{"id":1150,"date":"2024-01-31T12:21:19","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T20:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/?p=1150"},"modified":"2024-01-31T22:48:01","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T06:48:01","slug":"key-conversations-in-benefits-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/2024\/01\/31\/key-conversations-in-benefits-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Key Conversations in Benefits 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1150\" class=\"elementor elementor-1150\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6c80bbe elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6c80bbe\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-06c62ee\" data-id=\"06c62ee\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60eeccd elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"60eeccd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/employee-benefits-conversations-1024x640.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1166\" alt=\"Employee Benefits Conversations\" srcset=\"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/employee-benefits-conversations-1024x640.webp 1024w, https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/employee-benefits-conversations-300x187.webp 300w, https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/employee-benefits-conversations-768x480.webp 768w, https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/employee-benefits-conversations-jpg.webp 1295w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2de6186 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2de6186\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e532216\" data-id=\"e532216\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9a5eba8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9a5eba8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Last year our blog \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/\">Top Conversations of 2022<\/a>\u201d proved to be among our most popular articles for the year! Once again, this year, we have compiled a recap of the Top Conversations in Benefits, from our perspective as benefits advisors.<\/p><p>Last year we recapped the <a href=\"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/2023\/01\/04\/top-benefits-conversations-of-2022\/\">top conversations in benefits<\/a>, which can be summarized as:<\/p><ul><li>The ongoing extreme difficulty in hiring reliable, qualified staff;<\/li><li>The permanent shift to a hybrid work arrangement;<\/li><li>The \u201cGreat Resignation\u201d or rather, in Canada the \u201cGreat Retirement;\u201d<\/li><li>The brand new Federal Dental Plan;<\/li><li>The change to the duration of EI Sickness benefits;<\/li><li>The continued focus on mental health and wellbeing;<\/li><li>And lastly, high inflation.<\/li><\/ul><div>\u00a0<\/div><h3>Has it Become Easier to Hire Great People?<\/h3><p><span style=\"color: var(--mibooz-gray); font-family: var(--mibooz-font-one);\">According to experts, we should expect the unemployment rate to rise, with the population increasing at levels that are outpacing hiring, due to the arrival of many newcomers. With the job vacancy rate down, employers are able to be more selective with hiring. While this may sound like great news, we are still hearing from our Client Community that it is incredibly challenging to find skilled, reliable employees.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>Remote or Hybrid Work Arrangements are Still a Key Request for Job Seekers<\/h3><p>Related to this, we saw many in our Client Community move to remote workforces or hybrid workforces; not as a hangover from the requirements of the pandemic, but as a desired new norm. The recruiters in our network tell us this is still in the top 2 or 3 for job requirements for job seekers these days.<\/p><p>We wrote about this extensively back in 2022, in our two-part article <a href=\"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/2022\/03\/23\/the-hybrid-work-model-is-working-from-home-an-employee-benefit-2022\/\">\u2018Is Working from Home an Employee Benefit?\u201d<\/a> where we looked at many of the considerations and statistics surrounding the (at the time) new reality.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>Inflation is Impacting Benefits Costs<\/h3><p>We touched on inflation in our January 2023 recap, but this became the dominating topic of many benefits conversations as we saw costs increase across a wide spectrum of services: practitioner visits, equipment, drugs, and dental costs. While it\u2019s easy to blame inflation on the rising cost of benefits, the reality is that insurance providers are paying higher per-claim costs in many instances, even when coinsurance and maximum reimbursement limits are in place. This especially impacted dental claim costs, and unfortunately, we anticipate the dental fee guide to increase once again in 2024. The bottom line? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ciccone-mckay.com\/inflation.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Inflation<\/a> is affecting everyone. This is a global economic issue and is certainly not isolated to those of us here in Canada.<\/p><p>Related to inflation and hiring, wage increases are expected to be modest this year, and economists are not expecting to see wage costs as a notable factor in driving inflation.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>Pay Transparency Legislation Implemented<\/h3><p>It will be interesting to see the potential impacts of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.benefitscanada.com\/human-resources\/hr-law\/canadian-jurisdictions-enacting-pay-transparency-legislation-but-more-work-to-be-done\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pay transparency legislation taking effect in some provinces<\/a>, including BC. Will pay transparency legislation drive wages up?