Visit Beneco


When you leave home you shouldn't have to worry about anything. Atlas Travel has a variety of plans to cover everything from emergency hospital & medical insurance, trip cancelation, single and multi-trip plans, and student coverage when traveling outside of Canada.

You will feel secure knowing your financially protected during your travels.

Best Doctors Elite Diagnostic Imaging Service - for companies 10 employees and up. We all know the kind of wait times we experience today for medical services. If you require Diagnostic Imaging to help diagnose a serious medical condition, you can be facing a 2 to 3 month wait, or even longer. Of course, this adds additional anxiety to the stress of worrying what the results of the test will be. Best Doctors Elite Diagnostic Imaging Service provides rapid access to diagnostic facilities and medical consulting.
Click here to download documentation

January 2014 Bulletin

News from The Benefit Specialists Corp.

From: The Benefit Specialists Corp. <sean.murray@beneco.ca>
Subject: News from The Benefit Specialists Corp.
Reply: sean.murray@beneco.ca

Dear sean,

 

We hope you enjoy the January 2014 edition of our bulletin.  Please feel free to contact us if you ever have any questions or concerns, we are here to help!


 The Benefit Specialists Corp. Newsletter

 


    

                                                                              
                                                        January
 2014

In This Issue
 
Quick Links
www.beneco.ca   

View our videos on YouTube
 Follow us on Twitter
 Find us on Facebook
 View our profile on LinkedIn

Best Doctors Elite
Tell your friends!
The Benefit Specialists Corp. is more than willing to answer any questions you or anyone you know may have had.  If you know someone who has questions regarding the insurance industry or anyone who wants to join our mailing list please contact me, or forward this email to them and get them to click the join our mailing list button below.

Thanks!
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List
Happy New Year!

 

We at The Benefit Specialists Corp. & BeneCo want to wish you and your family a Happy New Year! We hope that 2014 brings only good things into your life.

Games Employees Play
Kim Siddall - benefitscanada.com

 As employers look for new and innovative ways to engage employees in wellness and motivate them to commit to healthy behaviours, while reducing their healthcare costs, gamification is becoming more and more prevalent-both as an effective behavioural bridge from intention to action, and as an effective motivator in helping the new behaviour stick.

 

Gamification is the application of gaming mechanics in a non-gaming environment. Earning points or other rewards according to rules, moving through levels or titles, as well as the inclusion of a social component where participants can compete with each other, share their own accomplishments or interact with other participants for support and encouragement are all hallmarks of this genre. In fact, chances are you are already involved in something that has been gamified. If you collect frequent flyer miles that you can accumulate and then trade for flights, work toward "elite" status or collect loyalty points at a retailer that you can amass for discounts, free products, or a gold card (I'm looking at you, Starbucks), a piece of your world is already gamified.

 

Adding elements of gaming to wellness programming creates a motivating and fun environment while encouraging behavioural change. Employees gain a greater sense of control over their health through their participation, and get a sense of accomplishment by winning the prizes or other rewards built into the program. Participants receive credible health information and real-time feedback on their progress. The social interaction aspect of gamified wellness provides not only an opportunity for competition, but also a virtual support network for those making changes in their lives.

 

Gamified wellness has additional benefits over traditional wellness programs for employers as well. Beyond the increased satisfaction, employee engagement and improved employee health that workplace wellness programs generate for its participants, gamified wellness drives measurably greater engagement and motivation by feeding into the psychology of competition and reward systems. But most notably, gamification creates an opportunity for credible and robust health data collection that can then be integrated with other claims data for a holistic and more accurate picture of employee health.

 

In the American health benefits environment, gamification has been around for about five years, with numerous options of wellness programs employers can implement. More recently, this genre has started gaining momentum as health insurers try to bring value-added services to clients struggling to manage increasing health insurance costs. Aetna, Blue Shield, Cigna Health, Humana, UnitedHealth and WellPoint all offer games that can support workplace wellness initiatives like smoking cessation, making healthy food choices or increasing physical activity, all by tracking activities and earning points, badges, or levels or status. While these games vary in terms of their sophistication, all are designed to engage employees in healthy behaviours and enable them to earn nominal discounts on their health insurance premiums through their participation.

