A discussion of Group Insurance, typical Group Insurance coverage in the Canadian marketplace, the advantages of providing a Group insurance plan and the conditions and elements needed to arrange a Group Insurance policy

Almost all group insurance health plans provide coverage for medical supplies and services to assist employees recovering/living with a disability due to illness or injury. These benefits provide coverage for the purchase, rental and repair for devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, elastic stockings and orthopedic shoes. These benefits are included under the provisions of a health care plan and are typically subject to any applicable deductible or coinsurance provisions.

Group health insurance plans cover most of the basic hospital and surgical expenses in Canada that any resident incurs during a period of hospital confinement, including accommodation at the ward level, the services of a doctor/surgeon, diagnostic procedures and drugs. Employer-sponsored hospital benefits plans cover only the additional cost of preferred accommodation such as semi-private or private, during hospital treatment in Canada

A description of the out-of-country coverage typically provided within a group health insurance plan, covering employees for limited travel either outside of their province of residence, or out of the country. Coverage typically includes protection for both personal and business travel for 60, 90, or 120 days up to a one million in coverage (lifetime) per covered individual.

Vision benefits, coverage for eye exams, lenses, frames and contacts, typically account for between 5% and 7% of a group health insurance program. Vision benefits typically have a very high perceived value to employees, usually higher than the actual cost of providing vision benefits. More recently, group health insurance plans have expanded provisions to include coverage for laser eye surgery, which has become more common place as technology has advanced and pricing has decreased.

A tutorial highlighting the coinsurance, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums that are used within Group Health Insurance plans as strategic levers in limiting utilization and sharing program costs with employees.

A tutorial highlighting the types of group life Insurance, rate determination, and insurance provisions applicable to each. Includes basic life, optional life, dependent life, paid-up life and retiree life.

A tutorial covering long term disability benefits including provisions such as qualifying period, definition of disability, recurrent disability, offsets, maximums, subrogation, COLA, conversion and taxability.

An overview of the second largest cost within a Group Health Insurance plan, paramedical practitioners account for between 15% to 25% of health claims. This article discusses the types of practitioners that are typically covered, the different coverage levels as well as common prevalence within Group Health Insurance plans.

A tutorial highlighting the key features of Prescription Drug coverage within an employer-sponsored Group Health Insurance plan. Topics include types of Prescription Drug plans, Drug Formularies, and the development of drug costs including dispensing fees

An introduction to employer-sponsored health plans, the different features and types of services and supplies that are eligible for coverage under a public health services plan as defined by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and the general categories within an employer-sponsored Health plan.

This tutorial covering active management of workplace absence including the processes used by employers and insurance companies to properly and proactively return employees to work, touching on recent technological and process innovation.