<\/p><p>With the stated goal of closing the gender pay gap, effective for November 1<sup>st<\/sup> 2023, employers were <a href=\"https:\/\/news.gov.bc.ca\/releases\/2023FIN0017-000274\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">required to post salary ranges for publicly advertised jobs<\/a>. Furthermore, employers will be required to publicly post gender pay gaps (staggered based on the size of the company, beginning now, and expanding to smaller companies through to 2026. \u00a0The stated goal is to reduce unconscious bias around gender and ethnicity.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>How Should the Employer and the Employee Split the Cost of Benefits?<\/h3><p>In 2023, we received many requests for advice and changes related to the sharing of benefits premiums between employers and employees.<\/p><p>Many employers made adjustments this year. For some, in an effort to reduce the burden placed on employees, employers were shifting a greater percentage of the cost to the employer. Other employers went the other direction, looking to see employees cover a great percentage of their benefits premiums. As a reminder, the employer must cover no less than 50% of the total cost of benefits, and tax efficiency is an important consideration when arranging your cost split. We wrote about <a href=\"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/2023\/10\/06\/understanding-cost-sharing-in-employee-benefits\/\">strategies and common practices<\/a> back at the end of 2023.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>Federal Adjustments: EI Sickness Benefits and Long-Term Disability\u00a0<\/h3><p>The change to EI Sickness benefits via Service Canada which saw the maximum payment period increased from 15 weeks to 26 weeks (6 months), resulted in very little disruption for those with Long Term Disability plans in place. The vast majority of employers kept their Long Term Disability benefits intact with the waiting period at the standard 119 days\/ 17 weeks. While this was matched to the previous EI Sickness benefits duration, employers agreed that it was more desirable to have employees move more quickly to long term disability benefits rather than remain on the more limited EI Sickness benefits. Additionally, there were negligible cost savings in adjusting the Long Term Disability waiting period.\u00a0<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>The Federal Dental Plan and T4 Reporting Requirements<\/h3><p>After years of discussion and development the Federal government launched the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/services\/benefits\/dental\/dental-care-plan.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federal Dental Plan<\/a>, providing coverage for children under 12 only. In order to qualify for any level of coverage, family income must be under $90K, and the children must not have access to private dental coverage (i.e. Employer plans).<\/p><p>As a result of this program, on 2023 T4\u2019s Employers are required to report on Box 45 whether as of December 31st, 2023, their employees were \u2018eligible to access dental insurance or dental coverage of any kind, including health spending and wellness accounts, due to their current or former employment\u201d.<\/p><p>The following codes are to be used:<\/p><ul><li>Not eligible to access any dental care insurance, or coverage of dental services of any kind<\/li><li>Payee only<\/li><li>Payee, spouse, and dependent children<\/li><li>Payee and their spouse<\/li><li>Payee and their dependent children<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Please note if you have a benefits program that provides dental coverage, the vast majority of employers will report code 3 \u201cPayee, spouse and dependent children.\u201d<\/p><p>The codes above have created a lot of confusion, as they are based on access and not actual enrolment in the benefit for all eligible individuals within the family unit. Specially, if a plan offers family coverage but the member has waived benefits for either themselves or family members, Code 3 still applies as that is the type of coverage available.\u00a0<\/p><p>Please note employees must have been eligible for coverage as of December 31st, 2023, for Code 3 to apply (i.e. not still in the waiting period).\u00a0<\/p><p>As expected, the Federal Dental plan did not impact existing employer-sponsored dental plans, but changes may be coming, given this was indicated as the first stage in a more comprehensive Federal program.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>Mental Health Support Discussions Continue to Expand and Evolve<\/h3><p>When it comes to discussions with our supplier partners (i.e. providers such as Manulife, RBC Insurance, Pacific Blue Cross, Canada Life and myHSA), we have noticed a movement towards branding themselves as health and wellness driven. More and more services are geared at healthy living, whether this is aimed at improving activity levels, diet and prominently, mental health. In many instances, they are tapping into the data they have on hand to produce customized solutions.<\/p><p>A cornerstone of this is mental health support; all carriers are providing resources and coverage solutions. This is an area where we continue to see plan sponsors increasing their coverage, along with their communication and promotion of available services. Employers added to their mental health offerings in a variety of ways, most commonly:<\/p><ul><li>Adding Health\/ Wellness Spending accounts to remove financial barriers to mental health practitioners<\/li><li>Adding or promoting Employee &amp; Family Assistance Programs<\/li><li>Ensuring coverage for applicable practitioners with paramedical services: psychologist, clinical counsellor, social worker<\/li><li>Enhancing coverage for the paramedical practitioners with higher limits.