Group Benefits Shift in a COVID Landscape
In a recent article by Insurance News Net, some new trends for group benefits were outlined. Here are a few notable trends to watch for.
There will be a bigger reliance on technology when the employer is working with the broker to choose benefits. With in-person meetings being shunned, virtual meetings, and relying on platforms to ease decision-making will be the norm.
Online enrollment for employees will be more fully embraced, as well. Paper forms and in-person meetings will become rarer and rarer.
Renewal strategies will also turn to online solutions, easing the way for distanced decision making.
If you have not yet embraced online technology for any of these decision points, contact PEG today to learn how we can help.
Read the full article here.
Employee Benefit Trends During a Pandemic
According to a Fast Company article, employee benefits are evolving to meet our new work conditions. Perks like fully-stocked break rooms mean little to a mostly-remote office workforce. Continuing education is also being reduced in many offices, citing an uncertain economic future.
A new wave of perks is arriving to replace the standards, though.. Benefits like a stipend to set up a remote office and greater flexibility. Health benefits are evolving, as well. Additional mental health benefits are being offered, as well as access to remote learning options.
PEG Benefits is also helping companies facilitate telemedicine solutions and remote patient monitoring. Both solutions offer COVID-friendly social distancing practices while helping employees to maintain health.
Read the full article here.
The Future of Telehealth in a Post-COVID World
In a recent article by Patient Engagement Hit, it was reported that the pandemic has drastically changed the Telehealth landscape.
In 2019, a Harris Poll reported that only 8% of surveyed respondents had tried Telehealth. Post-COVID, a Doctor.com poll found that half of the people surveyed had used Telehealth. Of the half that did not use it, the most significant cited reason was they did not yet require it.
Further, 83% of patients anticipate continued access to Telehealth long after the COVID-19 pandemic fades.
Most healthcare providers and leaders feel that the landscape is changed permanently and that Telehealth will be an integral part of medical care.
Post-COVID Employee Benefits Trends
In a recent seminar by Employee Benefit Advisor, a panel of experts discussed what has changed in a Post-COVID landscape. Here are some of the trends you can expect:
Wellness and Prevention
Considering those most at risk for CoronaVirus are people with pre-existing conditions, it’s more important than ever to prevent them from happening in the first place. Wellness programs, well checks, and other programs explicitly targeting staying healthy will be on the rise.
Mental Wellbeing
Mental care will be increasingly more critical. COVID-19 may continue for some time, and dealing with issues related to isolation and anxiety will be critical. There will also be a drive to help people resist unhealthy coping mechanisms surrounding food, alcohol, and inactivity.
Measuring ROI
New programs and policies will be held to the test by ensuring that they can be measured against the bottom line for return on investment.
For more information, please visit Employee Benefit Advisor and listen to the full seminar.
Is Telehealth Here to Stay?
According to a recent Forbes article, Telehealth is on the rise. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic solidified its need, 22 percent of physicians had already facilitated at least one telehealth appointment.
Despite the familiarity of some physicians, the pandemic left many physicians and offices scrambling for a solution. While it’s great to have lots of time to vet the best platform available, finding a solution that can be set up and running fast is essential during a time like this.
PEG Benefits offers a Telehealth solution, as well as a Remote Patient Monitoring solution. Remote Patient Monitoring encompasses Telehealth as well as remote data capture. It can also facilitate data review, and allow timely management of the patient conditions. Both systems can be set up quickly and easily to have you up and running as soon as possible.
While some practices are slow to adopt these new technologies, citing the pandemic isn’t a permanent state in healthcare, it is important to note that patients enjoy the ease of Telehealth, so the trend isn’t likely to fade any time soon.
For more information, contact PEG Benefits today.
The Future of Managed Care
In a recent article by Managed Healthcare Executive, the site reported that at least 25% of Americans currently live with two or more chronic conditions. Managed care, or the idea that there is one central facilitator for the physicians, practices, care centers, and pharmacists involved in complex care, is more critical than ever.
In the current system, care facilitation is done by the health plan. There is a growing trend; however, that care is managed between the payers and the providers in a way that leverages new technologies available.
Technology such as Remote Patient Monitoring is available to any Medicare member. A patient with two or more chronic illnesses could be monitored by the physician without having to come into the doctor’s office, and the practice could seek reimbursement for these treatments. Reimbursements increase the fiscal health of the medical practice while lowering the overall costs to Medicare.
For more information about Remote Patient Monitoring, click here or contact PEG Benefits today.
How is Plan Design Evolving Due to the Pandemic?
It’s that time of year again where companies are re-evaluating their healthcare plan designs to ensure they are as effective and efficient as possible.
According to Employee Benefit News, the COVID-19 pandemic has helped to shine a light on potential areas of improvement.
Telehealth is one of the top concerns. Telehealth proved its necessity, and employers, now more than ever, understand the importance of its inclusion into plans. Being able to connect with doctors remotely for primary care as well as specialty care has been vital for the immunocompromised as well as healthy individuals.
Another point of concern is integration. Do the employer’s systems all work together, or do they cause more confusion by creating too many touchpoints along the path to health?
Read more about EBN’s insights here.
Innovative Diabetes Treatment Identified in Lab Mice
According to The Next Web, an innovative new treatment has been identified for lab mice with diabetes.
The cure involves using stem cells that are introduced into the body and begin producing the insulin that the pancreas cannot.
The treatment for mice has been shown to last up to nine months.
According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 10% of the US population is currently living with a diabetes diagnosis.
CMS Expands Telehealth Services
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, telehealth services are being offered by more physicians and hospitals than ever. With the goal of limiting the spread of the coronavirus, CMS is expanding acceptable uses on a “temporary and emergency basis.” The expansion announced on March 17 includes Nephrology services.
Effective immediately, Nephrology outpatient office visits, individual and group education, transitional care, and more can be conducted via telemedicine.
If you’re interested in implementing a telemedicine benefit for your employees, learn more here or contact us today.
Reducing Healthcare Spending
According to a recent news article by medicaleconomics.com, the US spends approximately $1.3 Trillion more on healthcare than the average country. The average being approximately 10.6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
In order to approach this reduced level of spending without affecting the quality of care, a few shifts are required:
1 – Hospitals must be used only in life-threatening emergencies. Designing plans that encourage the use of primary care as a first-tier of support is key.
2 – Make care closer to home or work. Using technology to make appointments quicker and easier and creating more convenient care centers will help patients keep appointments without risking a loss of income.
3 – Cost transparency. Making it easier for patients to understand what they’ll be charged and where their money will be most effectively spent is important to reduce overall spending.
4 – Ensuring pre- and post-care is obtained. Healthcare is an ongoing engagement and using technology to ensure that patients adhere to all necessary care can greatly reduce re-admissions and relapses.
If you want to learn more about leveraging these tips with your healthcare plan, please contact us today to discuss the programs PEG Benefits has available for healthcare cost reduction.