Apr 12, 2021, 3:49 PM
(From SHRM) At the height of the pandemic, employee health care claims dropped steeply when people avoided visiting doctors' offices. Now as coronavirus vaccinations are widely available, Americans are expected to seek long-delayed care. However, delaying health care can result in undiagnosed and untreated conditions, and since doctor visit delays can lead to serious health problems, people may find that their health insurance costs increase. Also, more people seeking care in 2021 may contribute to insurance companies raising prices.
Health care experts advise employers to tell employees about the value of preventive health care and to help promote healthier behaviors through employee wellness programs. In addition, benefits managers could begin discussing ways to tweak benefits packages that may cost some more money in the near term but could lead to savings down the line by reducing future health care costs, such as lowering plan deductibles or providing funding to employees' health savings accounts.
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