<\/li><\/ul><p>The availability of online, high quality and often free resources is enormous and continuously evolving.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>An Emerging Trend: Inclusive Coverages<\/h3><p>As iA stated in a <a href=\"https:\/\/files.ia.ca\/-\/media\/files\/iactuel\/pdfs\/2024\/01-janvier\/brochure_inclusive_coverages_edi_en_final-acc.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 18<sup>th<\/sup> communication<\/a> \u201ctoday\u2019s employees expect their organization to support them fully in their multiple and diverse needs.\u201d For providers, conversations have focused on a few key areas:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p><p>Gender Affirmation: the cost for gender affirmation procedures not covered under provincial medical has been widely discussed the past few years, and we now have providers including this coverage. For example, Equitable Life <a href=\"https:\/\/www.equitable.ca\/en\/who-we-are\/news\/equitable-life-of-canada-introduces-gender-affirmation-coverage-to-its-group-benefits-plan-line-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rolled this coverage out late 2022<\/a>, with the stated aim of \u201coffering solutions that support diversity, equity and inclusion.\u201d We expect to see more providers rolling out gender affirmation coverages.<\/p><p>Fertility, Surrogacy, Adoption: despite fertility problems affecting one in six couples hoping to conceive, fertility coverage has traditionally been limited to drugs and often with a defined annual limit. A concern for many was uncovered related costs, such as for procedures.<\/p><p>iA is one provider that has provided what they call \u201cFamily Support\u201d coverage, where in addition to drugs, care and treatments such as doctors&#8217; fees and lab services, are also covered, including for surrogates. \u00a0Additionally, on an ASO basis, iA is offering Adoption coverage for costs related to the adoption of a child.<\/p><p>While many of these costs have been eligible through Health and Wellness Spending Accounts, it is new to see insurance providers identifying and defining these coverage areas.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>Diabetes and Adult ADHD Medications on the Rise<\/h3><p>Adult ADHD claims have steadily increased over the past several years. We now routinely see Vyvanse, a leading amphetamine-based drug for ADHD as one of the top claimed medications for the employers with whom we work. As Manulife shared, this is \u201crecognized more widely as a condition that continues into adulthood.\u201d In short, the kids diagnosed and medicated for ADHD are now adults, who have continued to be medicated. In addition to this, there is major rise in adult diagnosis of ADHD, which is being credited in part to increased awareness through social media. In particular, there is an increased diagnosis for women, as we now have a greater understanding of how differently the symptoms present in men vs women.<\/p><p>Diabetes has been on the rise for many years now; 30% (12M Canadians) live with diabetes or prediabetes, with over 90% Type 2. As well, the data shows diabetes diagnoses are increasing among younger age groups. \u00a0We are seeing diabetes medications such as Jardiance, Trulicity and Metformin continually in the top ten claimed drugs for many clients.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>Ozempic Dominates Drug Conversations<\/h3><p>But without a doubt 2023\u2019s \u201cmost frequently asked question\u201d relates to the costly Type 2 diabetes medication Ozempic (Semaglutide) which is a daily injectable. This blockbuster drug is approved in Canada for the management of Type 2 diabetes; however, it is extremely popular for its well-known side effect, weight loss. This drug was all over the news, with celebrities endorsing it for its ability to curb one\u2019s appetite, leading to quick and significant weight loss.<\/p><p>In short, members wanted to gain access to the drug, most often for weight-loss purposes. However, the drug here is BC requires <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.gov.bc.ca\/gov\/content\/health\/practitioner-professional-resources\/pharmacare\/prescribers\/special-authority\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Special Authority approval<\/a>. To be approved, you must require it for treatment of type 2 diabetes, \u201cAfter inadequate glycemic control on maximum tolerated dose of metformin.\u201d Unfortunately, in Canada, getting Ozempic is not as simple as just requesting it from your doctor!<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>What to Expect for 2024?<\/h3><p>Here at the Immix Group, 2024 has been very busy so far! Many employers are asking for ideas to better meet the needs of their employees, and looking for details on what their employees are claiming in order to better customize their benefits offerings.<\/p><p>We unfortunately continue to see claims rising and expect this to continue through 2024, and therefore expect to have many conversations with employers regarding cost containment strategies.<\/p><p>As always, we welcome you to reach out to discuss optimization strategies for your benefits programs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7b42968 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7b42968\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f76a0ea\" data-id=\"f76a0ea\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9d41dea elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"9d41dea\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">FAQ<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-99e516a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"99e516a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-427f0a9\" data-id=\"427f0a9\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9e8ef6f elementor-widget elementor-widget-toggle\" data-id=\"9e8ef6f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"toggle.