Compared to U.S. based plan sponsors which have for years been implementing and promoting active management of drug plans, Canadian plan sponsors have been more complacent and reluctant to introduce any process which may be deemed as restrictive or policing an...
Recent Articles
Teach Me: Retirement Plan Education
CAP members clearly need help with their investment decisions. What role should plan sponsors play in educating them? In December 2010, the Task Force on Financial Literacy produced its report, Canadians and Their Money: Building a brighter financial future. Not...
Retirement Compliance
It has been almost five years since the Retirement Capital Accumulation Plan (CAP) guidelines were introduced (December 31, 2005) in Canada. These guidelines are designed to ensure that plan members are receiving ongoing education and communication surrounding their...
Preferred Pharmacy Program
The Leslie Group is pleased to offer our clients a preferred pharmacy dispensing fee program that will assist in reducing and containing rising prescription drug costs while not reducing the coverage for plan members. The average total prescription drug cost is...
Arbitrator upholds statutory provisions permitting age-based distinctions in benefits for employees aged 65 and older
On October 31, 2010, Arbitrator Etherington issued a significant award on the interpretation of the provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code (the “Code”) and the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA, 2000”), which effectively permit an employer to reduce or...
The End of Mandatory Retirement
Originally pubslished on : http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/resources/factsheets/endmandatoryretirement As of December 12, 2006, the Ontario Human Rights Code protects all persons aged 18 and over against discrimination in employment on the basis of their age. This...
Harmonized Sales Tax Impact on Group Benefits
Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) Impact on Group Benefits The new HST covers new (Ontario and British Columbia) and increased (Nova Scotia) Harmonized Sales Taxes effective July 1, 2010. Ontario: HST will be 13% (ON portion 8% plus 5% GST) British Columbia: HST will be 12%...
More changes to Ontario’s drug system
There has been significant media attention surrounding the provincial governments proposed changes to the drug system. The following is designed to provide you with some unbiased information on the impact of these changes. The Transparent Drug System For Patients Act,...
The Small Business Group Insurance Challenge
With an increasingly restless and stressed-out work force facing erosion of medicare benefits and ever-spiralling prescription drug costs, employers are under more pressure than ever to provide comprehensive private group benefits packages for their staff. But for...