Your Health Care Program Advisor: Your Untapped Operations Resource

BY RYAN SPENCER

COVID-19 threw dozens of new challenges at CFOs and HR managers this year. Every day, company leaders faced questions they had never considered before: How do we keep our workers safe? How can we remain efficient while working from home? What are my legal responsibilities during the pandemic? Answering these questions has led to an Operations whirlwind that has completely transformed the way many businesses conduct themselves day-to-day. While you work to keep up with the latest developments and ensure your operations running smoothly, you shouldn’t have to worry about your health care program. Now is the time to rely on your benefits advisor as much as possible. 

Extracting Additional Value From Your Advisor

While the bulk of your communication with your benefits advisor may take place during open enrollment, their influence and capabilities can expand throughout the year. Demand greater assistance through the pandemic. With your advisor’s assistance, you can come through COVID-19 more streamlined than ever before. 

Working closely with your advisor grants access to numerous benefits, including:

1. A dedicated team. We always strive to feel like an in-house department for our clients. Regardless of who you work with, you should expect the same sort of attention. You deserve an expert who is invested in your success, especially in the middle of a pandemic when resources are limited and your talents are better spent focusing on the day-to-day operations of your business. 
Lean on your advisor as much as possible. Ask questions when you have them instead of reading through complicated paperwork or trying to research answers on your own. Allow them to field employee plan questions directly. Rely on their expertise during open enrollment. We’ve seen HR managers and CFOs sink hundreds of hours into new insurance options during open enrollment. Your advisor is there to help!
2. Smoother operations. Your health care plan can actually free up resources within your organizations. This may seem counter-intuitive, but health care programs are notorious for eating up company budgets, and many plans see annual rate hikes of 10% or higher. 
A great advisor finds ways to stifle or eliminate these price increases each year. In some cases, you may even receive significant savings that you can invest in other areas of the business. 
3. Optimized care and performance. An advisor who feels like a team player can provide a high level of assistance so that employees benefit from smarter choices and better health outcomes. 
When employees know exactly how and when to receive care, they take an active role in protecting their health and avoiding costly complications that could emerge down the road.
By fully leveraging your advisor’s capabilities, you free yourself to focus on what you do best: Running your business. 

Focusing On Business 

Now is the time to rely on your advisor. As you and everyone else at your business navigate the unique challenges of COVID-19, your advisor is there to streamline your plan, simplify enrollment, and answer questions. When you outsource as much as possible on your advisor, you free yourself to continue optimizing your business to remain resilient—through the pandemic and beyond.