Plan sponsors are being asked to meet the needs of a generationally diverse workforce, reduce inequities in care for equity-deserving groups and make up for a stressed public health-care system.

Balancing those pressures and plan sustainability continues to weigh on plan sponsors, according to the 2026 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. Seven in 10 plan sponsors reported their health benefits costs increased over the past year, while 39 per cent said they’re concerned about the overall sustainability of their plan — the top area of concern among respondents.

“When I think about how group benefits plans have been built in the past, all of the assumptions that go into what makes a plan sustainable is starting to collide together,” said Jamie Abbott (pictured left), senior director of benefits and employee well-being at Royal Bank of Canada, during a plan sponsor panel discussing the survey results at the 2026 Toronto Benefits Summit on Friday.

Read: Benefits plan sustainability top of mind for Canadian plan sponsors: Toronto Benefits Summit

In addition to facing an ageing workforce, increasing rates of chronic........

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