As healthcare costs continue to rise, businesses are looking for ways to keep costs down. One of the easiest ways to reduce expenses is by offering employees a better healthcare plan. This might seem impossible, but many simple changes employers can make can help lower healthcare expenses.
Educate Employees About Their Healthcare
Employers can reduce healthcare costs by educating employees about their healthcare options and how to take advantage of those benefits. Employees with a good understanding of how the system works are less likely to seek unnecessary treatment and more likely to make informed decisions when they do need medical attention.
To educate employees on this topic, you should hold seminars or workshops to discuss the company’s health plan and provide information on preventive care services, wellness programs, and prescription drug coverage. This will give your workers an incentive to take advantage of these resources before making a doctor visit or using emergency room services for something that could have been treated elsewhere at less cost.
Mental Health America recommends having an employee handbook that provides details of health insurance benefits and grievance procedures that are regularly updated. You should also offer regular reminders about ways your employees can save money by implementing simple lifestyle changes such as eating healthier foods or exercising more often. These tips can directly impact the physical fitness and overall productivity levels at work.
You should measure success by tracking participation rates for these events over time. If participation increases noticeably after an initial push from management, this usually indicates that everyone involved supports efforts like these wholeheartedly.
Leverage Out-Of-Network Benefits
Data shows that out-of-network spending is declining in a privately insured population. However, employers can still benefit from out-of-network providers in various situations.
The out-of-network benefit can be used when an employee travels or needs more specialized care. This can help reduce your healthcare costs and your employees’ out-of-pocket expenses.
When an employee has a medical emergency while traveling and needs a specialist, it’s not always possible to stay in-network. In these situations, the employee may be able to use their out-of-network benefit for medical services received from an out-of-network doctor or hospital during their trip.
The same is true if you have an employee who requires treatment from a specialist that isn’t available at their primary care physician’s office or local hospital. If this happens, you should allow them to use their out-of-network benefits with another provider who does treat the condition in question. Starting in 2022, the No Surprises Act will protect you from unexpected high medical bills when you go out of network.
You can use insurance reimbursement software to help your business get reimbursed for out-of-network services. The software can auto-calculate the amount the insurance company will cover and what you must pay. However, it is wise to understand what’s happening in the background. You can contact the software service provider to learn more about how insurance reimbursement software works.
Use a Health Savings Account (HSA)
An HSA is a type of tax-advantaged savings account. It enables you to pay for qualified healthcare expenses with pre-tax dollars. You can contribute up to $3,450 for single coverage or $6,900 for family coverage in 2019. Employers can also make contributions to your account on your behalf. If you’re eligible for an HSA, the IRS allows you to deduct the amount contributed from your federal tax return.
Employers can save money by helping their employees fund their HSAs instead of offering traditional PPO plans with high deductibles and copays, which means employers will pay less out of pocket. In addition, employers may be able to assist with matching contributions or premium payments.
As an employee, your workforce would contribute to this fund rather than paying out-of-pocket directly when incurring healthcare costs. How can employees use HSAs? Because they already have extra cash in their savings accounts that they’d otherwise spend elsewhere.
Look for Ways to Streamline Benefits
One of the best ways to reduce healthcare costs is by streamlining benefits. This means offering your employees various health plan options and ensuring you use technology and resources to your advantage. For example, if you are self-insured and want to provide HSAs for your employees, you must have a good process to ensure they are being used correctly and efficiently.
A Third Party Administrator can help with this by providing experience in administering high deductible plans and other types of coverage, such as Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). Data shows that until March 2021, around 15% of the civilian workers were a part of the FSA program.
Offer Employee Wellness Programs
Employers can benefit from offering employee wellness programs that encourage healthy lifestyle choices. Employees can save money on healthcare costs, and employers can reduce absenteeism. According to research from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 88% of all companies had a workplace wellness program in 2019.
Wellness programs are successful because they help people to make healthier lifestyle choices at no cost to them or their employers. Wellness programs are also good for your business because they help attract and retain employees by providing tangible benefits such as discounts on medical services, vision care, dental insurance, and life insurance products.
Outsource Benefits Administration
Outsourcing benefits administration can help reduce costs and improve efficiency. Benefits administration is a specialized skill, so you may want to consider outsourcing if you don’t want to spend time or money on training your employees in this area. Outsourcing lets you focus on other aspects of your business, such as recruiting and retaining talent.
When selecting an outsourcing partner, it’s essential to do some due diligence before making any decisions. Here are some questions you should ask:
- Does their pricing model make sense for your budget?
- Do they have the technology you need? (For example, will they be able to integrate with your existing HR software?)
- How long have they been in business? Are there any complaints lodged against them from clients or former employees?
Conclusion
To reduce costs, employers should consider the needs of their employees. Employers can save money by incentivizing employees at risk for or with chronic conditions. This includes offering unique insurance plans with discounted premiums to people with diabetes or heart disease. It can also provide on-site health services like physical therapy or weight loss coaching.
Employers can take a proactive stance toward health and wellness in the workplace. By educating their employees on the benefits of healthy living, encouraging them to participate in employee wellness programs, and offering incentives for healthy behaviors, employers will be able to cut healthcare costs while improving productivity and morale in the office.