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1661\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1661\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">What were the top conversations in benefits for 2023?  <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1661\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1661\"><p>The key topics revolved around the challenges in hiring, the shift to hybrid work arrangements, the &#8220;Great Retirement,&#8221; the Federal Dental Plan, changes to EI Sickness benefits, a focus on mental health, and the impact of high inflation.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1662\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1662\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">Has hiring become easier in 2023? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1662\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1662\"><p>Employers are able to be more selective, with many newcomers meaning there are many job seekers; however, employers are still reporting a difficulty in finding skilled employees.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1663\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1663\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">Is remote or hybrid work still in demand for job seekers? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1663\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1663\"><p>Yes, remote or hybrid work arrangements continue to be a top priority for job seekers, indicating a shift from a pandemic necessity to a desired norm.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1664\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"4\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1664\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">How is inflation impacting benefits costs? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1664\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"4\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1664\"><p>Inflation has driven up costs across various services, impacting practitioner visits, equipment, drugs, and dental expenses. Insurance providers are facing higher per-claim costs, especially in dental claim costs.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1665\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"5\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1665\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">What is the impact of pay transparency legislation? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1665\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"5\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1665\"><p>Pay transparency legislation, effective from November 1st, 2023, requires employers to post salary ranges for publicly advertised jobs in an effort to close the gender pay gap.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1666\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"6\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1666\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">How should employers and employees split the cost of benefits in 2023? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1666\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"6\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1666\"><p>Many employers adjusted their benefits cost-sharing strategies in 2023. While some shifted more costs to employers, others leaned towards employees covering a greater percentage. Employers must cover at least 50% of the total benefit cost.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1667\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"7\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1667\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">What federal adjustments occurred regarding EI Sickness Benefits and Long Term Disability? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1667\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"7\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1667\"><p>EI Sickness benefits saw an increase in the maximum payment period to 26 weeks (end of 2022). This change had minimal disruption for those with Long Term Disability plans, with waiting periods mostly unaffected.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1668\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"8\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1668\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">What are the T4 reporting requirements related to the Federal Dental Plan? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1668\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"8\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1668\"><p>Employers must report on Box 45 of 2023 T4s whether employees were eligible for dental coverage as of December 31, 2023. Specific codes are provided for different eligibility scenarios.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1669\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"9\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1669\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">How are mental health support discussions evolving? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1669\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"9\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1669\"><p>Carriers are increasingly focusing on mental health, providing resources and coverage solutions. Employers enhance mental health offerings through various means, including Health\/Wellness Spending accounts and Employee &amp; Family Assistance Programs.