While employers grapple with stressed recruitment and retention efforts, health benefits remain a major factor in keeping employees, according to health insurer Gravie and Pew Research Center.

“Revamping health benefits offerings is one of the best recruitment and retention strategies in an employer’s toolbox,” Gravie said. “With new competitive offerings, employers can get even bolder in their job descriptions and culture conversations – rather than approaching health benefits as just a box to tick, they can be leveraged as a true differentiator.”

According to Pew Research’s study, based on February 2021 survey data, 43% of U.S. workers quit their jobs because they didn’t have good enough benefits, such as health insurance and paid time off. Low pay (63%), no opportunities for advancement (63%), and feeling disrespected at work (57%) also topped the list; at least one third of respondents said those three reasons were mainly why they left.

“With most candidates and employees understandably looking for quality coverage that’s also affordable, employers are revitalizing their recruitment and retention efforts by turning their focus toward strengthening their health benefits offerings,” Gravie said. “Employees aren’t shy about the value they place on health benefits from their employer.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported in December that 96% of Americans believe it’s important to be offered health benefits through work and most prefer employer-sponsored healthcare compared to other plans.

“Yet, we typically see that 90% of employers’ healthcare expenditures end up benefiting less than 10% of all employees,” Gravie said. “This is because many health plans are designed only to be a safety net for the very sick, rather than offering a true benefit for all employees at any point on their wellness journey. With the rise in demand for alternative and digital healthcare solutions, employers have an opportunity to breathe new life into their benefits packages to better appeal to everyone.”

Tips Gravie thinks employers should use when weighing new options include:

• • Costs associated with receiving quality care — A 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation analysis estimated that nearly 23 million people owe medical debt, including 11 million that owe more than $2,000. “Financial barriers often result in people delaying getting the exams, treatment, or procedures they need, which can result in higher costs for members and employers later down the road.”
  • Types of care — “Employers offering solutions that value holistic wellness and a variety of options that fit different individual and family needs are winning the recruitment and retention game. We’re talking benefits coverage for more specialized or often overlooked areas, such as mental health and chiropractic care;
  • Delivery of care — Some may prefer telehealth visits while others prefer in-person appointments. “Regardless of preference, one major perk of telehealth platforms… is that it makes healthcare accessible to more people, especially those in rural communities.”

Products offered by Gravie that the company says could be considered when thinking about the above factors are its flagship Comfort plan and its virtual services through Teladoc Health.

Comfort, for small- and medium-sized businesses, is a comprehensive plan that removes deductibles and most copays so employees have access to lower-cost services like urgent care or preventive care, according to Gravie. It also offers covers all essential benefits and first-dollar coverage such as office visits, labs and imaging, prescriptions, and mental health services.

“It comes as no surprise that there’s a growing need for affordable access to quality mental health care,” Gravie said. “The workforce today is still reeling from sky-high stress that spiked at the beginning of the pandemic. Stress and burnout are known to impact worker productivity and can even cause people to quit their jobs. In fact, a Deloitte survey found that burnout was one of the top three reasons for younger workers leaving their jobs in recent years.”

Gravie provides “better and more affordable access” to counselors and therapists through its comprehensive mental health care coverage.

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) offers a benefits center in which industry employees and their relatives have access to healthcare coverage options through Gravie.

It offers collision repair businesses a savings of up to 20% versus renewals and employees can use coverage as soon as they enroll.

Through the SCRS benefits center, the association’s partnership plans are offered. Those include:

• • $0 deductibles and employees choose their out-of-pocket maximum, which range from $3,000-$7,000;
  • No-cost services for visiting primary care physicians, specialists, urgent care, labs, or having X-Rays;
  • Free generic prescriptions and mental health services; and
  • Aetna and Cigna networks.

Through Gravie, rolling dates are effective on the first day of each month, allowing individuals or small businesses to enroll at their convenience.

Small businesses seeking health coverage for their employees can also take advantage of Gravie’s partnership with HR platform Decisely to find the right plans.

“In any given year, over 90% of the expenditure of the employer dollars goes to benefit less than 10% of the employees so in a very really way, people actually don’t have health insurance,” said Gravie Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Abir Sen in a recent SCRS interview.

Decisely CEO Kevin Dunn added, “With the adoption the way it is, the businesses that are saving $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 — they’re not pocketing that margin. They’re actually saying… ‘If I’m saving that much, can I get vision? Can I get dental? Can I put a life insurance policy in for my employees? They’re taking that money and reinvesting it in their people, which is key to everything.”

Gravie Chief Strategy Officer Ben Simmons will be one of 10 speakers during the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) IDEAS Collide Showcase ahead of this year’s SEMA Show, held for the first time on Monday rather than Friday. The SEMA Show will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center from Oct. 31-Nov. 3.

In “A Health Plan Your Employees Can Love: Fantasy or Within Reach?” Simmons will discuss how Gravie is working to remove consumers’ “necessary evil” mindset of health insurance to offer a plan that provides lower premiums and claims, will actually be used, and provides an easy customer experience.

Check out previous year showcases and Repairer Driven Education sessions at rde.scrs.com.

Images

Featured image: Stock photo of a health insurance claim form. (Credit: Andres Victorero/iStock)

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