Join host Denise Balch as she sits down with Jason Spector, Co-Founder and CEO of Lucite, for a deep dive into how AI is reshaping the future of group benefits. Jason shares how Lucite’s AI-native platform is helping boutique Canadian insurance brokers and advisors automate their most time-consuming and error-prone tasks, from document data extraction to client reporting.

Together, Jason and Denise explore the real-world applications of generative AI, what it means to build with cybersecurity in mind, and how advisors can adopt these tools without compromising client trust. You’ll also hear practical examples of how AI is delivering unexpected benefits: improving accuracy, reducing liability, and ultimately enhancing both client outcomes and firm efficiency.

In this episode we explore the Canadian Dental Care Plan and the role of group dental care benefits, as well as the evolving dental landscape with Dr. Maneesh Jain, President of the Ontario Dental Association.

We’ll discuss patient co-pays and maximums under the CDCP, and who is eligible. Plus we’ll share whether the CDCP is likely to be rolled out to working Canadians not covered by group dental benefits as planned in 2025, along with the risk of de-insurance to patients. We’ll also explore how dentists have engaged with the CDCP plan and the administration adjustments that have been necessary.    

Join us for a lively discussion.

Are you up to date? Many adults are not up to date with routine vaccination boosters, like tetanus and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). As we age vaccines are available, but not always publicly covered, for other preventable diseases like the flu, pneumococcal disease, and shingles. 

Education, easy access and reimbursement can all help motivate plan members to update their vaccinations. 

In this episode we explore vaccines and immunization with Ajit Johal, Director, Clinical Services at Immunize.io and Augustus (Gus) Lee, AScTT, CSO, Health and Safety Manager, Richmond School District No. 38 and the creative workplace vaccination program delivered to employees.

More information on vaccinations for adults can be found on the Government of Canada website.

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Thank you to GSK and other sponsors for making this podcast possible.

Find out more information on upcoming podcasts and webinars at www.connexhc.com.

In this podcast you’ll hear the discussion Denise Balch has with Justin Bates, Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Pharmacists Association on the mandate of the OPA, why Ontario falls short on the role of pharmacists in primary care, the value of engaging pharmacists to reduce the burden of disease in the workplace, and the future of pharmacy.

This podcast is free. Thank you to our season sponsors of the Benefits Breakfast Club for making this podcast possible.

Find out more information on upcoming podcasts and webinars at www.connexhc.com.

In this podcast Denise Balch of Connex Health speaks with John Ly, Director of Pharmacy Operations for the Sobeys National Pharmacy Group. They discuss the drivers of provincial changes to pharmacy scope of practice, how these vary provincially, and the specifics of the expanded scope, including the role of pharmacy in disease management.

This podcast is free. Thank you to our season sponsors of the Benefits Breakfast Club for making this podcast possible.

Find out more information on upcoming podcasts and webinars at www.connexhc.com.

In this podcast Denise Balch of Connex Health speaks with Ned Pojskic, VP Pharmacy Benefits Management at Green Shield Canada about obesity, why obesity is a disease, and why Green Shield is changing their reimbursement philosophy across their block of business in 2023. Ned oversees the PBM portfolio at Green Shield, including product development, pharmaceutical partnerships, and operations. In that role he is leading a new direction for Green Shield as an insurer and pharmacy benefits manager. Join this podcast for a discussion on trends in obesity, an overview of clinical practice guidelines, and the three contributing factors to obesity. 

This podcast is free. Thank you to our season sponsors of the Benefits Breakfast Club for making this podcast possible.

Find out more information on upcoming podcasts and webinars at www.connexhc.com.

Joining Denise Balch for this podcast is Joan Weir, recently appointed Vice President, Group Benefits, at the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA). 

