Proposed guidelines on compensation disclosure in group benefits has received short shrift from a national brokers group. Members of the Canadian Group Insurance Brokers (CGIB) claim the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s (CLHIA) consultation process has neglected their views. Earlier this month, CLHIA head Stephen Frank announced that Guideline G19 – Compensation Disclosure in Group Benefits and Group Retirement Services – would be held back until January 1, 2019. This, he explained, would provide insurers more time to properly engage with advisors and brokers. According to CGIB head Dave Patriarche, however, this isn’t the case, and brokers have been largely left out of any real decision making.

We have had some feedback from clients (very few) that their employees with dependent children age 24 and under are having issues with the new OHIP+ program.  This issue is caused when someone under age 25 is using what is called an EAP drug.  In the past, these drugs would normally be covered by the private employer benefit plan. The province is now covering this with OHIP+ as of January 1st, 2018.  This means that the private plans will NOT pay for these drugs until the province has declined coverage.

There is more information on the provincial website link below, as well as the list of the over 1000 EAP Drug ID Numbers (DINS) that need special application forms completed…

http://health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/drugs/eap_criteria.aspx

http://health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/drugs/docs/eap_dins_list.xlsx

Since Ontario rolled out its new pharmacare program for youth on Jan. 1, multiple media reports have detailed the challenges faced by some people in transitioning to public drug coverage from their private plan.

Employers will see private drug plan costs rise by about six per cent annually over the next five years, according to a prediction by a health-care research company.

Brad Millson, principal of health access and outcomes at IQVIA, presented the results of his firm’s 2017-21 forecast, produced in partnership with Innovative Medicines Canada, at Benefits Canada’s 2017 Face-to-Face Drug Plan Management forum on Dec. 14.

Close on the heels of the sweeping changes brought about by Bill 148, the Ontario government has enacted another set of changes to Ontario’s employment laws. Bill 177, the Stronger, Fairer Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2017, is omnibus legislation that affects a number of Ontario statutes, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), as well as transitional updates to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (WSIA).

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excerpt from Benefits and Pension Monitor – ONLINE

The average cost increases for employer-sponsored health-care plans are set to increase at a faster rate than inflation in 2018, according to a new report by Aon…

…Canada is not too far behind with an expected six per cent rise in costs for extended health-care plans. After inflation of 2.1 per cent, the projected cost increase is 3.9 per cent. That’s compared to an overall cost increase of eight per cent in 2017 and a net rise of 6.1 per cent. The report notes this increase is currently trending lower relative to the rest of North America and the world, reversing a multi-year trend.

As the new rules around employment insurance benefits took effect on Sunday, one of the big changes is the option to extend parental benefits to 18 months.

Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, which significantly amends Ontario labour and employment law, has received Royal Assent and is now law. Earlier in 2017, the Ontario government issued its response to a Final Report two Special Advisors drafted as part of their Changing Workplaces Review. This Final Report included 173 recommendations for amendments to Ontario employment and labour laws.

On Wednesday, the Ontario legislature passed the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act. The highlights of the act include: