Tag: Benefits

Accurate Design Benefits and Insurance Agencies Inc. Workplace Webinar – FocusOn: Medical Cannabis

Overview The legalization of cannabis for recreational use and the exponential growth of people using medicinal cannabis gives rise to challenges for employers and service providers. Our speakers will provide insights into legal developments related to medical and recreational cannabis for those working in employee benefits and human resources, including the impact of cannabis on…

Tribunal Finds that Denial of Coverage for Medical Cannabis under Employer’s Benefit Plan is not Discriminatory

The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal (the Tribunal) recently held that the decision to deny coverage for medical cannabis coverage under an employer’s benefit plan is not discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code (Code) when the decision to deny coverage is unrelated to an applicant’s disability or another protected ground. In Rivard v. Essex (County),…

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal Finds Benefit Plan Can Exclude Medical Marijuana

The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal recently confirmed that an administrator of a benefit plan may choose what specific drugs and medications will be covered by a plan, and in particular, held that the exclusion of medical marijuana is not discriminatory under human rights legislation. In Canadian Elevator Industry Welfare Trust Fund v. Skinner, an…

Spring 2018 Pension & Benefits Update

Overview In the last few years, reforms to pension and employment legislation have been coming at a break neck speed. More pension and benefit related cases than ever are working their way through the system. In the face of such change, employers and plan administrators must be ready to act, making adjustments to plan design…

Natasha Monkman Quoted in Canadian HR Reporter on the Ontario Government Covering Prescription Drugs for Residents Under 25

Canadian HR Reporter quoted Hicks Morley’s Natasha Monkman in a May 29, 2017 article titled “Ontario to cover prescription drugs – with no co-pays – for residents under 25”. The article reviews the latest budget announcement where Ontario will be covering prescription medicines for residents age 24 and under as of. January 1, 2018, and how this new measure could save employers 10 per cent on claim costs…

Conducting a Benefits Plan Governance Health Check

Pension plan governance has long had headline-grabbing status – and most plan sponsors regularly review their governance framework to identify and address any governance gaps. At the same time, employers who sponsor group benefits plans too rarely build regular reviews of their benefits plans into their larger governance responsibilities. They should – because the stakes…