Canadian Health and Wellness Innovations Conference

Keynote—Futureproof and Build Stronger Human Connection in the Age of AI

What if the most valuable skill in an AI-powered future isn’t technology—it’s human connection?

As artificial intelligence transforms the way we work, leaders face a critical challenge: How do we embrace innovation without losing the trust, engagement and relationships that drive great organizations? Learn how to foster a stronger culture where people feel genuinely seen, valued and appreciated—even as technology accelerates the pace of work. Participants will leave with a new blueprint for leadership: one that inspires more meaningful interactions at every level of the organization.

Using AI-Enabled Nutrition to Improve Outcomes and Value in Group Benefit Plans

Despite nutrition being foundational to health, many plan members managing chronic conditions receive little practical support to translate medical advice into daily food decisions. This gap can undermine health outcomes, productivity and even the effectiveness of high‑cost medications. AI‑enabled nutrition support can improve outcomes using a scalable, member‑centric approach. This session will explore:

• The role of nutrition in preventing and managing chronic disease
• How AI‑driven nutrition support helps members make sustainable, real‑world changes
• How better nutrition support can complement wellness programs, improve medication effectiveness and enhance overall plan value.

The Art and Science of Benefit Plan Cost Projections

Accurate cost projections are critical to the sustainability of benefit plans. This session will:

• Address how common assumptions and forecasting errors can lead to unexpected financial challenges
• Explore the key principles of sound cost projection practices and highlight common pitfalls
• Provide practical strategies and actionable insights to improve the accuracy and reliability of future projections and support informed decision making.

Drugs, Disability and the Missing Middle Layer

Connecting investments in drug benefits with disability experience optimizes the design of the drug plan benefit and reveals the true drivers of disability within their plan experience.

• What questions do plan sponsors need to ask to assess the combined drug and disability benefit experience and why?
• How do plan sponsors link drug and disability experiences without breaching member privacy and confidentiality?
• How can the existing plan experience lead to early intervention models that can benefit members and drive value with third parties?

Refresh Activity

Uncovering Fraud: Navigating the Legal Challenges of Service Provider Misconduct and Claims Abuse

When fraud and claims abuse are suspected, benefit plan trustees and insurers face a complex legal landscape. This session examines the key considerations involved in investigating, managing and responding to questionable claims and service provider conduct. Attendees will explore:

• Challenges proving fraud
• Strategies for quantifying financial losses and damages
• Legal duties, standards of care and fiduciary exposure in claims adjudication.

Keynote—The Art of Happiness: How to Build a Life That Works

What if happiness isn’t something we stumble into, but something we can build—intentionally, consistently and joyfully?

Take an eye-opening journey into the psychology, neuroscience and everyday habits that shape our well-being. Explore how our brains process joy, why we might self-sabotage it, and what we can do to become more engaged, more resilient and more alive. Grounded in the simple belief that happiness is a skill—not a destination—this keynote empowers audiences to create meaningful shifts in their personal lives, workplace culture and relationships.

Sleep: A Foundational Pillar of Long-Term Health and Well-Being

Sleep is one of the most powerful drivers of overall well-being, influencing everything from physical and mental health to workplace performance and financial wellness. For plan sponsors looking to enhance employee health, productivity and resilience, understanding sleep is more important than ever. This session will explore:

• Why quality sleep is increasingly difficult to achieve—shift work, increased screen time and the growing pressures of work, family and financial responsibilities—and solutions
• The anatomy and science of sleep
• How healthy sleep supports cognitive function, improved mood and energy, a stronger immune system and better appetite regulation
• The critical connection between sleep and chronic health conditions.

When Sleep Does Not Come Easily: The Most Effective Treatment for Insomnia You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

What can we do when sleep problems become persistent? Given the importance of sleep for mental and physical health, insomnia should be treated as soon as possible. Fortunately, there are effective treatments with enduring health benefits, but they are not yet well-known. This session will explore:

• What chronic insomnia is and why receiving treatment matters
• The drive to make CBT-I accessible to Canadians across the country and in Indigenous communities
• Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I): What it is and why it’s the recommended first-line treatment (above any medication).

Building Mental Health in Your Organization

An effective workplace mental health strategy requires courageous leadership, authentic trust and team building, and a commitment to conflict resolution. This session will provide insight to:

• Improve access and utilization
• Reduce burnout
• Measure psychological health and safety
• Pathways and pipelines to address provider shortages.

Refresh Activity

Reviewing EAP and Virtual Care in a Multi-Employer Plan: Are You Getting Value?

EAP and virtual care services have grown rapidly, but many multi-employer plans struggle to assess whether these programs are truly meeting member needs or delivering value. This session will provide a practical framework for evaluating utilization, outcomes, access and overlap between EAP and virtual care, with a focus on governance, cost-effectiveness and member experience. In this session, you will learn:

• How to assess whether EAP and virtual care services are complementary or duplicative using meaningful performance metrics
• How to address common gaps and barriers in multi-employer plans (awareness, access, demographics, shift work, language)
• How to apply a trustee-focused decision framework for reviewing vendors, plan design and communication strategies to improve member outcomes.

Optimizing Paramedical and Naturopathic Coverage in a Post-Pandemic World

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly transformed health care delivery, placing paramedical practitioners at the forefront of recovery and wellness. This session examines the expanded roles of paramedical practitioners, the growing demand for naturopathic care and how benefit plans can support access to a broader range of evidence-informed health practitioners. This session will allow attendees to:

• Examine current trends in paramedical and naturopathic benefit utilization and design across Canada
• Understand how to optimize benefit programs to enhance access for union members
• Analyze how expanded coverage options can improve outcomes and engagement with preventive health services.

Personalization Meets Prevention: The New Rules of Health Benefits

The health benefits industry is sitting on a goldmine of employee data—yet most insurers and organizations are still using it to react rather than prevent. Today’s employees expect the same level of personalization from their health benefits that they get from Netflix, Amazon or Spotify. It’s time for our industry to step up, use data better and prove that prevention pays. Learn how insurers and benefits providers can shift from offering static, generic plans to delivering dynamic, trust-based and personalized solutions powered by behavioural science.

Supporting Employee Caregivers: Aligning Benefits With Employee Needs

A growing number of employees are balancing their careers while caring for a loved one. As caregiving responsibilities continue to rise across the workforce, employers have an opportunity to make a meaningful difference by supporting employees through life’s most challenging moments. Topics for this session include:

• The emotional, financial and practical demands of employee caregivers
• Strategies for navigating complex health care systems
• Connecting caregivers to community resources
• How employers can strengthen caregiver well-being through flexible and meaningful benefits, policies and workplace practices.