Offering comprehensive health benefits can help small businesses thrive

Offering robust health benefits can benefit your company in many ways:

• Recruiting. Good health benefits will help you attract the best workers. The benefits package is often a top consideration when highly sought-after candidates are deciding which positions to apply for, or which job offer to accept.
• Employee retention. When you invest in good health benefits, your employees are more likely to want to stay with your company.
• Job satisfaction and morale. Employees perform better and go the extra mile when they feel valued by their company. Health benefits can play a big role in demonstrating that you appreciate and care about your employees.
• Productivity. People who have good health benefits are more likely to receive preventive care and treatment than those without it. Healthier employees perform better on the job and take fewer days off work.
• Tax incentives. Health benefits are a significant tax advantage, as you can deduct the cost of employer-sponsored health insurance as a business expense.

A comprehensive benefits package does much more than help pay for a doctor’s visit. A well-rounded package may include:

• Medical coverage through either a self-funded or more traditional fully funded plan. Members should be able to access quality care near their homes or workplaces. Health plan members also value having a choice of providers and being able to get convenient, affordable care quickly. In addition, top-notch customer service is important when members need help finding a provider, understanding their benefits and when there are billing discrepancies.
• Mental health support. Increasingly, employers are seeing the value of offering coverage for mental health issues. Almost 80% of employers have seen an increase in utilization of these benefits to treat a mental health or substance abuse disorder.
• Dental coverage can be just as important as medical coverage because your oral health has a direct impact on your physical health. Employees are more likely to get regular dental care if they have a dental insurance.
• Vision coverage matters, too. Although medical insurance often covers eye-related health issues, such as cataracts or retina conditions, it often does not pay for routine eye exams, eyeglasses or contact lenses. This help may be necessary for your employees to function at their best on the job.
• Wellness programs can make a big difference for employees who are interested in adopting a healthier lifestyle.

Allstate Benefits’ plan designs offer valuable solutions and options that check all of the boxes, allowing you to build an affordable health benefits package that meets all of your employees’ needs.

Medical coverage

Allstate Benefits offers both self-funded and traditional fully funded health plan options.

Our self-funded plan designs are a great choice for small and mid-sized employers who are looking for ways to take control of their health care costs. We can find a plan that suits your needs, whether you need coverage for 2 or 500 employees.

With the Allstate Benefits Self-Funded Program, you have one predictable monthly payment¹ that is split three ways:

1. Claims fund - Your contribution to the claims account is determined upfront and is guaranteed not to increase for a full year as long as there are no changes to your group's benefits or enrollment.
2. Stop-loss insurance - If your group's claims are higher than expected, stop-loss insurance protects your business's assets.
3. Administration - All day-to-day administration of your self-funded plan - including claims processing and customer service - is taken care of for you, so you're free to focus on your business.

Employers may even get a refund in years when claims are lower than planned. If your group's claims are lower than expected, you may get a refund of a portion of the difference at the end of the plan year.²

Self-funded features include:

• Flexible deduction options.
• Coinsurance from 50% to 100%.
• Dedicated account manager.
• First-dollar coverage for preventive care.
• Access to national PPO networks.
• Excellent customer service.
• A telehealth service that can save you money.
• Valuable add-ons, such as a wellness program and dental and vision plans.

If a traditional major medical plan is more your style, Secure Choice fully insured plans are a great option. Secure Choice is a robust health benefits plan for small businesses (50 or fewer employee members) that is available in Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin.

With Secure Choice, you can choose the plan level that best fits your needs. The gold-, silver-, and bronze-level plans correspond to coverage rather than quality of care. For example, gold-level plans have the highest monthly premiums and the lowest out-of-pocket costs, such as deductibles and copayments.

Secure Choice offers:

• Convenience. It's easy to select a plan that best meets your company's needs.
• Less risk. You pay your premium and we take care of the rest. All claims risk is assumed by Allstate Benefits.
• Stability. We are a knowledgeable, experienced and trustworthy carrier with more than a decade of experience in the small to mid-sized business market.
• Guaranteed renewal. As long as you pay your premium, we will continue to renew your plan.

All of our plans include preventive coverage that aligns with Affordable Care Act requirements.

Mental health

Virtual counseling is available with all Allstate Benefits’ plan designs. Your members age 10 and older have access to virtual counseling sessions by licensed counselors, social workers and therapists in as few as 48 hours. Virtual counseling is ideal for:

• ADHD / ADD
• Anxiety / stress
• Bipolar disorder
• Sleep disorders
• Substance abuse
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Grief / loss
• PTSD
• And more

Dental and vision

Dental and vision coverage can be added to most of Allstate Benefits’ Self-Funded Program options. We offer PPO plans³ with either the Aetna Dental Access® network or the Cigna® Dental PPO SA network. You can also choose to have no network, allowing members to visit any dentist for care.

Vision⁴ coverage can be added to your dental plan as well. Our vision plan with VSP® Vision Care offers industry-leading savings, more choice in providers and award-winning service.

Telemedicine

Allstate Benefits includes virtual urgent care that provides convenience, easy access and cost savings with all plan designs. Virtual care is available for common illnesses like pink eye, asthma and colds.

Allstate Benefits also includes a personalized virtual care team to diagnose, treat and manage musculoskeletal conditions. Initial evaluation and treatment plans or many joint issues have $0 copays⁵ for members.

Cancer support

Allstate Benefits plan designs include a cancer support program designed by oncologists, that help employees take control of their cancer care and achieve better outcomes.

Wellness programs

Our wellness programs, which are available with our Self-Funded Program, use a comprehensive approach that incorporates scientifically and clinically proven elements to have the greatest impact on wellness.

Family care

With our Self-Funded Program and Secure Choice plans, members get 10 hours per year of help caring for loved ones or themselves. This support can be vital in reducing stress and absenteeism.

Contact a Group Health sales executive to learn more about how Allstate Benefits can help your company and your employees.