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Did somebody mention costs?

How can you make sure the quality of health care service is high while keeping the costs down? Take a look at the following cost containment strategies to see how they might work for your small business.

Look into managed care options

Managed care is far cheaper than traditional Fee-for-Service, and in many cases it offers a more comprehensive package of services, including preventive care, annual exams and wellness programs. With managed care, your employees receive the most cost-efficient quality care available

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Offer your employees Dual Choice

Typically, this is a choice of an HMO and PPO or HMO and POS. Instead of an employer choosing one plan for all employees, dual choice lets employees choose the type of plan that best meets their needs and budgets. Employers generally pay a portion of the premium and the employees pay the balance. How does it work? Here are the ways:

  • The employer pays for the lower cost plan and employees buy up to the costlier plan.
  • The employer pays a set amount per month or percentage of the premium for every employee.
  • The employer charges all employees the same amount and pays the balance, regardless of the plan each employee selects. Employers are generally required to make a minimum percentage contribution based on the cost of the lower cost plan.

Need help deciding which combination of plans best suits your needs and budget? When you obtain your free quote, HealthInsurance.com provides a Cost Calculator to help you determine the contribution formula that works best for you.

Raise your employees' deductibles, copay and contribution percentages

Employees should have a strong financial motive to be economical when choosing providers or using medical services. This doesn't mean an employee should hesitate if he or she is sick. It just means that an employee should not needlessly use plan services. We all know that if something costs a little more, we are more conscious of how we use it.

Concentrate on preventive care!

Make your workplace a healthy zone. Encourage company exercise programs or intramural sporting leagues. Develop prevention and wellness activities. Make casual Friday into yoga or aerobic Friday. By keeping your workers fit, healthy and relaxed, you will help avoid unnecessary health care costs. (Not only that, you will probably notice increased productivity, too.) You can further improve your environment by offering healthy vending machine snacks, adopting a no-smoking policy (with financial incentives to quit) and providing passes and discounts to fitness centers.

Want to look at health insurance from your employee's perspective? Here's a bird's-eye view ...

   

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