Who We Are

SHBA champions a future where every Canadian can afford the healthcare support they need to thrive — free from financial hardship. By working alongside employers, unions, and policymakers, we modernize funding models and close coverage gaps to build a more sustainable, equitable healthcare system.

1. Alberta Bill 11
SHBA is proud to be at the table! We have been part of the Alberta Health working group since June 2026. As advisors who work with plan sponsor employers every day, we offer unique insights to help Albertans prepare for the October 1st, 2026 implementation date.

2. Dependent Life Modernization of Contracts
SHBA is advocating to modernize insurance carrier contracts by eliminating any waiting periods (ie. 14 days) after birth for dependent life benefits and support the addition of a pre-natal benefit.

3. Introduce a refundable, time-limited Small Employer Retirement Plan Tax Credit to encourage employers with fewer than 100 employees to offer retirement plans to the nine million Canadians without one.

Take Action! Click RetirementForAll.ca – Close Canada’s Workplace Retirement Gap and generate a turn-key letter to your local MP in less than two minutes. This website has been developed by fellow stakeholders to help educate and advocate for the small business tax credit for savings plans.

4. Proactively engage and partner with employers, advisors and insurers to protect and enhance Canadians’ access to care and health innovation through their benefit plans.

• Enable provinces and territories to provide continued access to employer-paid virtual care.
• Work with the provinces and territories to (re)focus available pharmacare funding on Canadians without drug coverage, utilizing a “fill the gap” approach.
• Co-design with employer plan sponsors a public-private financing and risk-pooling model for rare disease and other high-cost medications.

5. Modernize the Medical Expense Tax Credit and the Private Health Services Plan rules to align with current healthcare delivery and trends, and update eligible items allowed in health spending accounts for small employers and the self-employed.

6. Implement a harmonized national licensing framework for benefits advisors to ensure consistency of preferred relationships and services for consumers and to reduce the administrative burden on advisors.

Does any of the above resonate with you? Join SHBA and if you are already a member, join a Working Group to share your insights and have your voice heard: (Contact info@shba.ca )