On December 13, 2018, the federal government’s second Budget Implementation Act for Budget 2018, which establishes the Pay Equity Act, received Royal Assent. Once it comes into force, the Act will apply to federally regulated public- and private-sector employers with 10 or more employees.

As we mentioned in our bulletin last February, 2019 will be a pivotal year for biosimilars in Canada. On May 27, British Columbia began imposing biosimilars to current users of biologic prescription drugs.

Managing the risks of a defined benefit pension plan is among the main concerns of many plan sponsors. Think you’ve heard everything on the subject? Guess again! Segmentation, an innovative investment strategy, makes it possible to better manage risks without increasing contributions. Too good to be true? You be the judge!

On April 11, the Ontario Government released its 2019 budget and introduced Bill 100, of which some measures affect pension plans.

The federal budget unveiled on March 19, 2019, affects many components of total rewards. Our specialists have identified the most relevant elements.

In February 2018, the federal government announced in its budget the creation of an Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, which led us to write our White Paper in November 2018 exposing our analysis based on four guiding principles: access, cost stability, public-private mix and efficiency.

For the 2018 tax year, Canadian taxpayers could be entitled to a tax credit ranging from 4% to 20% of medical expenses incurred for themselves or their dependants. The credit is subject to certain conditions and depends on the province or territory of residence.

The Quebec government recently introduced a bill amending the Pay Equity Act mainly to improve the pay equity audit process. This Bill is in response to a decision by the Supreme Court of Canada on May 10, 2018, which had ruled that three sections of the Act were unconstitutional. The highest court had granted the Quebec government one year to make the necessary amendments to the Act.

Similarly to previous years, 2018 was a year rich in significant disruptions for the drug insurance industry in Canada. Here is our fourth edition of the 10 developments of the past year that have had—or will have—the greatest impact.

Here are the parameters that will be used by the major social security programs in 2019.

As announced in last year’s British Columbia budget, a new employer health tax (EHT) was introduced on January 1, 2019. This new tax is meant to fill the gap caused by the reduction in Medical Service Plan (MSP) premiums, which were cut in half in 2018 and will be completely eliminated on January 1, 2020.

In June 2018, Ontario’s Health Minister announced the government’s position on OHIP+—the free universal drug program for all Ontarians under age 25—which had been implemented six months prior by the previous government. The new Ontario government was effectively seeking to become the second payer for individuals under age 25 covered by a private plan.