--- title: Empire Life Blog Empire Life Blog | Michelle Cortes description: Access the latest insights on life insurance, investments, and group benefits all in one place. Visit the Empire Life blog. --- × #### Subscribe ### Subscribe to Email Updates Signing up for our Blog offers you the opportunity to subscribe and receive email notifications for Investment or Insurance type content only from The Empire Life Insurance Company and Empire Life Investments Inc. You may cancel your subscription to the newsletter at any time by clicking on [unsubscribe](http://www.fastandfull.ca/hs/manage-preferences/unsubscribe-simple) or, by contacting The Empire Life Insurance Company or, Empire Life Investments Inc. **The Empire Life Insurance Company** 259 King Street East, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3A8, Canada Toll Free: 1 800 561-1268 Email: insurance@empire.ca or investment@empire.ca **Empire Life Investments Inc.** c/o 259 King Street East, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3A8, Canada Toll-free telephone: 1 855 823-6883 Email: mutualfund@empire.ca Close [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/Empire-Life-Insurance-142465432433812/) [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/empire-life-investments) [Twitter](https://twitter.com/empirelifeins) Subscribe [EN](https://www.empire.ca/blog) | [FR](https://empire.ca/fr/blogue) [![Empire Life | Empire Life Investments](https://blog.empirelife.ca/hubfs/Logo/Combined%20Blog%20Images/combined-logo.png)](https://www.empire.ca/blog) # Insurance, Investments and Group Benefits ## Navigate life with confidenceTM - Insurance - [Insurance](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/insurance) - [Helpful Tips](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/helpful-tips) - [Customer Service](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/customer-service) - Investments - [Investments](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/investments) - [Investment Views](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/investment-views) - [Off the Cuff](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/off-the-cuff) - [Group Benefits(1)](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/group-benefits) - [Personal Finance (1)](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/personal-finance) ## Michelle Cortes ### Recent Posts ## [From risk to resilience: Building a benefits strategy to navigate the true cost of cancer care](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/from-risk-to-resilience-building-a-future-proof-benefits-strategy-to-navigate-the-true-cost-of-cancer-care) [Group Benefits](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/group-benefits) [![From risk to resilience: Building a benefits strategy to navigate the true cost of cancer care](https://blog.empirelife.ca/hubfs/GettyImages-2235599612.jpg)](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/from-risk-to-resilience-building-a-future-proof-benefits-strategy-to-navigate-the-true-cost-of-cancer-care) By [Michelle Cortes](https://www.empire.ca/blog/author/michelle-cortes) Mar 31, 2026, 9:32:57 AM My friend Tania was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. While dressing for work, she noticed something didn’t look right. Then she felt it —a tiny, stony presence beneath her skin. Weeks later, Tania had her diagnosis and treatment plan confirmed for breast cancer—surgery, chemo and radiation, and this involved months off work. [Read More](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/from-risk-to-resilience-building-a-future-proof-benefits-strategy-to-navigate-the-true-cost-of-cancer-care) ## [Mental health, disability absences, and the impact of employee motivation on return to work](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/mental-health-and-disability-absence-the-impact-of-employee-motivation-on-return-to-work) [Group Benefits](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/group-benefits) [![Mental health, disability absences, and the impact of employee motivation on return to work](https://blog.empirelife.ca/hubfs/MentalHealthSolutions-infographic-EN.jpg)](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/mental-health-and-disability-absence-the-impact-of-employee-motivation-on-return-to-work) By [Michelle Cortes](https://www.empire.ca/blog/author/michelle-cortes) May 17, 2023, 4:32:28 PM Insurance companies in Canada paid out 75 per cent more in mental health claims in 2021 compared to 2019 ([CLHIA)](http://clhia.uberflip.com/i/1478447-canadian-life-and-health-insurance-facts-2022-edition/1?), but disability claims with a mental health component have been on the rise for many years. In this blog, Michelle Cortes, our product manager for long-term disability, interviews Ian Bridgman, Executive Director of The Claim Lab, and Steve Higgins, who oversees the management of disability claims at Empire Life, to discuss how The Claim Lab is helping us manage mental health claims through enhanced predictive analytics. Empire Life was the first insurance company in Canada to work with The Claim Lab.  [Read More](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/mental-health-and-disability-absence-the-impact-of-employee-motivation-on-return-to-work) ## [Does your genetic makeup affect the way a drug will work in your body?](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/how-pharmacogenomics-testing-can-prevent-drug-spend-waste) [Group Benefits](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/group-benefits) [![Does your genetic makeup affect the way a drug will work in your body?](https://blog.empirelife.ca/hubfs/1122399-DigitalHealthWeek-Facebook-EN-SNIP%202.jpg)](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/how-pharmacogenomics-testing-can-prevent-drug-spend-waste) By [Michelle Cortes](https://www.empire.ca/blog/author/michelle-cortes) Mar 3, 2023, 2:08:20 PM How pharmacogenomics can prevent drug spend waste More and more Canadians are taking prescription drugs as chronic disease and mental health problems become more widespread. But prescribing can be a challenge because each person’s unique metabolic profile—informed by their unique genetics—determines which drugs will work and which will not. Empire Life has been working with Pillcheck for three years to help plan members find the right pharmaceutical treatments sooner rather than later, so they can enjoy their lives and return to work without needless delay. For employers, the savings can add up: depending on the diagnosis, drug therapy guided by Pillcheck can save between $350 and $5000 per patient.  [Read More](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/how-pharmacogenomics-testing-can-prevent-drug-spend-waste) ![Get a quote and apply for life insurance](https://blog.empirelife.ca/hubfs/Logo/Combined%20Blog%20Images/GetAQuote-BlogButton-couple-EN.jpg) [BUY NOW](https://www.empire.ca/insurance/buy-life-insurance) ![Retirement Savings Tool](https://blog.empirelife.ca/hubfs/Blog_images/RST-Blog-EN.jpg) [Get Started](https://www.empire.ca/retirement-and-savings-tool) ### POPULAR POSTS ### CATEGORIES - [Insurance](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/insurance) - [Investments](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/investments) - [Group Benefits](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/group-benefits) - [Personal Finance](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/personal-finance) [Disclaimer](https://info.fastandfull.ca/disclaimer) [Legal](https://info.fastandfull.ca/legal) [Privacy Policy](https://info.fastandfull.ca/privacy-policy) [Accessibility](https://info.fastandfull.ca/accessibility) [Consumer Information](https://info.fastandfull.ca/consumer-information) [Contact Us](https://info.fastandfull.ca/contact) [Third-Party Tools and Sites](https://info.fastandfull.ca/third-party) [Confidentiality](https://info.fastandfull.ca/confidentiality) [Unsubscribe](https://info.fastandfull.ca/hs/manage-preferences/unsubscribe-simple) **CONTACT US** The Empire Life Insurance Company 259 King St. E. 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