Canadian HR Reporter

www.hrreporter.com 17 Alaina MacKenzie is the regional vice president of business development at Medavie Blue Cross in Oakville, Ont. For more information, visit www.medaviebc.ca. psychiatrist within weeks of approval from their insurer and employer. Another option to consider is internet- enabled cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT), which allows plan members to use a computer, smar tphone or tablet to communicate with a qualified therapist. Keeping your employees and business healthy: The composition of today's workforce is impacting benefit plan utilization in varied ways and we see this mirrored in Medavie data with disproportionate spending across the five generations. At one end of the spectrum, the research shows baby boomers are largely claiming prescription drugs to treat illnesses that accompany aging, while gen Xers are big consumers of extended health benefits and paramedical services such as massage (at a cost of $105 per employee, annually), according to a 2019 report by Sanofi Canada. When we look closer at the data, boomers have the highest drug benefit spend (48 per cent) compared to gen Xers (27 per cent), millennials (11 per cent), the traditional generation born between 1922 and 1943 (eight per cent) and gen Zs (six per cent), according to Medavie data. Additionally, even the types of drug categories differ by generation — for instance, anti-depressants and contraceptives are higher among millennials, while biologics and cardiac medications are higher for boomers. Comprehensive benefit offerings will help sustain the health of employees and, ultimately, your business. Empowering employees to take charge of their health: Chronic conditions (such as heart disease, d i a b e t e s , l u n g d i s e a s e a n d gastrointestinal conditions) account for the top four cost drivers across generations, according to Medavie data. And more than half of plan members (54 per cent) reported having at least one chronic condition, according to Sanofi. Of those, 87 per cent wanted to know more about their condition and how to treat it, while 82 per cent of plan sponsors would like to do more to help employees in managing their condition. Here, access to wellness strategies such as coaching and education services — in person or online — can play a vital role. Leveraging online health tools to promote self-care: M-health technologies (meaning mobile), such as apps and wearable sensors, have built-in functionalities to reduce risk behaviours and develop healthy habits — critical steps in preventing or delaying the onset of chronic disease. As of early 2018, there were an estimated 318,000 health apps on the market, with about one- quarter dedicated to chronic disease management, according to a report by the IQVIA Institute. Given that so many gen Xers and baby boomers have one or more chronic conditions, employers should consider every tool at their disposal to stem the growing prevalence of chronic disease in the workplace. M e d i c a t i o n a d h e r e n c e a p p s offer a positive way to manage medication adherence and the self- management of chronic conditions. As the workforce continues to change, along with the needs and expectations of employees, insurers and employers have a responsibility to review and update benefit plans on a regular basis to ensure they are relevant and responsive to today's realities. Ideally, modern benefit plans should be comprehensive, customizable and offer employees access to novel solutions that support prevention, effective treatment and safe return to work or disease management — across all five generations. The return on benefit plan investment comes in the form of healthier, happier employees, improved morale, increased productivity and lower plan spends. In short, everyone benefits from a refreshed benefit plan. CHRR

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