5 Tips for Maximizing Employee Health Care

Stretching employee health care benefit These days, stretching your employee health care benefits can save you bundles of money as employers trim benefits and charge higher out-of-pocket expenses. In 2010, 54 percent of large companies offered at least one high-deductible plan to employees, according to a RAND Corporation study. Cost-conscious employers are also launching more free preventive care services, including nutritional counseling, gym memberships and medical advocates who can help reduce medical expenses. "Employers are now giving out awards for using preventive care," says Trent Bryson, CEO of Bryson Financial Group based in Long Beach, Calif. "So, employees can get cash rewards or perk points for getting regular check-ups." Additionally, some companies offer overlooked benefits such as disability insurance, which are worth checking out. Here are five tips for maximizing your employee health care benefits.

Examine your benefits First things first: That means nailing down exact benefit changes, so you can control health insurance costs. To do that, look at your yearly renewal packet, says Martin Rosen, co-founder of Pennsylvania-based Health Advocate Inc. Details are spelled out in the packet's explanation of benefits, which outlines plan changes. "People assume that plans are much the same from year to year," says Rosen. "Oftentimes they're not." Treatment deductibles may be higher or benefits slashed.

Counting on wellness Employers really want you to be healthy. So, they're offering you a carrot -- and a stick -- for staying fit and trim. Carrots may include smoking cessation programs, gym membership discounts, weight loss programs, personal health coaching and classes in nutrition or healthy living. Almost 74 percent of employers offering health benefits provide a wellness program, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation 2010 study. The stick approach penalizes poor employee health. It springs from health risk assessments given by your employer. Employers may later raise your health insurance premium, change your plan or demand that you participate in, say, a smoking cessation program if you have health problems. "There's been a whole evolution in thought by employers," says Rosen. "Health risks carry consequences."

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