Healthcare plans

The insurance companies plan to launch a new health plan in Q4 to help employers recuperate from COVID-19 losses.

Including health benefits in your employee experience efforts will show employees that your entire people strategy is built around supporting and equipping them to thrive.

Companies should adopt strategies from across three different categories — screening and testing; workplace policies and design; and health and healthcare access when planning their workplace return.

Around 63% of workers say their company could do more to support their emotional and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within this group, 22% said their company’s response was “barely adequate,” “a disaster” or “non-existent.”

Instead of choosing a one-size-fits-all plan for a group, employers can offer fixed reimbursements that employees can use to purchase their own insurance or use for medical expenses.

If Democrats win in November, single-payer healthcare could still be on the agenda. Its adoption would shake up the benefits industry.

Digital health can transition employees back to work in a safe, cost effective and scalable way, says Andrew Le, CEO at Buoy Health.

The usual time to sign up for health insurance is during open enrollment but businesses and the Marketplace allow you to make changes to your health insurance anytime if certain major life events happen.

Now is a time for HR managers to reassess healthcare plans and make important changes, health insurance expert says.

Firms are delaying, shortening or making virtual their internship programs this summer as efforts to slow the pandemic around the world leave employees working from home.

The growing costs faced by today’s health care purchasers and plan members have many returning to proven strategies like V-BID, which lowers or eliminates the out-of-pocket cost for high-value services or medications.

There is wide variety in how aggressively the rules are issued and applied during the coronavirus pandemic, and businesses often don’t know which way to turn.

Employers in three metropolitan areas will have access to the cost-saving health plan.

Public health specialists said a range of tools, high-tech strategies and old-school public health interventions could help tamp down the spread of COVID-19.

Telehealth can meet the need for both expanded healthcare resources and for avoidance of in-person contact that may promote disease transmission.

Within the bill are several important provisions affecting employers, including requirements for coverage of COVID-19 testing and treatments, as well as the potential impact to group health plans.

Without the ability to catch early signs of burnout, employers may miss important cues as workers struggle with anxiety and stress.

“Short-term telehealth options make it possible for businesses to navigate a very uncertain time,” says Bill Goodwin, CEO of telehealth provider MeMD.

It’s estimated that workplace stress now costs employers $500 billion annually in the form of decreased performance at work or absenteeism.