Rising health care insurance premiums are forcing employers to choose among undesirable lose-lose health care options.

Traditional options range along a continuum from passing through to employees all of the cost increase to dropping coverage altogether. Most employers choose a combination of reducing coverage and passing through a portion of the cost increase, a lose-lose scenario for both employer and employee.

Are win-win options available? The answer is a resounding, “Yes!” However, they all depend on an employer who is willing to commit to a program that encourages and rewards good health practices by employees.

The program incorporates four essential components:

1. Expand health care coverage to include alternative health care practitioners,
2. Encourage good health practices by employees,
3. Insure only against major health care expenses, and
4. Assure discounts from health care practitioners for routine health care costs.

This program, properly implemented, keeps health care costs at manageable levels and develops healthier and more productive employees. Each of these four essential components will be addressed in subsequent blogs.

If you would like to explore these programs for you or your business, send an e-mail to earlkemper@iib.ws.