*This article was updated September 2020.
There are a lot of reasons an employee may want to change doctors. Maybe they are new to the area and haven’t had Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield coverage before. Maybe you’re offering a new health plan this year and the network has changed. Or maybe they are simply looking for a new personal doctor Opens in a new window.
Whatever the reason, you can make finding a new, in-network doctor easy for them.
Helping your employees find an in-network doctor will ensure they are getting the right care Opens in a new window, at the right place, at the lowest cost. And will avoid claim denials or higher out-of-pocket costs when they receive care from out-of-network providers.
We like to keep it simple, and personally engaging for each employee, so we created a switching doctors guide. Check out these three easy steps:
One: decide where to go. Two: get organized, Three: prepare for the first visit.
Why it's important for your employees to have an in-network doctor
It's simple. Without a doctor, your employees can experience several hurdles before they can receive health care services. When your employees have a doctor, they can get refills on prescriptions easier, get their annual preventive exams, and a host of other medical services. When your employees find an in-network doctor that works best for them, an important piece of their health care falls into place. Here's how your employees benefit from seeing an in-network provider. Their doctor can:
- Take a deep dive into their medical conditions and personal, family medical history.
- Know about current medications, stress levels, personal health habits, and other vital information.
- Provide important preventive exams and screenings to detect health problems before they become serious.
- Understands your employee's values, beliefs and preferences.
- Delivers better health outcomes.
Millennials are expected to make up 75 percent of your workforce by 2025. And, guess what? They are among one of the unhealthiest generations to enter the workforce, and only 68 percent of millennials have a primary doctor compared to 91 percent of Gen X. Learn more about why it's important to encourage your millennials to find a primary doctor that works best with them.
Choosing a doctor can be a difficult and important decision — whether it's for a new or seasoned employee. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield makes it easy for your employees to find the information they need. To start the conversation, share our free downloadable guide PDF File with your employees. It will help them choose a doctor and will provide them with down-to-earth guidance for their first office visit.
Share the benefits of myWellmark with your employees
When your employees log into their account, or register for myWellmark Opens in a new window, they reap the rewards. myWellmark offers all the health care tools and resources available to them with a simple click of a button — which leaves you with fewer questions to answer and more time dedicated to your job.
myWellmark can help your employees find in-network providers with locations closest and convenient for them. They can also browse through patient reviews, check provider quality scores and even compare costs to other doctors within network.
The first step is to make sure your employees are registered. Use our myWellmark promotional kit PDF File, which can be found on the Wellmark Marketing Toolkit Secure Site, to help deliver the information to your employees. Choose your favorite way to communicate, whether it's by using the email, newsletter or intranet article templates we've developed, or by printing out hard-copy materials.
If you are a Wellmark member, you have access to order, download and print ready-to-use materials with the Wellmark Marketing Toolkit. View our most frequently asked questions, and find the resources you need to communicate health and well-being benefits to your employees.
Questions? Contact your authorized Wellmark account representative, or email us at blueatwork@wellmark.com Send Email.
