How Employers Can Communicate Changes to Employee Coverage Post-COVID

In the U.S., more than 60% of the working population relies on employer-sponsored health insurance. Employers drive the majority of healthcare coverage decisions, which puts them in a unique position to provide the tools and resources employees need to navigate their health benefits.

But COVID-19 changed the landscape of employer coverage. The economic fallout of the pandemic caused many businesses to lose revenue and forced them to either reduce the size of their workforce or cut costs to avoid layoffs.

In some cases, this cost-cutting contributed to lower employer contributions to health plans or modifications to employee health insurance. When health plans change and employers contribute less, employees then have to navigate the changes.

But employees have also changed — as have their priorities. Many have dealt with the trauma of sickness and death in their families and communities during the past year, which will likely make programs that support their physical, emotional, and financial wellness a significant focus moving forward.

They also see the future of work much differently than they did before. After a year of working virtually, employers everywhere are finding that remote work has gone from being a perk to an expectation. Only 12% of employees worldwide want to return to full-time office work, and 72% are seeking a hybrid working model that lets them spend part of their time in the office and part of it working remotely.

In light of this, employers have to rethink the benefits they offer. What they may find is a solution that benefits both them and the employees they support.

Changing Benefits Expectations: Telehealth

Telehealth transformed healthcare during the pandemic. And just like remote work, it’s here to stay. When shutdowns kept people from receiving in-person care, telemedicine gave them a way to see their physicians safely. But this new approach to healthcare left many people asking, “Does insurance cover telehealth?”

Insurance coverage of telehealth services had also been limited before COVID. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services previously held back providers from paying for telemedicine services, but it has since increased its virtual care coverage. Private insurers soon followed, government restrictions eased, and people everywhere have made telehealth a routine part of their healthcare needs.

Moving forward, employees will expect employers to offer telehealth coverage or services as part of their regular benefits. And employers must find ways to meet that demand.

By providing virtual care and telehealth benefits, companies enable employees to receive care from home, saving them time and money while reducing stress. It also minimizes employees’ risk of contracting illnesses when visiting medical facilities, preventing them from having to take paid time off.

Virtual care ultimately improves productivity by giving employees more time in their schedules, helps to create equity and engagement within the organization, and increases overall motivation and mental well-being.

Communicating About Changing Employee Health Insurance

For employers navigating changing healthcare coverage demands, here are some best practices for communicating these changes with employees:

• Let employees know that you’re working to identify and understand their new and evolving priorities.
• Explain that you’re creating and optimizing a new benefit structure with their changing needs in mind.
• Create a way for employees to share feedback and suggestions, using that feedback to improve/adjust these benefits as you go.
• Open communication channels where employees can address their doubts and concerns and ask their questions about telehealth coverage.
• Offer resources and information to guide employees through their changing health benefits.
• Consider offering a holistic, affordable healthcare solution, like our Virtual Primary Care. It provides a user-friendly navigation platform, resources on insurance and health and wellness, and continuous support from our care navigation team.
  

At Health Karma, we believe good healthcare starts with understanding it. Learn more about how Health Karma empowers all employers to offer virtual care coverage.