No matter what type or size of a business, health care tends to be one of the leading employer costs. Although the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was intended to reduce costs, businesses are finding themselves on the receiving end of double-digit rate increases each year.
“Because of these hefty increases, employers are searching for more creative ways to reduce costs, while ensuring their benefits package remains competitive in the employment sector,” says Mary Policky, assistant vice president at Momentous Insurance Brokerage, Inc.
Smart Business spoke with Policky about how to reduce or restructure health benefits offerings in tough times.
When should a company consider reducing or restructuring benefits?
First, they should review their policies at the beginning of each fiscal year to determine a budget dedicated to the employee benefit package.
Then, they should do a mid-year plan review, which is also a good time to re-educate employees on important benefits available to them, such as various types of preventative care, which may be covered at no cost to the employee.
Lastly, review policies near open enrollment. Typically, the carrier releases renewal rates 60 to 90 days prior to the plan expiration date. That’s the time to shop around and research opportunities with other carriers, as well as alternate plans with the current carrier.
What’s the first step to figuring out where to make cuts or restructure?
A key factor is determining how much you want to spend. The challenge is how to significantly reduce the premium without sending employees into a tailspin from extreme changes, such as increasing deductibles and copays, which inevitably raise financial concern. Additionally, it’s a good idea to conduct employee surveys to determine their areas of concern, such as office visit copays, in-network doctors, prescription drugs, etc.
It’s also beneficial to have your broker provide benchmark information to see where you are in the industry, and where your competition is. More and more, employees are seeing that medical benefits are a vital part of their total compensation package, and will often consider a reduction in salary if the company offers comprehensive plans.
Generally, what low-hanging fruit can businesses look at first?
In addition to the deductible and copays, they should review the provider network. A company with 30 employees enrolled in an HMO plan typically spends $18,000 per month. By changing to a limited network, the premium reduces to $13,000 a month — a 28 percent savings. You can use disruption reports to gauge how many current doctors are in a new limited network.
Many employers are moving toward consumer-driven plans, such as health savings accounts (HSA) or health reimbursement arrangements (HRA). These plans allow employers to give each employee a fixed dollar amount to choose how they want to spend it on medical expenses. These tax-advantaged plans result in a lower premium and less rich benefits. However, a portion of the premium cost savings can be given back to employees to use for deductibles/copays. Also, with cost decisions in the hands of employees, the onus is on them to make better health decisions.
But it’s not always about reducing benefits. Adding wellness or disease management programs help create a healthier workforce and reduce premium increases.
What’s the best way to communicate to employees?
Employers often underestimate the need for clear communication and making sure that employees truly understand their benefits. Make time for mid-year reviews, webinars, conference calls and/or payroll stuffers. If you must raise rates, inform employees as soon as possible. Also, inform employees how much of the increase the employer is absorbing. A great way to convey this is through benefits statements, which show the total cost of benefits, and how much the employer is contributing.
Health care reform is just one of the many reasons to have a broker help navigate constant changes in the marketplace and tailor a plan to fit the company’s needs.
Mary Policky is an assistant vice president at Momentous Insurance Brokerage, Inc. Reach her at (818) 574-0426 or [email protected].
Blog: Get more information on employee benefits and other important insurance topics at www.momentousins.com/blog.
Insights Business Insurance is brought to you by Momentous Insurance Brokerage, Inc.
