Human Resources Issues for Senior Management
Issue link: https://digital.hrreporter.com/i/699912
CANADIAN HR STRATEGY/11 FEATURE/roundtable Canadian HR Reporter hosted a roundtable that focused on Drug Plans: Past Present and Future, bringing together a panel of employers and consultants to discuss the changing landscape of pharmaceutical bene ts. Discussion opened with a look at what had changed with drug plans over the years. There was a general view that technology has had a profound impact on the way that drug plans are managed. Even though pay-direct drug cards have been in use for decades, it is only recently that the mass uptake of this technol- ogy has allowed for signi cant savings on drug claims made with the cards. The introduction of formularies may have created more structured drug plans, but these technological advances have allowed for organizations to be able to of- fer employees coverage that is more exible. Tech has also allowed for the implementation of cost-management programs and faster access to coverage information through mobile apps. One of the key themes to emerge was the efforts by employers to balance the wants of employees with what's actually needed from a drug plan. Bene ts plans today are considered a necessity and we can see that what is expected of coverage has evolved over the years. Once simply called "medical insurance," health in- surance now covers more than just medicines. While employees might want — and perhaps expect — to receive allocation for massage therapy and other extended health bene ts, employers know that they need things like catastrophic or specialty drug coverage. Another key theme discussed was education; educating employees and all of the health-care professionals who work with them about what their group bene ts plan covers and how it works. There was agreement that there is a lot of informational material available, but the dis- semination of this information and discussion of how it can be maximized to the bene t of the employee is something that still needs work. It's another instance in which technology is be- ing looked to in order to ll the gaps, at both the plan member and health-care provider levels. Finally, as is trending with talks about phar- maceutical coverage, the topic of cost-manage- ment arose throughout the roundtable. Expen- sive specialty drug treatments are not what standard stop loss insurance was built for and both employers and carriers are putting forth best efforts to come up with ways to mitigate the rising cost to drug plans. Balance was again central to this topic as carriers want to be able to help provide what employer plans need, with- out hindering the employee experience. Panelists further discussed the current op- tions available to manage drug plan costs. So- lutions such as evidence-based drug plans, generic substitution, prior authorization and preferred pharmacy networks are helping to manage drug spend, but there was a feeling that these options could be strengthened through more education and even greater adoption amongst plan sponsors that do not currently have these in place. Employees are the ones provided with the most information about their own coverage, but there is little opportunity or time to share these details with their physicians or pharma- cists. The education exists, but next steps lie in getting it to those other links along the health- care chain to maximize the coverage available in a way that best supports an employee's treat- ment plan. Looking to the future, Sun Life sponsored this roundtable to discuss the impact of the evolving drug landscape on the pharmaceutical bene ts environment from the perspective of key stakeholders — employers and consultants. Our pharmaceutical bene ts team is keep- ing a close eye on emerging drugs and trends that are shaping the way that drug claims and drug plans are changing. Sun Life's Bright Pa- per, "Specialty Drugs: Trends, Challenges and Solutions," has been recognized as an industry resource that addresses the issues facing carri- ers and employers that provide drug plans. We want to get a pulse on what is in uencing the decision-makers to make the choices they must today in order to keep drug plans sustainable for tomorrow — and we want to help. Drug plans now and for the future conditions, preventable conditions, such as diabetes and cho- lesterol, says Antonia S chtelis, manager of total rewards and information systems at FedEx Canada in Toronto. "So there is an ROI from an employer side to put wellness programs at the forefront and help educate employees to take a vested interest in their health. That said — it's very dif cult. Those that do… do, and they will continually invest in their health. It's reaching those for whom it's just not top-of-mind. And, as an employer, we struggle to reach those employees." Thomson Reuters is trying to embed more of that in its cul- ture, says Conway. "Recently, we've had global tness challenges where we're having employees around the world participate and build that into the culture; have that (be) more (about) team-building. So trying to nd innovative ways to engage employees in that wellness approach is something we're focused on." Monitoring all the statistics with regard to a wellness program will improve the treatment and observance, says Fournier. "We know approximately 70 per cent of all drug costs are for preventable disease. So it's a big part and, in the majority of cases, it's possible to change the behaviour of some employees and monitor the information." employees to be more healthy on their own — and, in paral- lel with that, you've got the employers looking at 'What can we do to help support that because it's good for our business as well?' It's more of a societal change that we've seen. And both the individuals and the employers are moving through that together." More and more employers are recognizing that in looking at the cost of a bene t plan, the top 10 conditions are chronic