A Checkup for Health Benefit Offerings

Abstract

Benefit professionals must constantly assess the benefits they offer to ensure they meet both employee and employer needs. Health benefits in particular offer significant opportunities for periodic reviews and revisions to ensure that the employer offers the maximum benefits possible for the best possible cost. The assessment must include a determination of employee needs, a review of plan objectives and an analysis of how well the existing plan meets the needs of employees and employer. In designing a plan, the employer can select an incentive approach, a disincentive approach or a combination approach to determine how services should be covered. Employees’ demands for flexibility in coverage and the employer’s need to control costs will indicate which approach is most appropriate.