McDonald Organizational Health Inc.

01/12/2023

2023 is likely to be challenge with Health Care costs expected to rise. Source: Benefits and Pensions Monitor

Medical Benefits Costs Rising
The costs of employer medical benefits across Canada are forecast to rise 7.5 percent in 2023, says Aon’s ‘2023 Global Medical Trend Rates Report.’ The top medical conditions driving medical plan costs in Canada are autoimmune disease, diabetes, and mental health. As well, over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted healthcare costs across Canada, with claims “slowly returning to pre-pandemic levels during 2022,” says Joey Raheb, senior vice-president and Canadian national leader for growth and client engagement for health solutions at Aon. The effects of long COVID-19 and other COVID-19 related illnesses and comorbidities (i.e., mental health) continue to evolve, while the Canadian market remains conservative in its reaction to pricing. Supply chain and rising inflation will also play a substantive role in 2023. “We expect a return to typical medical inflation driven by Canadian plan sponsors taking a more preventative and pragmatic approach to managing plan spend in 2023,” he says. The global average trend rate for 2023 is expected to be 9.2 per cent, up from 7.4 per cent in 2022 and the highest since 2015. The top medical conditions driving medical plan costs globally are cardiovascular, cancer/tumor growth, and high blood pressure/hypertension.

04/13/2020

🌱Keeping our staff & clients healthy while doing our part to break the cycle of coronavirus infection is the biggest priority at Three Little Birds.

Give us a call if you'd like to find out what we can do for your home & family. We're happy to share what we know!

03/31/2020

This situation is unprecedented, so go easy on yourself. Here are some helpful tips of how to work from home when you have kids.

This situation is unprecedented, so go easy on yourself.

03/30/2020

How to support employees’ mental health during the coronavirus pandemic https://www.benefitscanada.com/news/how-can-employers-support-employees-mental-health-during-coronavirus-144220

As employers across the globe adjust their work environments to help slow down the spread of the coronavirus, one thing that shouldn’t get lost in the fray is a focus on supporting employees’ mental health. Employees are facing a myriad of stressors right now, including financial worries about t...

03/27/2020

This applies to coworkers, family, and friends!
How to talk to someone who ignores social distancing appeals.

Youngsters partying it up on beaches. Families gathering en masse in public parks. Seniors balking at curtailing their social lives amid the coronavirus pandemic. How can you persuade those around you to reconsider their behaviour?

03/23/2020

"While many retailers are maintaining pay and benefits for their store-based staff amid temporary closures caused by the coronavirus crisis, what about employees who are still coming into work and serving the public?"

While many retailers are maintaining pay and benefits for their store-based staff amid temporary closures caused by the coronavirus crisis, what about employees who are still coming into work and serving the public? Loblaw Companies Ltd. is stepping up. Following discussions with the United Food and...

03/09/2020

While safety prep should begin well before the first frost covers the ground, it’s never too late to make sure safety precautions are set for whatever winter brings. Tips to Winterize Your Workplace Safety Plan.

While safety prep should begin well before the first frost covers the ground, it’s never too late to make sure safety precautions are set for whatever winter brings.

03/06/2020

54% of Canadian employers plan to invest in digital health. Investment in digital health benefits helps to bolster the bottom line; how new tools could benefit you and your team.

More than half (54 per cent) of Canadian employers said they’re planning to invest more in digital health solutions in the next five years, according to a new survey by Mercer Marsh Benefits, Mercer and Oliver Wyman. The survey, which polled 100 employers and 1,000 employees in Canada, also found ...

03/05/2020

02/04/2020

People don’t often make the association between nutrition and long-term mood. Here’s how How nutrition can contribute to better mental health and organizational wellness.

People don’t often make the association between nutrition and long-term mood, as well as how diet can impact the brain’s function and its structure, according to Charmaine Alexander, senior advisor on Desjardins Insurance’s disability management team.  “We know that between the rise of men...

02/03/2020

Retirement plans - Some features make administration unnecessarily difficult, while others could derail participants’ retirement readiness. Here are some retirement plan features to consider eliminating.

Administration January 15, 2020 Retirement Plan Features to Consider Pruning Some features make administration unnecessarily difficult, while others could derail participants’ retirement readiness. Reported by Amanda Umpierrez Art by Wesley Allsbrook Sometimes retirement plan sponsors get ideas or...

01/31/2020

"For years, denial kept me from facing my MS head-on. Rather than learning how to live with it, I was ashamed of the disease and hid from it. Not fully accepting it in the early years of my diagnosis had a significant effect on my mental health."

After being diagnosed with MS in 2010, Catherine felt as though she didn't belong anywhere. She ignored the community and resources available to her out of fear for the unknown. The insurmountable loneliness became a burden on her well-being.

"I didn’t want to be pitied, so I kept what I was feeling inside," she says. "The fact that my symptoms were invisible, and no one could see them made me feel more alone than ever. Even though I looked normal, I didn't feel normal."

Over time, she noticed that the pain of not having a support system outweighed the pain of being vulnerable in front of others. She decided to immerse herself within the MS community through her local MS Walk event and Burgers to Beat MS. Through her active participation, she met a community of people who shared similar stories of managing and overcoming depression.

"I faced challenges with my mental health because MS is so unpredictable, and relapses can occur at any time. I struggled because I didn't talk about what I was going through for a long time, but everything seems less frightening now that I am."

On day, we at the MS Society of Canada recognize that depression can be a symptom for those living with MS. Read more about Catherine and her mental health journey here: https://bit.ly/2GBWIP2