Dear Subscriber,
We're nearing spring and deep into March Break.
Remember those days? Be it as a kid and looking forward to the school break, or as a parent trying to jam in a vacation with the rest of the world (at the most expensive time)? With all that behind many of us, I find this time of year a bit quieter with many being away, or covering for those that are. I also see this as the jump off point to the spring, when things start to pick up business wise. I'm looking forward to responses from more "real" people and less auto-responders and voicemails :-)
We're back to in person seminars and workshops and it was great to see the first Plan Admin Checklist workshop sell out in record time. We added a second session and it's already 65% sold out.
If you have not registered yet, do so FAST as its looking like it will sell out too. For those in the west, we'll be doing one in October in Vancouver and his event is worth the drive, train or flight.
Keep doing great things. Dave |
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OUR EVENTS
This is a regular event sharing and discussing all things group benefits. A huge thanks to Jason Watt (he/him) CD CLU for making this possible.
Our last episode featured a conversation with Dr. David Stevenson on the "Changes in the Dental Space in Ontario".
Watch our newsletter 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.
Thursday March 30th @2pm (EST) Tuesday April 11th @2pm (EST) Thursday April 27th @2pm (EST)
CGIB Members may join the meeting at the time above by visiting... ____________________________________________________________ BREAKFAST MEETINGS CGIB supports the volunteers that runs the breakfast meetings below.
Please find the details for your closest location below. Ajax, Atlantic Canada, Cambridge, Edmonton, London, Markham, Oakville, St Catherines, Toronto, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Windsor or the Virtual National Meeting
____________________________________________________________ Upcoming CGIB Events:
"Building and Using a Plan Administrator Checklist" - This seminar is a must for those who specialize in employee benefits or that want to. Hundreds of brokers have attended this seminar with many making it an integral part of their business practice.
- We will help you create a checklist to utilize when you install new cases, train new plan administrators and conduct client renewals.
- Information reviewed will include: taxation, privacy, administration, HR issues and other items that will help reduce both broker and client liability. The content will assist you in adding more value to your client relationships and to move the discussion away from price to one of added value.
- We guarantee that you will learn things to help attract new clients, maintain existing relationships and improve your practice.
This event will include hot breakfast & lunch, and provide 6.0 Ontario Continuing Education (CE) credits for attendees of the ENTIRE event. There is no part-day CE, so clear your calendar and get ready to grow and improve your practice.
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Sponsorships are now available for the Toronto May 31st workshop and the November 8th Seminar.
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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 75+ 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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February 28, 2023 Portable Health Benefits Feasible A portable health benefits (PHB) plan is a feasible, affordable, and sustainable way to improve access for millions of Ontarians to essential supplemental health and dental benefits, says an upcoming report from the C.D. Howe Institute. Last year, the Ontario government established a five-member Portable Benefits Advisory Panel with the goal of providing advice on the design and implementation of a portable health benefits program for workers who do not have traditional employer-provided benefits. In ‘Better for Workers, Better for All? Assessing a Portable Health Benefits Plan in Ontario,’ author Chris Bonnett, a principal and H3 Consulting, says a portable plan for the province would follow workers as they move from job to job and cover workers in jobs without benefits, including self-employment, contracting, part-time, and temporary or gig-type jobs. This is likely administratively feasible because private health insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and third-party administrators already use similar systems. It can also be integrated with new federal plans, existing employer-sponsored health plans, and Ontario’s Trillium and Senior drug plans. Financial and fiscal feasibility, meanwhile, will depend on variables such as political will, eligibility, plan design, insurance mandates, and cost sharing. The best estimates of how many Ontarians would be eligible for a PHB plan range from 3.5 million to five million workers and their families. Assuming an average annual per-capita claim cost of $907, this plan could cost $3.2 billion to $4.5 billion – not including administration costs, tax considerations, or subsidies for low-income workers and assuming current provider service profiles and costs do not change.