Joan and Denise will explore key areas of change in employee benefits:

• The insurance industry response to COVID-19 and the aftermath, including insights into long COVID and COVID-related disability trends
• The CLHIA Fact Book 
• CLHIA and drugs for rare diseases
• Pharmacare and new data on the uninsured
• Publicly funded dental benefits
• Paramedical benefit trends
• Prior authorization and an electronic submission solution
• Pharmacy claim standards
• Vision care beyond vision correction – closing the gaps on diagnosing disease
• Vaccines and their place in group benefit plans

Hear directly from CLHIA on these important developments in group benefits that will affect plan sponsors.

This podcast is free. Thank you to our season sponsors for the Benefits Breakfast Club for making this podcast possible.

Find out more information on upcoming podcasts and webinars at www.connexhc.com.

Joining Denise Balch as guests on this podcast are Dr. Jiwon Oh, a staff neurologist, scientist, and Medical Director of the Barlo Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Program at St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto who specializes in the care of people living with MS, and Ardra Shephard, a sought-after writer, consultant and speaker who lives with MS. Ardra’s award-winning blog Tripping On Air enjoys an international reach and reputation and she has a regular column with Healthline (Ask Ardra Anything).

Dr. Oh provides education on MS, the importance of an early diagnosis, and how a treatment plan targeted to each patient’s disease profile delivers best possible health outcomes. Learn about the impact of MS from Ardra Shephard, as she weighs in alongside Dr. Oh on the reimbursement challenges patients can sometimes face. Dr. Oh also provides insights into how diagnostics and treatments have evolved to provide better health outcomes for patients and what the potential for future developments in MS treatment hold.

Listen now to obtain a 0.5 CE credit for this session.

This podcast is free. Thank you to our season sponsors for the Benefits Breakfast Club for making this podcast possible.

To obtain CE credits, please complete the survey.  CE credits will be issued 7-10 days after the podcast date. You can also reach out to Nathan Smofsky at [email protected] to obtain your credits.

John Anacleto, Director of Private Payer Strategies & Data Insights, PDCI Market Access, joins Denise Balch to explore more on data analytics, why data is in higher demand than ever and how data can be used.

John will give his insights into how data reporting and data analytics have changed, and how the industry is responding to the demand from advisors and plan sponsors for better tools for understanding trends and forecasting purposes. From benchmarking to dashboards to how data can deliver value you won’t want to miss this session if you use data to help understand the past and evaluate the future.

This podcast is free. Thank you to our season sponsors for the Benefits Breakfast Club for making this podcast possible.

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Find out more information on upcoming podcasts and webinars at www.connexhc.com.

What has changed for SMEs in group benefits? Find out by signing up to the BPHA program to hear our latest of 16 recently-updated modules. Max Mahardi, Business Development Manager at Ontario Blue Cross describes health and dental benefit plan challenges for small businesses, and innovative solutions that are available to them. In the link below Max gives a brief overview of what you can expect to hear in Session 5, Module 3, Individual Health and Dental Plans.

Are you having difficulty finding good content to stay on top of the rapidly changing group benefits landscape? Look no further than the Benefits and Private Healthcare Associate program. In addition to covering all the basics and more of group benefits by industry professionals in 35 hours and CE credits, you get to stay current with regularly updated content (up to 10 hours and CE credits per year) plus three free BPHA at lunch webinars (1.5 CE credits each) on current hot topics. The BPHA program is your surefire source for CE credits if you are life licensed or AS licensed across the country*.

Register for the program here or find out more about the program here before you register.

This program is the perfect match for industry seasoned professionals and beginners in a flexible, online self-study and accessible format, and is comprehensive and affordable. Plus, you get access to additional exclusive member resources including a library of industry news and reports, an insights blog, and Ask the Expert resource.

Group discounts are available and our program can be customized to fit your organization’s needs for professional development.

Find out more at connexhc.com/bpha.

*CE credits are available in British Columbia, Alberta (A&S credits only), Ontario, and the Atlantic provinces. Additional accreditations are expected in early 2022.