During the height of the pandemic, telehealth visits accounted for 69% of all provider visits, according to national data from Epic Health Research Network. Although that number has dropped to 21%, that is still higher than before the pandemic when telehealth only accounted for less than 1% of all provider usage.

Having health insurance is one of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones. We insure our cars, home and other material items, so why would you decide to put yourself last? Car or home repairs can be very costly, but have you thought about what it would cost to fix YOU if something went wrong? Did you know that in 2020, the average cost to treat a concussion in an emergency room is $18,454?

We all have good and bad habits. Creating a routine for yourself and encouraging healthy habits can help you accomplish your health goals.

There’s no downside to being healthy; it can boost your energy level, improve mental performance, help you reduce your risk of chronic diseases and lead to a happier, more productive lifestyle.
 
So, what happens when you combine healthy habit tracking and gamification?

There’s a reason that 49% of Americans receive their health insurance through an employer-sponsored health plan. It’s a tax-advantaged way for an employer to provide “income” to an employee. It’s not really income--there’s nothing extra in an employee’s paycheck. However, it is tax free additional compensation in the form of health insurance benefits for an employee, and it’s tax-deductible for an employer to provide the benefits.

To understand why we have employer-sponsored health plans, a quick history lesson is needed.

It’s that time of year again for many employers. Health insurance renewals may feel like a pain; however, they may be one of the most important decisions you make each year.
 
Your renewal is the time to start a conversation with your agent or broker about whether your current plan is working well for you and what type of renewal options may be available for your small business.

Short-term medical (STM) plans are extremely beneficial when used as they were intended – for short periods of time. And now, with the coronavirus, these plans are more important than ever.

In recent years, rising health care costs have forced small business employers to explore more cost-saving options like reference-based pricing (RBP) when it comes to offering group health benefits.

In BenefitsPro's recent article, How reference-based pricing is recalibrating buying benefits, they point out that "as health care becomes an ever-increasing portion of expenses, employers are no longer willing to rely on the hollow assurances of Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) contracts".

According to David Massey, Senior Vice President at Brown & Brown, “employers benefit options are limited; they can’t continue to absorb the increasing cost of benefits, passing costs on to their employees has run its course, paring down benefits is actively being considered or do they stop offering health benefits all together?”

Reference-based pricing (RBP), once considered a non-traditional option, is now gaining attention for small to mid-sized businesses.

It's a health plan alternative worth learning more about to make sure you’re spending your health care dollars wisely.

Read the full BenefitsPro article here.

If you’re an employer sponsoring a group health plan or an insured covered under your employer’s plan, it’s important to learn about Medicare Part D.

Coverage for prescription drugs became available in 2006 for everyone with Medicare. This is referred to as Medicare Part D. If you’re about to become Medicare eligible (the first of the month you turn age 65) and are still covered under your employer's health plan, you need to know some details about your plan’s prescription drug coverage in order to decide what to do about Medicare Part D.

If you’re like a lot of employers, your group health benefit plan is up for renewal in the fall. Have you considered what you might do if the increase in premiums is more than you can afford?
 
It never hurts to shop around. Just make sure you’re not focusing only on price. An inexpensive plan might cost you and your employees more in the long run. Here are a few questions you should ask your broker about your plan options.

For the minor health issues in life, seeing your doctor virtually is rapidly becoming the favored way for someone to seek immediate help any time – day or night.
 
And these days, skipping the waiting room and connecting with your doctor via a video chat is one way many health care providers are trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 
 
So, how does a virtual doctor’s office visit (commonly known as telemedicine) work?