February 28, 2023 U.S. Employers Paternalistic About Health Insurance A research report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found U.S. employers often view themselves as ‘paternalistic’ and wished to make it easier for their workers to get affordable health coverage. ‘What Employers Say About the Future of Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance’ shows employers do not want to relinquish control over health plans, viewing health benefits as a valuable recruitment and retention tool. Accordingly, benefits executives found it difficult to imagine future circumstances that would lead their companies to stop providing health coverage. “The Affordable Care Act (ACA), private exchanges, individual coverage health reimbursement accounts (ICHRA plans) and the rising costs of providing health benefits are all threats that analysts and pundits alike had predicted would erode the relationship between employment and health benefits. Future policy and economic developments may pose yet another threat to the bond between employment and health benefits. This includes the permanent extension of ACA subsidies, implementation of a public option, and continued healthcare cost increases that outpace inflation. Yet, the will for employers to provide health benefits to their workers remains strong. It seems unlikely that these forces would cause companies to abandon employer-sponsored insurance,” says Paul Fronstin, director, health benefits research, at EBRI.
March 2, 2023 Joint Investigations Into Fraud Launched Canada's life and health insurers are now working together to conduct joint investigations into health service providers that are suspected of fraudulent activities. Working through the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA), participating insurers will collaborate on joint investigations into suspected benefits fraud schemes that impact multiple insurers. This builds on last year's launch of a CLHIA-supported industry program that uses advanced artificial intelligence to identify fraudulent activity across a vast industry pool of anonymized claims data. Both initiatives are part of an industry strategy to leverage the knowledge, expertise, and resources of life and health insurers to reduce the time it takes to act on those who are exploiting workplace health benefit plans. Insurers paid out nearly $41 billion in supplementary health claims in 2021. It is estimated that employers and insurers lose millions of dollars each year to benefits fraud. Benefits fraud is a crime that effects insurers, employers,and employees and puts the sustainability of workplace benefit plans at risk.
March 3, 2023 Canadians Embrace Digital Health Canadians are embracing digital health services like never before and they are highly satisfied with the services they are accessing, says a survey conducted for Canada Health Infoway. Its ‘2022 Canadian Digital Health Survey: Interest in and Access to Digital Health Services’ shows that 94 per cent of Canadians are interested in accessing digital health services. Canadians are also increasingly able to access their personal health information online, including lab tests and diagnostic results; immunization history/records; a list of current medications and medication history; and specialist consultation notes/records. Thirty-six per cent have done so as of 2022, double the number (18 per cent) who had done so in 2016. Those who accessed their health information online said it made a huge difference to their health with 89 per cent saying they felt more informed about their health; 84 per cent saying they could better manage their health; and 73 per cent saying they could set and make progress toward health goals. The steady progress in enabling access to digital health services has stimulated Canadians' desire to access a greater range of services such as: sending a prescription renewal request electronically; having a physician send a prescription directly to a pharmacy without needing a paper prescription; accessing clinical notes from a medical encounter with a primary care provider or specialist; and consulting with healthcare providers virtually.
March 6, 2023 Canadians Divided Over Privatization A study from Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians divided about privatization of Canada’s healthcare system and disagreement over how to define it. Canadians are of three mindsets about the prospect of increasing privatization in Canadian healthcare. It shows 39 per cent are ‘Public Health Purists’ who see little to no place for privatization and say any movement in this direction only exacerbates current challenges within the system. On the other end of the spectrum, 28 per cent are ‘Private Care Proponents’ who say increasing privatization is a necessary evolution in Canadian healthcare and are supportive of seeing a host of hybrid care options from other countries such as Australia, Germany, and Britain brought to their own provinces. In the middle are the ‘Curious but Hesitant’ at 33 per cent. They are sympathetic to elements of both sides of the debate. This group finds potential value in concepts such as contracting for-profit doctors to work in public facilities and paying for operations to be done in the private network through Medicare. They express deep concern, however, about just how far to go, citing concerns about the access of low-income Canadians and the potential exacerbating of staffing shortages. Ontario is the latest province to publicly fund surgeries at private clinics to help eliminate the lengthy wait lists caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Alberta and Saskatchewan had previously done the same and 51 per cent of Canadians say this decision by these three provinces does constitute privatization. However, 33 per cent disagree.