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-16610\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"10\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-16610\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">What emerging trend is seen in inclusive coverages? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-16610\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"10\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-16610\"><p>There is a growing trend towards inclusive coverages, including gender affirmation procedures, fertility, surrogacy, adoption, aiming to support diverse needs and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toggle-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-16611\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"11\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-16611\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon elementor-toggle-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-caret-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened\"><i class=\"elementor-toggle-icon-opened fas fa-caret-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-toggle-title\" tabindex=\"0\">Why are adult ADHD medications and diabetes medications on the rise? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-16611\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"11\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-16611\"><p>Adult ADHD claims have increased steadily, with a rise in adult diagnoses, attributed to increased awareness. Diabetes diagnoses, particularly Type 2, are on the rise, impacting medication claims. The most frequently asked question is about the costly Type 2 diabetes medication Ozempic (Semaglutide), frequently sought for its weight-loss side effect.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What were the top conversations in benefits for 2023?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>The key topics revolved around the challenges in hiring, the shift to hybrid work arrangements, the &#8220;Great Retirement,&#8221; the Federal Dental Plan, changes to EI Sickness benefits, a focus on mental health, and the impact of high inflation.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Has hiring become easier in 2023?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Employers are able to be more selective, with many newcomers meaning there are many job seekers; however, employers are still reporting a difficulty in finding skilled employees.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is remote or hybrid work still in demand for job seekers?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Yes, remote or hybrid work arrangements continue to be a top priority for job seekers, indicating a shift from a pandemic necessity to a desired norm.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How is inflation impacting benefits costs?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Inflation has driven up costs across various services, impacting practitioner visits, equipment, drugs, and dental expenses. Insurance providers are facing higher per-claim costs, especially in dental claim costs.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the impact of pay transparency legislation?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Pay transparency legislation, effective from November 1st, 2023, requires employers to post salary ranges for publicly advertised jobs in an effort to close the gender pay gap.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How should employers and employees split the cost of benefits in 2023?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Many employers adjusted their benefits cost-sharing strategies in 2023. While some shifted more costs to employers, others leaned towards employees covering a greater percentage. Employers must cover at least 50% of the total benefit cost.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What federal adjustments occurred regarding EI Sickness Benefits and Long Term Disability?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>EI Sickness benefits saw an increase in the maximum payment period to 26 weeks (end of 2022). This change had minimal disruption for those with Long Term Disability plans, with waiting periods mostly unaffected.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What are the T4 reporting requirements related to the Federal Dental Plan?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Employers must report on Box 45 of 2023 T4s whether employees were eligible for dental coverage as of December 31, 2023. Specific codes are provided for different eligibility scenarios.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How are mental health support discussions evolving?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Carriers are increasingly focusing on mental health, providing resources and coverage solutions. Employers enhance mental health offerings through various means, including Health\\\/Wellness Spending accounts and Employee &amp; Family Assistance Programs.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What emerging trend is seen in inclusive coverages?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>There is a growing trend towards inclusive coverages, including gender affirmation procedures, fertility, surrogacy, adoption, aiming to support diverse needs and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why are adult ADHD medications and diabetes medications on the rise?