MEDICAL STOPLOSS Helping more employers fight the effects of inflation By Len Strazewski When the World Health Organization declared the COVID pandemic more than three years ago, self-funded employers and their stop-loss insurers steeled themselves for a tsunami of medical claims. Hospitals were at capacity and before vaccines became available, health insurers feared the worst. But the tsunami never came. As social medicine prevention programs took hold, employers sent
Benefits Lead
A WAVE OF WELLNESS Physical, mental and financial programs take hold By Thomas A. McCoy, CLU Workplace wellness—employers taking care of workers’ physical, mental/emotional and financial needs—had its beginning decades ago. Initially, wellness was concentrated on workers’ physical needs. It was focused on a range of safety training and other risk management practices designed to keep workers productive and on the job. Then, employee benefits plans introduced broader forms of
DISABILITY INSURANCE As “long COVID” lingers, disability design plans are changing By Len Strazewski Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, patients packed hospitals and struggled to breathe, using oxygen systems and—in a worst case—ventilators. Many died and others survived but were disabled. Few had comprehensive disability insurance benefits, especially supplemental short-term disability benefits. Even three years later, “long COVID” lingers, extending the period of disability beyond short-term disability benefits. In December,
SELLING BENEFITS IN A VIRUS-FILLED WORLD Respiratory and new COVID variants could lead to more changes in benefits needs By Len Strazewski Conference rooms are filled with employees learning about their employee benefits. Posters on the wall promote health plan choices. Supplemental or voluntary benefits are available, but most employees shrug them off as an unnecessary expense. That was open enrollment three years ago, when employees reported to worksites or
A NEW LOOK FOR WELLNESS PROGRAMS Addressing changes in the nature of work and employee health concerns By Len Strazewski Times have changed in the employee wellness arena. Wellness program manuals used to focus on diet and exercise programs, smoking cessation methods, and disease prevention guidelines. Many were administered by on-site employer clinics and health services. Then COVID-19 drove most employees home to work remotely, and access to employer-based programs