March 6, 2023 Test Allows Pharmacists To Provide Treatment A test program in Nova Scotia will allow pharmacists at 12 participating pharmacies to see patients and manage medications for people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, says an Eckler ‘GroupNews.’ Under the 'Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinics' program, they will also be able to prescribe and manage minor ailments including minor headaches, strep throat, cold sores, and minor joint and muscle pain. The pilot project, which is expected to cost the government approximately $1 million, will help free up emergency departments and reduce caseloads for family physicians to increase availability for patients with more serious ailments and improve patient outcomes. Pharmacy services for assessing and treating urinary tract infections, shingles, contraception, Lyme disease, and prescription renewals will continue to be available by pharmacists at all pharmacies in the province.
March 7, 2023 Constructive Dismissal Claims Need Reasonable Time An Alberta Court of Appeal decision reaffirms that an employee must decide within a reasonable time period to object to a unilateral reduction in compensation by their employer in order to advance a successful constructive dismissal claim, says a DLA Piper ‘Communications.’ In Kosteckyj v Paramount Resources Ltd, 2022 ABCA 230, the court found the employer had unilaterally changed an employee’s contract to their detriment by reducing core elements of their compensation. The cost reduction program resulted in the employee receiving a 10 per cent reduction in base salary, suspension of RRSP (registered retirement savings plan) contributions, delay or cancellation of the employee’s bonus, and no further access to seminars or training. Twenty-five days after the cost reduction program was announced, the employer terminated the employee on a without cause basis. The employee brought an action alleging they had been constructively dismissed when the cost reduction program took effect. The employee had continued to work after learning of the changes up until the date of their termination. While the court was unanimous in its holding that the employee had been wrongfully dismissed (rather than constructively dismissed), there was disagreement on the issue of what constitutes a reasonable timeline for an employee to make a decision whether to accept or reject new terms of employment. Their views varied from 10 to 15 days and even not setting a specific time period. The decision provides guidance on what is considered to be a reasonable timeline for an employee to decide whether to accept or object to a reduction in compensation in the context of a constructive dismissal claim. It’s important to bear in mind that unilateral changes to other terms and conditions of employment may afford employees more time to determine whether they wish to accept or object to such changes. To avoid uncertainty, employers may wish to first obtain an employee’s consent in writing before implementing changes to terms and conditions of their employment. Where obtaining consent is not practicable, this decision demonstrates that an employee’s silence (or failure to advance evidence of an objection) may lead to a finding of acquiescence based on the employee continuing to carry out work duties in the normal course. |
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Here’s a breakthrough that’s about to happen somewhere: A GPT that reads every email that anyone in your organization has ever sent and makes it easy to ask it questions about what the entire organization knows.
A person could probably not find the time, bandwidth or privacy constraints to do this.
But this accessible but unembarrassed database tool could quickly become a huge asset for any organization that installed it–even a soloist. Tell me who I know or what I know about XYZ…
Or consider the power of a network. If my colleagues opt in, I can simply ask the AI, “tell me who in my network is the person who knows someone at this organization, or is really interested in that topic.”
Of course, there are huge privacy implications. But your work email has never been private anyway.
My Take on Seths Post
Put another way...CAN YOU IMAGINE? Take it a step further...if we implemented it to CGIB members (anonymized) and your membership allowed you to ask the questions, not through slack, but a central portal. The knowledge of the group could be shared. You wouldn't even need to ask who to go to, as you'd already have the answer. |
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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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Inpatriate Benefit Solutions Examined
CPBI Ontario will examine ‘Inpatriate Benefit Solutions.’ With Canada’s labour market more dependent than ever on inpatriate workers to address worker shortages and demographic changes, inpatriate healthcare plans protect visitors to Canada including workers, international students, and embassy employees until they qualify for provincial healthcare or for their full work term in Canada. It takes place March 21.
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Better for Workers, Better for All? Assessing a Portable Health Benefits Plan in Ontario DATE: TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2023 START TIME:11:30 AM EDT DURATION:30 MINUTES
Up to five million Ontarians have no access to benefit plans that reimburse most costs for prescription drugs, dental, vision and mental health services. These services are indisputably essential to good health, productivity and financial security. One solution is a portable health benefits (PHB) plan that allows a worker to maintain coverage while moving from job to job.