 

In Canada, we are seeing an increasing presence of online wellness programs as U.S. vendors bring their programs north. Virgin HealthMiles, Limeade, and Redbrick Health are three examples of programs making successful inroads over the border.

 

Gamification is also extending beyond the employee benefits arena and into healthcare at large. Merck is turning to gamification as a way to improve treatment compliance in patients with diabetes. The pharmaceutical company is collaborating with Canadian software manufacturer Ayogo in developing a game that sends Type 2 diabetics on a virtual trip around the world. Players earn coins that help them move from place to place by completing treatment and health-based activities. The goal of the project is to help patients reduce the complications of their disease through better control, while at the same time creating a community of support with other patients.

 

Ayogo is also working with BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver on a program for adolescents struggling with obesity called "Monster Manor." The game uses biometric feedback on exercise and activity from accelerometers given to the participants as the mechanism for goal achievement in the game. Toronto communications agency Cundari Group has been working with researchers at the city's SickKids Hospital to develop an app that helps pediatric oncology patients track the location, duration and intensity of pain, and help their care teams better understand the impact and efficacy of treatment paths on symptoms by analyzing the information collected through the game.

 

However, a gamified approach is not without risk. Privacy and security issues have arisen around data collection, especially on mobile platforms. Consequently, some game sponsors have had to alter or reduce the degree to which they collect, store and share data. Additionally, as many of these games are geared toward younger participants who grew up with and are comfortable with gaming, having gamified wellness as the centrepiece of a workplace program may alienate older employees or employees that aren't technologically savvy, many of whom would fall into the demographic that many wellness programs attempt to target. Critics of gamified health and wellness also argue that playing games to reduce health risks or help manage health conditions issues trivializes a serious issue.

 

However, these programs are gaining momentum where other programs have failed to get much traction. Can a tool that brings new dynamism and energy to a challenging issue be such a bad thing?

 

Kim Siddall is a principal with AQ Group Solutions, a benefits consulting and plan member advocacy firm. She has more than 20 years of experience in the health and benefits industry. These are the views of the author and not necessarily that of Benefits Canada.

8 New Year's resolution success stories. 

Need help keeping your New Year's resolutions on track? Eight Canadians share how they met their personal goals. 

By Shannon Christie - canadianliving.com


The start of a new year feels so momentous: 365 brand-new days, with no mistakes in them. There's so much opportunity stretched out in front of us: opportunities to finally live up to our full potential at work, to make that extra effort at home, to repair bonds with family and friends and, finally, to make time for ourselves. 

But we have all heard the statistics: That whether we're setting personal goals, vowing to see new projects through to completion or committing to reform a bad habit, the average New Year's resolutionlasts about as long as those juicy leftover slices of turkey.

  

We've gathered a few real-life success stories from people who have made and kept their New Year's resolutions and reaped the rewards of self-improvement. 

  

 

1. Get in the race
 
"I had always wanted to run a marathon, but it just seemed so daunting. So last year I resolved to get a training plan together and try to do it. I created a very long-range plan, which built up my running times bit by bit, so that it seemed more manageable. By the fall, I was able to run my first marathon successfully! The feeling of accomplishment I had for sticking to my goal was awesome. I'm doing another one this spring."

-- Steven, 34, St. John's, N.L.

 
2. Walk the talk"I started a new job in 2011 and my resolution was to start walking to work every day -- rain, shine or snow -- in an effort to do something active that didn't involve a gym. I actually kept the resolution, and have dropped two pant sizes as a result. The secret to my success was a combination of always having an excellent music mix on my iPod and never figuring out the bus routes!"
-- Erin, 32, Toronto

 

3. Keep tabs on your health

"Last year I kept one resolution, inspired by a friend who lost his eye to a tumour: I went and had my eyes tested. It saved my life because the doctor found that I had a partially blocked artery, which could have caused a stroke. Go get your eyes tested this year!"

