, productive workplaces. Not able to attend? Register anyway and we’ll send you a recording of the webinar to watch later on-demand. __________________________________________________________ The 2022 Healthy Outcomes Conference is an in-person event in Toronto on Oct. 17-18 intended for employers to exchange ideas, best practices and tools for achieving improved employee health outcomes and enhanced organizational performance.
The event will include several panels featuring leading employers and industry thought leaders discussing the trends and topics that matter most today. The winners of the 2022 Workplace Benefits Awards will also be announced throughout the day. We hope you will join us.
KEYNOTE SESSION:
Linda Duxbury - TORN BETWEEN WANT AND REALITY: HYBRID WORK AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE
More than two years after many employees started working from their homes, both employers and employees are talking about how they want to work post-pandemic. However, few are factoring work-life boundary preferences into the discussion. Research in this area has shown employees use two different approaches — segmentation and integration — when attempting to balance work and family. This session will use data from the 2020-23 Employee Wellbeing in Times of COVID-19 study to review the relationship between boundary management preferences, work-life balance and employee well-being, outlining the implications for employers and employees as they seek a balance between what they want and what’s actually best for them.
___________________________________________________________ Join us as we explore many of the different Living Benefit solutions we have for small to medium sized businesses. The EDGE has been making many ground-breaking enhancements to our already wildly successful Living Benefit programs, helping you further support you clients.
Webinar topics and tools include: - Opportunities to increase your sales with income replacement benefits
- How income protection completes any financial plan
- EDGE’s multi-product discount, and how to help your clients get more coverage for less
- How EDGE is dominating the market in benefits for small to mid-sized businesses
- Effective strategies and turnkey digital tools for cultivating your client base and breaking into new markets
Webinars will be held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout October and November. To register, please visit our event calendar. EDGE webinars are free to attend and count toward CE credits.
Evening Sessions Tuesdays, 8-9PM EST Oct 11: Small Business Benefits Solutions Oct 18: No Medical CI Solutions Oct 25: Transportation Industry Benefits Nov 1: Individual Health and Dental Nov 8: Disability Solutions for Small Business Nov 15: Government Benefits Nov 22: Small Business Benefits Solutions Nov 29: No Medical CI Solutions
Day Sessions Wednesdays, 12-1 PM EST Oct 12: The Untapped Benefits Market Oct 19: Government Benefits Oct 26: Simplified Enrollment for Assoc./Groups Nov 2: Ideas to Help You Grow Your Business Nov 9: Small Business Benefits Solutions Nov 16: No Medical CI Solutions Nov 23: Disability Solutions for Small Business Nov 30: Natural Markets and Prospecting
_______________________________________________________ Save the date for this 10th Anniversary Edition of the World-famous Canada Sales Congress
This years’ CSC will be an in-person event on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at the Toronto Congress Centre.For this special 10th anniversary edition of the CSC, we will feature some of the top speakers from previous Canada Sales Congress events, along with inspiring first-time speakers!
This “best of the past and best of the future” approach will be showcased under the theme All-Stars and Rising Stars.Get the ideas that made these top advisors stars so you can be one too.
Discover how to “Aim for the moon so if you miss you still end up among the stars”!
Mark October 26 in your calendar: _________________________________________________________ DRUG PLAN MANAGEMENT EXAMINED ___________________________________________________________ CONFERENCE EXAMINES BENEFITS The 2022 International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans’ ‘55th Annual Canadian Employee Benefits Conference’ will look at topics such as putting risk analysis to good effect, funding benefit plans properly, and the aging workforce and its impact on benefit plans. Speakers include Hugh Wright, a partner at Miller Thomson; Karen DeBortoli, a principal at Buck Canada HR Services; and Judy Plotkin, vice-president of health solutions at People Corporation. It takes place November 20 to 23 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
___________________________________________________________ Benefits Canada’s Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum has been running for over 17 years and is the industry’s most popular drug benefits conference.
December 6, 2022 - Sheraton Centre Toronto
This year, attendees can look forward to being back in-person and face to face! Join us to learn about fresh drug plan design insights, including a new drug launch panel and a full day of educational sessions presented by industry experts. |
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Need help? Have questions? Looking for something?
Reach out to CGIB - Dave Patriarche - dave@cgib.ca - 905-886-9203 |
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