Month: March 2023

Meet the team: Michael

HealthEE by HBG prides itself on having a friendly support team, and that begins with having a friendly face at the helm. Today we are spotlighting Michael the Customer Support Team Lead here at HealthEE by HBG. In speaking with him, he shared, he is an avid gym-goer and fitness enthusiast. “I love spending time with my family and friends. A fun fact about me is that I love to cook!” Michael shared when I sat down with him.

Michael, being the fitness fanatic he is, loves our Wellbeats virtual fitness program. He enjoys interacting with different members and knowing that he and the team positively impact members’ benefits and experiences. When I asked him about his favorite interaction to date, he replied, “As a growing company, we take pride in every interaction with our members. Most recently, we had a member who, unfortunately, was laid off from their organization and was looking to cancel their monthly subscription for medical coverage. While we were sad to see him go, he was extremely appreciative and grateful for our positive outlook and high-touch customer service. He said he would come right back to HealthEE once he was employed again. Until then, we look forward to serving more of our members!” Michael’s interaction is a prime example of how HealthEE by HBG is different from other benefit offerings. With no open enrollment periods, the member could cancel his medical coverage as soon as the following month. The other factor making HealthEE by HBG different is the support team itself. In Michael’s words, “0ur attention to detail and sincere hope to help each and every single one of our customers and current members differentiates us from the traditional support teams in the industry – we take pride in everything we do!” Whether you have questions about plan specifics or want to ensure your doctor remains in network, the HealthEE Support team is ready to help. Like detectives, they will find you the answers you need to make a well-informed decision for you and your family. Want to speak with Michael? You can contact him directly at michael@hbgnow.com, by phone at (888) 655-4053, or by our customer support email address at support@hbgnow.com. 

Meet the team: Allie

Say hello to Allison, aka Allie, whose life’s passion is her two kids, and boy, do they keep her busy! When She isn’t chasing after the two of them and not helping the support team, she is an avid reader and enjoys winding down with yoga. 

A true people person, Allie loves talking to our customers, getting to know them, learning about their healthcare needs, and helping them feel supported while choosing the right healthcare coverage. Her favorite HealthEE by HBG benefit is our partner Rightway, the dedicated health concierge. On the topic, Allie described the benefit of Rightway as “unmatched in this industry. Having a personal guide to help navigate the often confusing and time-consuming world of health coverage is so valuable.” 

I asked Allie what makes the HealthEE Support team different from other support teams. She answered, “ The HealthEE support team is so unique. We pave our way – by conforming to the needs of our customers and using trial and error to fine-tune our processes. This open-minded flexibility sets the stage for innovation and allows us to maximize our service. From our prioritization of human interaction to our willingness to go above and beyond, we believe our customers deserve the highest standards for support”. A specific example of this prioritization of the human experience was a case where a woman called Allie and began the call frustrated and unsure of what she registered for. Allie was able to walk her through her coverage from A-Z. The caller purchased additional coverage following her conversation with Allie because she loved the convenience of contacting Allie anytime with questions and trusting the information Allie provided. I then asked Allie what being a part of the Healthee Support Team has taught her, to which she replied, “When it comes to benefits, there is no one size fits all approach to customer support. Each customer deserves a personalized experience based on their individual needs.” Allie enjoys helping solve problems with callers to narrow down which plans will best suit their needs and can help you do the same. You can contact HealthEE Support 5 days a week, and Allie recommends you start by emailing support at support@hbgnow.com to create a line of communication based on what works best for you. Want to speak over the phone? Great, or do you prefer to text or zoom? We do that too. 

Call or text: 888-655-4053

Schedule a live call here

More and more of the workforce is becoming independent

We all seek freedom and independence at one time or another throughout our lifetime. Whether it be the freedom to make your own decisions when you first live on your own or to get yourself from point A to B when you get your license, we typically associate this desire for freedom with youth, but seeking control of our lives is a desire that continues with us throughout our entire lives. The Covid-19 pandemic was a reckoning for many to finally take a leap and reclaim their sense of control regarding work-life balance. A new National Bureau of Economic Research study found that about 15% of the workforce are now independent contractors. We say this because informal work and side hustles continue to make complex data hard to tape down as the gig economy rises. The report’s synopsis describes the contractor workforce as “elusive” due to a myriad of factors, including the miscoding of contract workers who work on multiple projects for a company. The findings of this study have implications for the economy and the demographic profile typically associated with contract workers. The study found millions more Americans are self-employed than previously estimated by reports like the 2022 survey from the freelancing platform Upwork. More than impacting the work culture, economy, and overall data, this trend has become the new norm, not seeming to be going anywhere for awhile. What can you do with this information? 

