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There are only two ways you can truly control health insurance premiums.  Either you reduce the costs of claims or you completely eliminate claims.     Last year Blue Cross added a rider  for groups under 100 employees called Healthy Actions to help them avoid claims.   If you have Blue Cross for your health insurance, you should strongly consider adding this benefit.

 

Cost

  • 1 employee:  2.5% additional premium each month
  • 2-9 employees:   1.25% additional premium each month
  • 10-99 employees:    .4% additional premium each month

Benefits to employees

With Healthy Actions, employees have the opportunity to receive up to $300, in the form of a Visa debit card, just for being healthy. To get started, they just need to follow the two simple steps below.

  • First, employees must complete an online health risk assessment.
  • Second, employees need to ask their doctor to fill out a Clinician Health Review form. This form documents key health measures, such as weight, blood pressure, smoking status, and records preventive screenings.
If the doctor determines that the employee: Then after submitting the form the employee:
Is healthy
  • Receives a $300 Visa debit card
Needs to improve their health (for example, lose weight, take medication to lower cholesterol)
  • Receives a $100 Visa debit card
  • Then the employee needs to work on the health goal set by his or her doctor within a set timeframe
  • And if the employee meets the goal and submits a second form before plan renewal, he or she will receive an additional $200 Visa debit card

 

 

Benefits to employer

Percent of employees who earn the full $300 reward Your reward is…
20-49% 1.25% of current year’s premium
50-79% 2.50% of current year’s premium
80-100% 5.00% of current year’s premium

*The premium reward is based on total premiums paid during the full 12-month contract period.

 

Example

  • 4 person group with a monthly premium of $2,000 per month
  • Healthy Actions cost 1.25% or $25 per month  ($300 annually)
  • all 4 employees were health and received $300 ($1,200 total)
  • Since the company was at 100%, they received a check for $1,215
  • Although this cost $300 to add, this company received back $2,215

If you have Blue Cross and have a healthy group, contact me to learn how to add this rider.

 

 

Vanessa Cost is owner of Advantage Benefits, based here in Worcester, and has been specializing in employee benefits the past 20 years.