BenefitsPRO-Perspectives podcast

Communication and personalization unlock better consumer engagement in the selection of self-insured healthcare coverage. The latter unleashes the power of information to help health plan members make better choices when driven by the latest technology. Claims activities, decision patterns and previous interactions serve as a variety of rich data sources that help shape communication, laying the g...

When it comes to protecting the health and wealth of benefit plan participants, along with saving money for self-insured employers, the key to success involves early engagement, observes Stephanie Meyer, senior director of activation strategies at UMR, a UnitedHealthcare company.  Meyer says members who engage at the very beginning of the plan year or even beforehand are much more likely to make b...

  Advocacy, which helps health plan members navigate a rocky landscape with ease, is worth its weight in gold given the inherent complexity associated with plan design, narrow networks and clinical programs. Ultimately, it creates a pathway to finding high-quality care at an affordable price. When healthcare consumers are empowered to make more informed decisions, they're better able to understand...

It's been a challenging year for many companies as they try to help employees balance the new circumstances 2020 has brought.   One study reported the staggering effect the pandemic is having on mental wellness, with o ne-third of Americans experiencing high levels of psychological distress at some point during the extended period of social distancing, necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19. It'...

As the United States continues to grapple with the long-term emotional drain and impact of a global pandemic, along with unexpected remote work places, the mental health and well-being of employees are becoming an even higher priority. In the past, these programs were often seen as a feel-good employer offering; however, as the pandemic work environment evolved, so did the importance and flexibili...

In this episode of the Perspectives podcast, sponsored by MetLife and hosted on BenefitsPRO, we'll hear highlights from the October 28th presentation titled, Breaking Down the Mental Health Stigma Through Collaboration.  The U.S. workforce is currently facing an increased amount of stress, and it seems to grow every day in light of the coronavirus pandemic, economic downturn and more. This type of...

Healthcare benefits evolve as a result of Covid-19    The pandemic is bringing unprecedented change, but Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's Beth Roberts and Dr. Elizabeth Cote from MyHealthMath say this is exactly what healthcare benefits need.      In a tumultuous year, with consumers facing stressful decisions about their healthcare options, many employers  and insurers are transforming the way that...

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's Beth Roberts and Dr. Elizabeth Cote from MyHealthMath discuss how this evolution will impact health benefits in 2021 – and beyond.      Healthcare has always been challenging for consumers, but this year has brought it to a new level. As a result, health insurers and employers are feeling the pressure to do better on behalf of their constituents. By easing employee co...

In this episode of the Perspectives podcast, sponsored by Lively and hosted on BenefitsPRO.com, we'll hear highlights from the October 20th presentation titled, How to Maximize Open Enrollment Virtually & Reduce Costs with CDHP Adoption.    Employers are facing many challenges. And some of them are approaching virtual open enrollment for the first time, all while trying to help employees make cost...

Employers have long recognized the business case for addressing employee mental health and well-being: reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, and greater overall health, contributing to decreased health care expenses.  Unfortunately, the stigma of discussing mental health has long been a barrier to accessing available services. But it's possible that, as mental health and resiliency become a...

In this episode of the Perspectives podcast, sponsored by Artemis Health and hosted on BenefitsPRO, we'll hear highlights from the October 7th presentation titled, How Transparency, Technology and Data Analytics Are Transforming Employee Benefits.    In a world where every dollar matters, it's vital for employers and their brokers to understand the value of current benefits offerings, identify opp...

As states shut down in response to the initial threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers made the sudden decision to switch employees to remote work. While many have found success with the transition, the remote work environment has created a number of new causes of stress for employees, including the blurring of work/life balance and the disruption of their normal routines.  "The stressors...

Technology, innovation and changing customer expectations are transforming the insurance industry. Survey results show that 45% of insurance customers are "likely" or "very likely" to change insurance providers within the next 12 months. What's more is that only half of customers are "very satisfied" with the payment options that their insurance company offers, making the customer experience and t...

As HR professionals and other business leaders work to help employees navigate the COVID pandemic, benefits advisors can be a key resource in helping them chart the path forward.  But while there are many ways in which employers and their broker partners can assess and understand employees' needs and make informed decisions about resources and benefits, it's imperative that those systems, tools an...

Even before the pandemic disrupted our lives, many were concerned that factors like social media and overscheduling were limiting true connection and taking a toll on social wellness. In our current environment, many of these existing issues have been exacerbated and are taking an even bigger toll. In fact, one recent study found that nearly half of employees believe their behavioral health has de...

Member advocacy has become an increasingly important means of supporting healthcare consumers in the selection of their health benefits and treatment options. Among the key themes that have emerged with this approach are a need to optimize the customer experience, navigate the healthcare system and coordinate benefits across the spectrum of care, as well as leverage technology to drive informed in...

As people struggle to cope with continued isolation, lack of social connection, health concerns, remote work challenges, and financial pressures, it can have a huge impact on their overall health and well-being. A large number of employees admit to increasingly lower levels of resilience, meaning they often don't have the skills to cope with the challenges they're facing. This can negatively impac...

Vision is something employers don't often think about when it comes to benefits planning, sticking with the same, traditional, voluntary vision plan each year. However, vision care is more than just correction and vision issues can be symptoms of much larger medical problems that may cost employers and their employees more in the long run. Because of this, more than 70% of employers with 100+ empl...

As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on and the U.S. continues to struggle through social and political upheaval, many Americans are facing levels of stress unlike anything they've experienced before. As a result, a number of experts are warning of a potential mental health crisis in the coming months and years. According to psychologist Dr. Helena Boschi, an expert on applied neuroscience in the wo...

About 15 years ago, the California Public Employees' Retirement System sought to standardize the pricing methodology for an abundance of knee surgeries by pegging it to Medicare plus a profit layer over and above that rate as part of an any-willing-provider contract. Much has happened since the creation of that strategy known as reference-based pricing (RBP), according to Tom Bartlett, VP of custo...

Bind Benefits president Jodi Hubler offers her unique insight into the importance of health care choice and how consumers and HR professionals are taking health insurance design to the next level. The digitization of health was supposed to make the consumer the epicenter of health care decision-making. But according to Bind Benefits president Jodi Hubler, "digital health care has created an abunda...

Bind is changing the way we think about health insurance. According to Tamra Lair, Chief Analytics Officer, Bind "took apart health insurance and "now it works," Or more simply, consumers are getting "more of what they need and less of what they don't.". As the Bind analytics and reporting leader, Lair talks about how creating a more personalized health plan is benefiting everyone. Health insuranc...

Bind CEO Tony Miller talks about how health insurance should work like the other useful services in our modern daily lives. Clear, flexible health plans that can be personalized to meet our individual needs are the future of health insurance design.

All pharmacy benefit managers offer similar services around formularies and manufacturer rebates, as well as clinical programs and network options to manage ingredient cost trends for their self-funded employer customers. There's also little distinction across their reporting, customer service, account management and claims processing. But there are important differentiators to consider when selec...

At a time when data analysis has never been more important for managing employee health benefit costs and clinical outcomes, reporting is critical for self-funded customers that customize their health plan coverage. Timely financial reporting is necessary to know how much they're paying in medical claims, while utilization reporting helps them understand the types of services health plan members a...