If you’re a business owner, you should know that offering group insurance to your employees can cut down administrative costs and help you save money. But where do you start?
For those who don’t know, group health insurance is a popular financial planning strategy to attract and retain high-performing employees. It’s also a smart financial move that can mitigate the cost of high turnover and offer substantial savings over individual policies.
Small business owners, self-employed individuals, and even independent contractors can offer a group plan on their payroll. However, it can be challenging to manage a group insurance plan effectively. You may be overwhelmed by all the details involved in setting up an effective group insurance program.
Remember that the key to a successful group health insurance program lies in its design. Since there are many moving parts involved in a group plan (e.g., employee eligibility, who is responsible for costs), it pays off to consider the following these points before embarking on this initiative:
1. Know The Laws Before You Offer A Group Plan
Before you offer an employer group insurance plan, it’s important to understand the laws that govern your industry. Group plans are regulated by state and federal agencies, so you’ll need to be aware of any restrictions or requirements that may apply in your state.
For example, some states require that employers provide workers with access to their health insurance coverage if their employer offers a group plan. Other states allow employers to limit workers’ access to the higher-cost individual insurance option by placing restrictions on when and why employees can change their coverage.
2. Who Will Qualify For The Plan?
A group insurance plan can be an excellent way to boost your business’s health coverage and reduce costs. However, you must make sure that you’re offering a valuable product to the right people.
Ask questions like “will your employees have access to the plan at work?” If they’re not able to use it at work, it might not be worth offering. The same goes for employees who live far from your company’s office. It may be difficult for them to travel or take time off work for appointments with doctors and specialists when necessary.
If this is a problem for your employees, consider taking out a health insurance policy on their behalf instead of offering a group plan.
3. Understand How Much Your Costs Employees Will Pay
Group plans are often less expensive than individual health insurance coverage because they allow employees to share costs with colleagues or coworkers. However, some groups may have a higher employee contribution than others.
Consider the average cost of premiums, deductibles, and copays before offering group plans. You can find this information in your state’s insurance department or on the website of your company’s health insurer.
4. Consider How Long You’ll Keep Offering It
Offering group insurance can be a great way to attract new members and keep them engaged with your business, but it’s also a good idea to think about how long you’ll be offering the service. Group insurance plans are often offered for several years, so if you keep that plan in place for more than six months, ensure you have enough time to market it effectively.
5. Make Sure Your Employees Are Familiar With The Policy
If you’re offering group health insurance to your employees, it’s important that they understand the coverage and how it works. If you offer a fixed benefit plan, ensure that your employees know the terms and conditions of their coverage. It’s also a good idea to have an annual meeting where you discuss any changes in benefits or eligibility requirements for your group insurance plan with your employees.
6. Make Sure Your Employees Understand Their Obligations Under The Policy
If you are offering group insurance plans, you must make sure your employees understand their obligations under the policy. This can be done by providing them with manuals or training sessions that they can attend. You’ll also want to provide them with a copy of the policy itself so that they know what it says and what they need to do for them to be covered under it.
These manuals and training sessions should include information about how to file claims, how to get reimbursements, how much money they will receive from their employer, and how long it will take before they receive any reimbursements or other benefits.
Other details include:
- The right to see a doctor at no cost if they have been diagnosed with an illness or injury that may be covered by the plan;
- The right to make changes to their medical records if they believe this is necessary;
- A list of doctors who are members of the plan and can be called upon for help when needed;
- A list of hospitals that are members of the group insurance plan
Reach Out To Us Today And Get Our Reliable Group Insurance Services in California
If you’re searching for one of the top insurance companies in CA to get trusted group insurance services for your employees, Covered California Certified Agent is your best bet!
We offer many different types of health insurance plans, such as employee insurance, dental insurance, group insurance, and life insurance options that are sure to fit your business needs and help increase the ratio of employee retention at your organization.
So, what’s the holdup? Feel free to get in touch with us today by dialing 800-771-7653.