Start including independent contractors in your book of business. Consider what you can offer contractors to incentivize them to work for you, not the competition. For example, separate benefits with no employer sponsor and no open enrollment periods offer the flexibility contract workers need regarding benefits. 

Source

https://www.benefitnews.com/articles/15-percent-of-the-labor-force-may-be-independent-contractors

Why you should take this opportunity to offer your part time employees benefits!

Since the re-acclimation of society following the Covid-19 pandemic, the workforce’s trend of playing hot potato with their jobs has become even more prevalent. Seemingly gone are the days of long tenure and climbing the corporate ladder as the primary goal of employees. For many, the ideology has shifted to prioritizing mental health and personal life over career advancement. Gold stars, promises of promotions, and free bagels don’t cut it anymore. If retention is essential to your company, you must offer tangible incentives that improve employee life authentically. Especially for the employees entrusted with being the human touch point between the brand and the customer, your sales associates, servers, desk attendants, and the traditionally part-time workers need to feel appreciated and motivated to put the company’s best foot forward. 

What do absolute and tangible retention techniques look like? They look like they are providing securities like access to benefits. Providing part-time employees with low-cost and flexible benefits can actively endorse retention while improving productivity as employees will be less stressed.

Healthcare Innovations

We live in a time of change; technology has shaken up the world time and time again, from learning and working virtually to Ai innovations. Disruption is the name of the game in today’s society, so it is no surprise health leaders’ media has reported the healthcare industry is ready for a reckoning. The health leader’s media article “Assessing the biggest disruptors in healthcare” focuses on telehealth champions, but the disruption to the industry doesn’t stop with virtual care. But telemedicine is a great place to start. We now live in a world where you can call a doctor in bed with the flu and have a prescription ready for pickup in an hour. In addition, from an overall health perspective, there are now resources like Rightway, the dedicated health guides who can schedule appointments, find in-network doctors near you, and handle billing disputes all in one app. 

Here at HealthEE by HBG, we use technology to benefit underserved community members like part-time employees, gig workers such as uber drivers and instacart drivers, and freelancers. You can get quotes 100% online pay for monthly coverage like a Netflix subscription. 

Get covered as soon as the following month, and have rightway by your side to sort through plans and telemedicine to avoid waiting in doctor’s offices when you would much rather be in bed.

source:

https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/innovation/assessing-biggest-disruptors-healthcare

3 years later and the day many of us have dreamt of is on the calendar

Since March 2020, we have all been waiting. Waiting to go back to normal, as the months went on, we were waiting to leave our homes for more than a grocery run; then we were waiting for mask mandates to be lifted, and now the last straw is that the state of emergency is set to be lifted this May. Over the past nearly four years, there have been moments we wouldn’t see this day for many years, but now that we are here, what does it mean? As we still have about a month to go, there is a lot of speculation regarding how the lift will change our new normal—the New York Times reported on the subject defining the situation as “confusing” as such. Here is how we expect the state of emergency lifting should affect you based on your insurance. 

Not insured 

During the state of emergency in some states, those without coverage have received temporary Medicaid coverage for tests, treatments, and vaccines, which could end in May.

On Medicaid

Those on Medicaid can access covid tests and treatments at no cost until 2024 due to the American Rescue Plan. 

On Medicare

Thanks to the CARES Act, medicare members can still obtain free covid vaccines; however, you may have to pay copays for therapies like antivirals and tests ordered by doctors. 

Private insurance

The most significant change for most people will be they can no longer be eligible for eight free at-home covid tests each month through their insurance. 

 

This next “Normal” phase is new territory, especially for the healthcare industry. While the state of emergency lifting is a sign of Covid being in our rearview mirrors, staying updated with vaccines and boosters for the whole family remains vital. Physicians still recommend wearing masks and getting tested when you are under the weather. 

Source