Enhance Insurance Plans with Non-Insured Benefits
Why Better Consistency, Connection, and Communication is Key
Non-insured benefits not only complement insurance plans — they are designed to make traditional benefits better. With their consistent access, connections to insurance, and built-in communication, here are three reasons you should enhance your insurance plans with non-insured benefits.
1. Consistency
Things change. We know that now more than ever. As traditional insurance benefits shift from year to year, it’s critical to continue providing value through the changes, limiting disruptions to the employee’s experience.
Non-insured benefits are carrier-agnostic solutions. Even if the insurance carrier or plan changes every single year, these solutions stick. Along with creating a consistent benefit experience for insured employees year-over-year, non-insured benefits also provide continuity across the whole workforce, regardless of eligibility or medical plan elections.
If telemedicine or counseling are only available through the insurance plan, there are going to be employees missing out. Our solutions provide equal benefit access regardless of status. Whether or not an employee has elected their employer’s insurance plan, they get consistent access to affordable healthcare and lifestyle services.
2. Connection
Not only do non-insured benefits fill in the gaps of traditional insurance plans, they can also create direct connections to help employees use their insurance more effectively. Alight Navigation, one of our health advocacy benefits, plugs the employee’s insurance plan into their system for seamless connection.
I’ve experienced the power of that connection firsthand. My son got his appendix removed in January 2019, and needless to say, we met our deductible through that expensive ordeal. Fast forward to December 2019 and my son needed an MRI. When the radiology center called to confirm the appointment, they told us to expect around a $400 patient responsibility, which didn’t seem right since we’d met the deductible. After struggling to get through to my insurance carrier, I called Alight and received the answer I needed just two hours later. There was a misunderstanding and I had no patient responsibility — Alight even sent me the confirmation so I could pass it on to the radiology center.
One quick call saved me hundreds of dollars and a lot of hassle. I was able to use my insurance plan effectively because of Alight’s direct connection. And if my insurance plan changes, Alight just reconnects for that consistent benefit experience.
3. Communication
Benefits are often utilized only as well as they’re communicated. Putting benefits directly in the hands of employees through a mobile app encourages engagement with easy access.
Our mobile app increases connection to both non-insured and insured benefits. We recently added a new feature to the app: My Insurance. This feature gives employees a quick snapshot of their insurance plan and contact information, including medical, dental, vision, HSA, and retirement. Employers can direct employees to this feature through timely, relevant push notifications.
The app also helps employees become more efficient users of their benefits with the ability to look up providers and compare prices. Take our new pharmacy discount program, New Benefits Rx, for example. When employees get a new prescription, they can use the app to search for the drug, compare prices at local, participating pharmacies, then access their digital membership card to show the pharmacist when they’re ready to save.
One access point makes it easy to communicate the benefit program as a whole, including all the connection points.
Insurance Plans with the Best of Both Worlds
By combining the consistent, connected nature of non-insured benefits with an insurance plan, all communicated through technology, you provide the best of both worlds to your clients and their employees. If you’re interested in building these carrier-agnostic solutions into your benefit program, contact me or one of our other benefits pros at NewSales@NewBenefits.com.