The Ontario government announced a Portable Benefits Advisory Panel in February 2022 with up to 18 months to advise on the viability, design and implementation of a PHB plan aimed at workers without benefits. This includes those who are self-employed, such as independent contractors, or those in part-time, temporary or gig-type jobs.
A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute explores the purpose, structure and feasibility of a portable health and dental benefits plan in Ontario.
In this Drug Benefit Communiqué® webinar, report author Chris Bonnett will describe how this new model might work for workers, employers and the government.
SPEAKERS Chris Bonnett, MHSc, PhD Principal Consultant H3 Consulting
Johnny Ma President & COO Mapol Inc.
_____________________________________________________ Rippling gives global businesses one place to manage HR, benefits, and payroll.
We help brokers offer a solution to clients looking for a modern broker-friendly workforce system and a platform to compete against digital brokers looking to BOR your groups. Register and attend to learn more about Rippling's expansion into Canada and our partner program. Also, will jump into the following topics. - Global HRIS
- Global Payroll
- US EOR
- Partner Discounts
Tuesday, April 4th 2023 - 11:00 AM (EDT)
_____________________________________________________ Benefits And Underwriting Examined A CPBI Pacific session will focus on ‘Benefits & Underwriting 201.’ Kandrice (Kandy) Cantwell, a partner at Westland Insurance Group, will discuss what employees want in their plan versus what employers think they want; doing communication well; and why benchmarking is commonly a waste of time. It takes place April 13. Information is at https://www.cpbi-icra.ca/Events/Details/Pacific/2023/04-13-Benefits-Underwriting-201 _____________________________________________________ TELUS Health Annual Conference The wait is over. Gain new insights and deepen your knowledge at the TELUS Health Annual Conference, April 26 and May 3, 2023.
For the past 19 years, TELUS Health Annual Conference has been a leading industry event offering an exceptional attendee experience. This year’s virtual event agenda has been thoughtfully curated with topical content and inspiring speakers. Join us to expand your expertise in employee benefits and health insurance with a fully accredited* conference program. Space is limited. Register today!
______________________________________________________ Join us for Benefits Together 2023 In person: April 26, 2023, 8:15 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET Islington Golf Club, 45 Riverbank Drive Toronto, ON OR Virtually via livestream: English - April 26, 2023, 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET French - May 3, 2023, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET This year’s agenda will shine a spotlight on the most pressing issues impacting employers and their employees, with a focus on access to care, mental health and diversity and inclusion. We are thrilled to be hosting you in person this year as well as providing the option to take in the sessions virtually. So, mark your calendars for our first Benefits Together hybrid event and watch your inbox for your official invitation. ________________________________________________________ Total Rewards Certificate Offered The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is offering a certificate course on total rewards prior to its ‘EVOLVE: Benefits and Workforce Strategies Summit.’ It will focus on the essentials of creating an effective and sustainable total rewards strategy. It takes place May 8 and 9 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. Information is at www.ifebp.org/EVOLVE
Benefits Trends Examined The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans’ ‘EVOLVE: Benefits and Workforce Strategies Summit’ covers the latest trends and strategies to attract, retain and support an ever-changing workforce. Sessions will be led by industry experts on mental health, leadership, cybersecurity, inclusivity, well-being, and more. It takes place May 10 and 11 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. Information is at www.ifebp.org/EVOLVE ______________________________________________________ Canadian Benefits Examined
The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans’ ‘Annual Canadian Employee Benefits Conference’ will examine the latest tools, ideas, and strategies for making effective decisions on behalf of plan members. Featured sessions include ‘Decumulation in a Low-to-Rising (Inflationary) Interest Rate Environment,’ ‘Prescribing Wellness ‒ Integrating Healthy Habits Into Virtual Care,’ and the ‘Aging Workforce and Its Impact on Benefit Plans.’
It takes place September 10 to 13 in Montreal, QC. Information is at |
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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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