-- Johanne, 51, Gatineau, Que.

 

4. Save smartly"I would like to own a condo sometime in the next few years, but I'm not great with money. Every year I said I was going to start saving, but I never did. So last January I made a resolution to actually set up automatic withdrawal from my paycheque straight to a savings account each month. I don't have enough yet for a down payment, but I'm doing OK. I think I have been successful because the money comes out as soon as I get paid so I don't really see it or feel it."
-- Jenn, 27, Kitsilano, B.C.


5. Start slowly and don't get discouraged
 
"I made a resolution to get to the gym in January because I had booked a month-long trip to Costa Rica and wanted to be in shape for all of the activities I had planned: surfing, hiking, etc. At first I couldn't really run at all, so I spent a lot of time on the treadmill walking on an incline. I kept up my workout routine when I got back and throughout the rest of the year -- what motivates me now is staying in shape for more travel."
-- Charlotte, 29, Ottawa

 

6. Don't drink your calories

"For the first time ever, I have successfully kept a New Year's resolution all year long by giving up drinking pop at night. This was a major lifestyle change for me. I sleep better now, too, because I gave up all of the sugar and caffeine that used to disrupt my sleep. It was actually easier than I thought -- I just had to stop buying it and keeping it around the house."

-- Jamie, 35, Toronto

 

7. Ban the predictable

"I thought my social life was getting a bit predictable: post-work drinks week after week with the same people. So last year, I made a resolution to do something new at least every other month. I checked out online event pages for my area and this year I've been to a wine tasting, a comedy show and even a poetry reading (which was a little odd). But I do feel like I've really expanded my horizons, and I've had much more interesting stories to share at post-work drinks these days."

-- Sarah, 31, Halifax


 
8. Socialize in real time

"I made a New Year's resolution last year to quit Facebook. I just realized that Facebook-stalking was eating up a lot of time that I could be using to interact with people, instead of creeping on exes and old classmates' babies. I'm not sure if it counts as "keeping" a resolution, but I haven't logged in at all, and don't plan on it."

-- Brad, 29, Toronto

 

 

 

Interested in Implementing Contractor Coverage?

An Insurance carrier provides standard coverage for permanent employees who are on a client's payroll and covered for EI and WCB.

 

If we were to cover Independent Contractors, it would be necessary to set up a separate division for them to clearly separate the employees from non-employees should Canada Revenue Agency want to look at financial experience.

 

Insurance carriers are concerned from a risk point of view to the extent to which the connection between the policyholder and the contractor is considered permanent. Should you wish to set up a contractor class, please answer the questions below and contact our office so that we can approach the carrier for approval.

  • How is the contractor compensated? (On client payroll, or are invoices prepared for work done?)
  • How is the contractor employed? (As jobs come up or guaranteed so much work over a certain period)?
  • Is there an employment contract obligating the two parties for the duration of a given term? If so, what are the terms of the contract?
  • Does the contractor work 100% for the client or is the contractor free to seek work elsewhere in addition to the work done for the policyholder? If not, why?

Please feel free to contact us if you would like further clarification on this issue.

The information contained in this bulletin is for general information purposes only. The articles published in this bulletin have been collected by The Benefit Specialists Corp. (TBSC) and we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability or availability with respect to the information, products, services, or related graphics contained.  Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.  In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits out of, or in connection with, the use of the information contained in this bulletin.  Through this bulletin you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TBSC.  We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Sean Murray
The Benefit Specialists Corp.
sean.murray@beneco.ca
(403) 547-5236

This email was sent to sean.murray@telus.net by sean.murray@beneco.ca |  
The Benefit Specialists Corp. | 339 Tuscany Estates Rise NW | Calgary | Alberta | T3L 0C6 | Canada