Without a doubt, healthcare is a complex entity that includes multiple constituents beyond the patient and care provider. From various carriers to government regulations, the intricacies of healthcare can turn around even the most informed consumers. So, what happens when consumers become overwhelmed by options and guidelines? Among other factors, the complications lead to a lack of health insurance literacy.

Health insurance literacy is the degree to which an individual has the knowledge, ability and confidence to find and evaluate information about health plans, select the best plan for their own financial and health circumstances and use the plan accordingly. Related to the public health term “health literacy,” it focuses on individuals’ ability to make well-informed health decisions based on their plans.

Employees Speak Up

A recent study by Maestro Health surveyed 1,000 employees with employer-sponsored health plans about their sentiment towards the current state of healthcare as well as how it impacts their care-seeking decisions. The survey concluded that 35 percent of the employees either somewhat understand, don’t understand or know nothing about their healthcare coverage. Even if they do fully understand, 62 percent of respondents feel their employer does not serve as a resource for their healthcare-related questions.

Employer-sponsored insurance covers over half of non-elderly Americans – approximately 152 million adults. Therefore, this lack of understanding is detrimental to not only employee health and finance, but to an employer’s bottom-line and the nation’s growing healthcare deficit. Group plan premiums begin to skyrocket with the increase of unnecessary claims and absenteeism can set back a productive business. Diabetes, alone, costs U.S. employers $20.4 billion in unplanned absenteeism and the nation $246 billion in extra healthcare costs.

Providing Care and a Resource

Employee communication is a valuable factor. When done properly, it can leave employees feeling well-informed and confident in their care-seeking decisions. Therefore, healthcare professionals and companies must share the duty of providing transparent and insightful information. At Healthcare2U, we strive to do just that.

All Healthcare2U members seek better health and wellness with a phone call. Our bilingual Medical Assistants triage their symptoms and schedule either an in-person doctor visit or virtual telehealth. Should care be provided outside of Healthcare2U’s partner-clinics, our staff walks the member through their plan to explain alternative options and how to use them.

To learn more about how Healthcare2U serves as a resource to shield claims from employer-sponsored health plans as well as navigate patients through their coverage, contact us!

Chronic disease management is not only expensive and complex but it’s key in improving patient outcomes and minimizing overall healthcare expenditures. Currently, the price tag of chronic illnesses accounts for 72 percent of the $2.2 trillion spent on healthcare in the U.S. each year. Diabetes is one such chronic condition that is so common, 30 million Americans are affected by the disease which can lead to blindness, kidney disease, amputations and heart disease. With the prevalence of chronic diseases, what happens to ill employees when their employer raises health insurance deductibles?

In the article, Getting the Diabetes Care You Need on a High-Deductible Plan, a study follows 34,000 diabetic employees through their transition from a $500 maximum low-deductible health plan to a high-deductible insurance plan that boasted out-of-pocket costs of $1,000 or more. Compared to individuals who remained on low-deductible plans, employees who switched to high-deductibles waited longer to seek various treatments because of expenses. For example, patients waited an average of 1.5 months longer to seek care for chest pain – the first major symptom of atherosclerosis, a high-risk condition for diabetic patients. Employees also delayed treatment by two months for the first major diagnostic test, and three months (or longer) for the test result’s recommended medical procedure.

The study didn’t include research of the health outcomes of these individuals or how the delay in care affected their pre-existing diabetes. However, it is important for employers and healthcare professionals to note the value in time-sensitive decisions for care. If left untreated, diabetes can create numerous health complications to include heart attack, stroke or amputation of extremities. With atherosclerosis, in particular, a delay in treatment can result in heart attack, stroke or another medical emergency.

End Delayed Care with an Affordable Solution

Many factors can contribute to delayed care – however, it’s a fact that the cost of healthcare is a huge concern for patients. Employees with less-than-adequate health coverage/insurance may decide to “wait-out” their symptoms, increasing their risk for serious health complications in the future. If your clients utilize a high-deductible option, their insurance plan is at-risk for serious health expenditures down the line.

To offset an employee’s health expenses from a high-deductible health plan, employers may to offer gap plans that include affordable and convenient access to care. Gap insurance is a supplemental health plan that cushions expenses for employers and employees who utilize high-deductible health care plans. By offering a gap plan, employers improve the entry point to healthcare and encourage their employees to seek treatment at the onset of an illness, reducing urgent care and emergency room visits.

