Healthcare in the United States offers subscribers access to high-quality professionals, equipment, and medical procedures. However, advanced healthcare facilities are not cheap. This is why employees take a hard look at health insurance and benefits when considering employment. In short, benefits can make or break a potential hire.
When coupled with a pandemic, the pressure on employers to offer health benefits only continues to increase. However, you may have several new options to deliver better healthcare and benefits, including telehealth benefits. Read on to find out how this emerging technology could help you improve your benefits programs.
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Understanding Telehealth Benefits
Telemedicine has revolutionized healthcare delivery in several ways. It involves the use of digital technology or other communication tech to offer various useful health services. One of the biggest benefits of telehealth is that it makes access to healthcare easier, faster, and more convenient. A range of health services, including virtual consultations, learning material for patients, and even emergency help info, is all accessible using a compatible device and internet service.
Most telemedicine companies either make use of an online portal or mobile application (or both). This means most of your workers should be able to access telemedical help on devices that they likely already own. Of course, telehealth benefits cannot completely replace conventional healthcare benefits. A surgeon cannot operate on a patient virtually. However, they do offer enough valid reasons for employers to consider including them in their benefits programs. Here are a few examples of the value it can offer:
The Value to Employees
Telemedicine makes access to healthcare services far easier than conventional ways. It does so by leveraging existing communication technology such as video conferencing software, VoIP services, and even conventional home phones. As a result, it becomes far easier for patients to communicate with healthcare providers and stay informed on their physical and mental health.
In most cases, telehealth services are available around the clock, 24 hours a day. Thanks to modern remote work models and decentralized recruitment, larger telehealth providers can operate in various time zones. That way, patients (including your workers) can access the information and help they need quicker than conventional ways.
It is important to note here that telehealth services are typically digital and that may concern some people about privacy and data collection. Just like conventional healthcare, however, telemedicine is bound by HIPAA rules. That means all communication between patients and their health providers is private, confidential, and privileged information. It cannot be divulged or shared with third parties unless maybe under a court order.
The Benefits to Employers
Telemedicine does not only benefit the workers to whom it is offered. It also has a lot of potential value to your firm. One of the biggest corollary benefits is a strong addition to your employer’s value proposition. The EVP and your employer brand have a deep impact on a new candidate’s decision to accept a role.
A poor EVP and a disreputable employer brand will always limit your ability to source high-quality talent. For example, a business is known for a poor benefits program and a reputation for workplace bullying will never be a candidate’s first choice.
The opposite also holds true. A good EVP and brand should help strategic affiliates like a staffing agency pitch your firm as a more appealing option than other employers to any given candidate. A poor EVP usually results in an impaired ability to source high-quality talent. After all, nobody wants to work for a company with a reputation for workplace bullying. The opposite also holds true. If your EVP strengthens your position as a desirable employer, you can be sure to attract better candidates than the competition.
Of course, one of the best ways to supplement your EVP is to offer deal-clinching benefits such as healthcare benefits or insurance. Offering telehealth benefits could help supplement your employer brand significantly. This is especially useful when it comes to competitive candidate pools, such as in mortgage roles.
A mortgage staffing agency will typically find it far easier to fill roles for you if they can really pitch you as one of the best. Healthcare benefits (including telehealth) can prove to be the tipper every employment decision needs.
Other Benefits
There is also the matter of leveraging telehealth to drive down employee absence or sickness frequency. Remember, a sick employee cannot sustainably work at 100% of his or her potential. Moreover, forcing him or her to come into a workspace could prompt other employees to become ill, driving absences higher still.
Instead, offering telehealth benefits allows your workers to access the help they need at any time. This can help them prepare accordingly and minimize the impact on workflows down the road. Telehealth can also help workers prevent current problems more serious or chronic health concerns down the road. By offering the right benefits, you could be reducing employee absenteeism and improving overall business productivity too.
