Events

What we took from the room

• Plans set once and never revisited. Several owners had been with the same carrier for close to a decade without a market comparison, and renewals were rising fastest on drug and vision lines.
• Health spending account rules are widely misunderstood. Rollover and carry-forward came up in almost every conversation, and owners weren't sure whether unused balances were being lost.
• Growing teams without a plan. Firms in the 10–15 employee range told us they're waiting to grow before offering benefits, which is often the point where a well-built HSA or small group plan costs less than expected.
• Childcare is workforce infrastructure. A member speaker made the case that reliable childcare is what lets parents stay in the workforce, a theme that ties directly into absence and retention costs.

What we took from the room

• Small teams, no plan. Firms with 10 to 20 staff told us they still don't offer group benefits, often because they assume a plan costs more than it does at their size.
• Renewal pressure is landing hardest on the smallest groups. Owners of teams under five described double-digit increases at renewal with no explanation of what drove them.
• Fractional HR is where benefits questions land. Many small firms don't have an HR department; they rent one. Those advisors are fielding plan and claims questions they weren't hired to answer.
• Disability claims turn on deadlines. More than one conversation came back to a long-term disability claim put at risk because an employee kept working through a worsening condition and reported late. This is the part of a plan most owners never read until they need it.

What we took from the room

• Plans aren't landing. Only 52% of plan members say their plan meets their needs well — a ten-year low. Members who don't understand their benefits are more than twice as likely to report poor health. The fix is navigation and plain-language communication, not just more benefits.
• Chronic is the new normal. 62% of members live with at least one chronic condition and 36% with several. Panelists favoured steady long-term support over stop-start coverage caps.
• Gen Z mental health is the fastest-moving claims trend — over half of Gen Z LTD claims are mental-health related, and young men's use of psychologists is now growing fastest.
• The recovery gap is real. MSK is the second leading cause of disability claims, yet a typical $500 paramedical maximum now buys about half the visits it once did.

As presented at the 2026 Toronto Benefits Summit (Benefits Canada), Sept 25, 2026.

What we took from the room

• Compliance is the floor. Kayla O'Hearn, a former paramedic, reported that in more than 70% of workplaces she trains, the first aid kit holds little beyond triangular bandages and aspirin — and most owners have never checked.
• Small business is most of the economy. Speakers cited that 91.2% of Canadian businesses have fewer than 20 employees — the firms whose benefits were set up once and rarely reviewed.
• Owner health is business risk. Succession talks kept coming back to owners who only plan an exit after a health scare or burnout.

As presented at BizCon Waterloo & Wellington, Sept 24, 2026.

What we took from the room

• The impact of a cancer diagnosis on workplace productivity and plan design.
• Treatment options and pathways to support plan members and caregivers.
• The reality of the disability-claims side of the ledger.

What we took from the room

• The specific benefits needs of 5–50 employee firms.
• The reality of group plans in this market being sold once and never revisited.
• The importance of connecting directly with Ontario owner-operators.