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Adult ADHD claims have increased steadily, with a rise in adult diagnoses, attributed to increased awareness. Diabetes diagnoses, particularly Type 2, are on the rise, impacting medication claims. The most frequently asked question is about the costly Type 2 diabetes medication Ozempic (Semaglutide), frequently sought for its weight-loss side effect.<\\\/p>\"}}]}<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ca77863 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ca77863\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-90a9213\" data-id=\"90a9213\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08bc69b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"08bc69b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.benefitscanada.com\/human-resources\/hr-law\/canadian-jurisdictions-enacting-pay-transparency-legislation-but-more-work-to-be-done\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Canadian jurisdictions enacting pay transparency legislation, but more work to be done | Benefits Canada.com<\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.benefitscanada.com\/human-resources\/hr-law\/how-b-c-s-pay-transparency-legislation-could-impact-employers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How B.C.\u2019s pay transparency legislation could impact employers | Benefits Canada.com<\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.equitable.ca\/en\/who-we-are\/news\/equitable-life-of-canada-introduces-gender-affirmation-coverage-to-its-group-benefits-plan-line-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rolled this coverage out late 2022<\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/files.ia.ca\/-\/media\/files\/iactuel\/pdfs\/2024\/01-janvier\/brochure_inclusive_coverages_edi_en_final-acc.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Inclusive coverage (ia.ca)<\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/services\/benefits\/dental\/dental-care-plan.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Canadian Dental Care Plan &#8211; Canada.ca<\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bdo.ca\/insights\/t4-reporting-changes-for-2023#:~:text=Consequently%2C%20beginning%20for%20payroll%20slips,kind%20offered%20by%20the%20employer.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">T4 reporting changes for 2023<\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.manulife.ca\/business\/news\/group-benefits-news\/health-insights.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Employee Health Trends | Manulife<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e5df557 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e5df557\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-539f4e5\" data-id=\"539f4e5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40be8d3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-230 elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"40be8d3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260114-259xx-683x1024.avif\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1957\" alt=\"Lindsay Byrka\" srcset=\"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260114-259xx-683x1024.avif 683w, https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260114-259xx-200x300.avif 200w, https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260114-259xx-768x1152.avif 768w, https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260114-259xx.avif 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-66 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-32178f3\" data-id=\"32178f3\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f0fe64 elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-233 elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2f0fe64\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><span class=\"cert\"><a id=\"ember1416\" class=\"active ember-view pv-verified-info-modal__vieweetitle\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lindsaybyrka\/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_verification_details%3B%2BiISPezIQvaydOw%2F7NcoTA%3D%3D\" data-ntt-old-href=\"\/in\/lindsaybyrka\/\" data-artdeco-is-focused=\"true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lindsay Byrka, CFP\u00ae<\/a> BA, BEd<\/span><\/h3><p>Vice President, Immix Group: An Employee Benefits Company<br \/><strong>A<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2602.5699178039927!2d-123.12053598382099!3d49.28454617855886!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x54867181f97930d5%3A0x9797e526e8704198!2s888%20Dunsmuir%20St%20%23450%2C%20Vancouver%2C%20BC%20V6C%203K4!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1583124389424!5m2!1sen!2sca\" target=\"new\" rel=\"noopener\">Suite 450 &#8211; 888 Dunsmuir St. Vancouver V6C 3K4<\/a><br \/><strong>O<\/strong>\u00a0 <a href=\"tel:6046885262\">604-688-5262<\/a><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>E<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:lindsay@immixgroup.ca\">lindsay@immixgroup.ca<\/a><br \/><strong>W<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.immixgroup.ca\/\">www.immixgroup.ca<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last year our blog \u201cTop Conversations of 2022\u201d proved to be among our most popular articles for the year! Once again, this year, we have compiled a recap of the Top Conversations in Benefits, from our perspective as benefits advisors. Last year we recapped the top conversations in benefits, which can be summarized as: The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1166,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-emloyee-benefits","category-employee-benefits-plans"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1150"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1173,"href":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1150\/revisions\/1173"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immixgroup.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}