One gap solution is to provide employees a membership to Healthcare2U’s No-Claims Healthcare™. Through unlimited access to our patient-navigation platform, Healthcare2U shifts care away from traditional insurance and towards membership services, avoiding claims. By directing members towards affordable and convenient care, Healthcare2U can educate employees about their health and their next steps towards wellness. Healthcare2U works with employers of all sizes and there is no exclusion of pre-existing conditions. Benefits include – but are not limited to – same or next-day acute care with a board-certified physician for $10 a visit, 24/7/365 bilingual telehealth for no additional cost and chronic disease management for 13 of the most prevalent chronic disease states for the same $10 visit fee. Because of Healthcare2U’s cost-containment nature, employers have seen an ROI of 15 percent within their first year of implementation.

With DPC, members create a trusting relationship with their primary care physician, unaffected by budgeting concerns. This educates them to lead a healthier lifestyle, minimizing future insurance premiums for their employers. Are you interested in learning what Healthcare2U can do for your employer groups? If so, let’s talk.

When implementing a telehealth program into a benefits package, it has the potential to transform an employee’s access to healthcare. Instead of waiting weeks for an in-office visit, employees can now address concerns quickly and reduce the utilization of unnecessary emergency services. Telehealth is a common benefit these days, but industry professionals weren’t always so keen on the idea.

Originally, there was a concern that telehealth would not make a difference in an employee benefits plan because of the assumption consumers would prefer face-to-face interaction with their physician. However, despite anticipated concerns, telehealth has proven its value and more employers are offering telehealth year-over-year. Studies show that, recently, an estimated ninety-six percent of large employers provided telehealth services to their employees.

The Value of Telehealth

Here’s a common scenario: it’s a weekend and an employee is developing a swollen throat and low-grade fever. With his history of strep throat, he knows he’s due for another fight with the same contagious infection. To kick it, he needs antibiotics and rest as soon as possible. Instead of utilizing an urgent care facility that doesn’t fall under his health plan or waiting days to visit his physician in-person – he simply calls his telehealth provider to explain his symptoms, discuss treatment options and receive a prescription.

Telehealth has become an important element in providing convenient care to consumers for many reasons. For example, a dangerous winter storm in Michigan kept many residents at home while wind chills dropped below zero. Since residents were advised to avoid unnecessary travel, a local telehealth provider saw a spike in telehealth utilization. The patient’s accessibility to a physician saved some from attempting to drive to the hospital in dangerous road conditions.

Another example is from 2016 when Frederick Memorial Hospital launched a Chronic Care Management Program that targeted 150 patients with “high-risk” chronic conditions, such as COPD, chronic heart failure, hypertension, and diabetes. The program was instrumental in identifying health issues and offering medical direction before the patient seeks emergency care. The results cut their emergency room visits in half and lowered the number of rehospitalization and treatment costs by nearly 50 percent.

Telehealth’s Value is in Utilization

Currently, of the 96 percent of large employers that offer telehealth, only 20 percent report that at least 8 percent of their employees are using services. Since the value of an employer’s telehealth program is based on utilization, employees must be educated on its benefits, how to access it and when. Changing employee behavior takes employer dedication but by implementing awareness campaigns through email, posting information in break rooms and providing a simple way to access their benefits, employers can see results quickly.

Now, imagine if a component of your benefits plan did all of this for you, provided a Direct Primary Care membership that further diverted claims, and decreased overall healthcare expenses. With Healthcare2U | No-Claims Healthcare™ employers receive just that. By integrating into a current or new benefits package, we provide a cost-containment service that does not generate claims against a health plan. With our patient navigation feature, we provide members with one point-of-contact for their entire healthcare experience, directing them towards the appropriate avenue of care. In 2018 alone, our patient navigation diverted 25 percent of members seeking physician appointments towards our 24/7/365 bilingual telehealth service, minimizing claims from the emergency room and urgent care utilization.

If you’re interested in providing your clients with unlimited physician access that includes telehealth at no additional out-of-pocket cost, contact the nation’s fastest-growing, integrated Direct Primary Care network – Healthcare2U at contact@healthc2u.com or (512) 900-8900.