What factors should you consider when choosing employee insurance benefits?

One way a company can provide benefits based on employee needs that is rather simple is to provide different benefit tiers and plan types. While the simplicity of offering one or two plans is understandable, offering multiple plan types (HMOs and PPOs, for example) alongside downgrades and upgrades to the benefits of those plans gives employees flexibility. The employees will be better able to control their monthly costs (premiums), their access to providers (plan types), and their benefit costs. The needs for a family of four may be very different than the needs of a married couple looking to start a family. When employees are able to look at expected costs of using the benefits alongside the premiums, they can make informed decisions.

In the past I would have said it was to get the best benefit for the best price that fits into your company budget. Now I would say, how can we design a benefit strategy that makes your employees healthier, decreases your cost and theirs, and allows us to use benefits as a not only a recruiting tool, but one of the reasons employees stay with your company. There are ways to do all of those things and still give employees great benefits.

Understanding the specific needs and preferences of your workforce is crucial. Consider demographics, family situations, and health conditions among your employees. Conduct surveys or assessments to gather feedback on the types of coverage and benefits that matter most to them. This ensures that the selected benefits align with the actual requirements of your employees, making the package more valuable and appreciated.

Agree! Depending upon the diverse needs of the employees, the benefits should be designed. Obviously, benchmarking is required against the competitors but sometimes you should go out of the box and give benefits. For example: your competition might not be giving the sufficient medical coverage but you should go ahead give such benefits which is as per employee’s needs.

The success of your benefits package does depend on the needs of the employees. Still, it also depends on what the employer and employees can afford. Benchmarking your benefits against your competitors doesn't necessarily mean your benefits package meets the needs of your employees. If you do conduct a survey, you need to find out what your employees stress about the most, then adjust your benefits package as best you can with what you have available to support your employees in the best way you can. You may find providing direct primary care services or providing better pharmacy solutions may be more valuable to your employees than offering a bunch of options that may only benefit a small percentage of your employee base.

An example requirement is a company that is an applicable large employer (ALE). The employer mandate requires groups of this size to perform specific actions to stay compliant. An example action would be providing health insurance to qualified employees, at a specific rate that is affordable, and with benefits meeting the minimum essential coverage (MECs). That is just one of the many requirements that exist, which is why knowing the laws and regulations is vital. Broker firms normally assist their client with this information. Payroll company's can also assist with ACA tracking, etc.

This is again something which you have to comply with no matter what. The more transparency you bring in the organisation as per the regulations, the better image of the organisation will built up in the market.

Budgeting is very important for the company’s stability so this should always be kept in mind. The benefits must as per earning and losses.

Speaking from the perspective of a California broker, one of the most significant impacts to cost and affordability is the plans network. If a company is able to limit the plans network while keeping the employees' providers, medical groups, hospitals, benefits, etc, then the overall cost for both the company and employee can be lowered while maintaining the benefits. Working with an experienced firm can help guide an employer by pulling network reports or disruption reports and finding out which networks work best.

I completely agree. The benefits should be in such a manner that is adequate and flexible which should actual benefit the employees. For example the claim convenience and now a days the employers are also offering preventive healthcare such as free online consultation, medical tests, seminars etc

Very good point. Many a times employees don’t know their benefits at all which could be big setback when they would actually need it. Therefore, not just at the time of joining but also on regular basis the employees should make aware via newsletters, town halls, service providers camps etc.

Employee communication is key, and the way an employer communicates with their employees about the benefits can be the difference between high or low employee satisfaction. Using a system to make open enrollment easy for employees, including tools like online enrollment, custom videos explaining benefits, in person meetings, total compensation packets, and fliers from the carriers that go over some of the more ancillary benefits (such as discounts for XYZ), allows employees the ability to feel a confidence in their options and also allows them to know they are important as an employee.

While choosing employee insurance benefits, consider your employees' unique needs, cost, legal compliance, health coverage, additional benefits like dental/vision and balanced budget distribution. Tailor the package to strike a balance between satisfaction and budget. Consider all the factors such as Flexibility, easy administration, and staying updated on market trends are key for a competitive and supportive benefits package. As an HR professional, emphasise on creating a comprehensive and well-balanced set of insurance benefits, including GTLI, GMC, OPD, and top-up schemes, that cater to the specific needs and preferences of your employees. Ensure that your chosen benefits are ultimately contributing to workforce well-being.