Your employees work hard for their paychecks, but unexpected costs, such as medical bills, can really put a dent in their budgets. And most employees don’t fully understand their insurance plan benefits, which can drive up health care costs for your workforce and your company. As an employer, you’re in prime position to help your workforce save on health care — which helps preserve your bottom line.
Educating your employees helps them make cost-effective decisions about their medical care. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care offers several tools to help you control health care costs while keeping your employees healthy. But you can also help your employees save by reinforcing three key points about insurance plans and benefits.
Compare the cost of health care
You probably already know that the cost of seeing a doctor can vary significantly from one provider to the next. But just because one provider costs more, doesn’t mean that they necessarily deliver higher quality care.
Harvard Pilgrim helps your employees save with our innovative cost estimator tool. Your employees can find pricing estimates for hundreds of services, including office visits, laboratory tests, and even surgical procedures. Additionally, your employees can compare costs between as many as four different health care providers at the same time, helping them pick the provider that’s right for them.
"Only 19% of employers believe their employees have a good grasp on their health insurance benefits."
Focus on more than the deductible
Only 19 percent of employers believe their employees have a good grasp on their health insurance benefits. Think about it—when employees choose their plan, do they factor in an entire year’s worth of estimated medical costs? Or do they only really worry about their premiums and deductibles?
Help your workforce pick the best plan for their particular needs with decision-making programs like MyHealthMath. This service integrates each employee’s personal medical information with co-pays, coinsurance, deductibles, and out-of-pocket limits, giving them a complete picture of their yearly health care costs.
Not an emergency? Stay out of the hospital
Unexpected injuries or illnesses may have your employees turning to their doctors. But what if their usual providers aren’t available? Many people visit emergency rooms (ERs) thinking they have no other treatment options. But this simply isn’t true.
Harvard Pilgrim helps keep costs down by giving your employees options that help them avoid unnecessary trips to the ER. Some Harvard Pilgrim plans offer Doctor On Demand telemedicine visits that are covered in full when used for a situation where one might need urgent care. Urgent care clinics and convenience clinics are often good alternatives to hospital emergency rooms, offering the same level of care for most minor medical conditions. And if an employee isn’t sure about seeking care in the first place, tools like Buoy can help them determine if their symptoms are serious enough to warrant a visit.