This article is intended for fully insured groups in Iowa and South Dakota.
When it comes to selecting a health insurance carrier for your employees and their families, a lot of things come into play: administrative costs, strength of benefits and services, access to providers, educational and implementation materials, and so on.
But what about the little (or big) extras that come at no additional cost to your business or your employees? These built-in services can really move the needle on engagement in health and well-being. Employees appreciate perks, so it makes sense to get the biggest bang for your buck. Does your current carrier offer these must-have bonus benefits?
1. Access to health plan information anytime, anywhere
Your employees can save a lot of time and energy if their benefits information is at their fingertips — anytime, anywhere they need it. Whether it's finding an in-network doctor, tracking their out-of-pocket spend for the year, seeing if a service is covered, or even getting a cost estimate for an upcoming procedure, a personalized app is no longer just a nice-to-have — it's a necessity. If you want your employees to be engaged health care consumers, this is step one.
For Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield customers, myWellmark® Secure Site makes it easy for employees and their families to get a comprehensive, transparent look into their health care usage along with easy-to-use personalized tools, resources, and insights to help them manage health care spending and live a healthier life — ultimately helping your bottom line.
For employee resources, search myWellmark in the Marketing Toolkit.
2. Exclusive deals and discounts
Who doesn't like a good deal? Whether it's through local business-to-business partnerships, programs from area chambers of commerce, or even business-district discounts, deals can positively influence purchase decisions. At a national level, Wellmark customers get exclusive access to Blue365®. The site features discounts and resources on anything from fitness equipment and activity trackers to apparel and nutrition.
Featured Blue365 deal
Get access to more than 10,000 gyms nationwide for only $29 each month External Site with a Fitness Your Way™ membership.
Deals and discounts are announced regularly, and your employees can stay informed with a weekly email sent straight to their inbox. Encourage your employees and their families to sign up directly at Wellmark.com/Blue365 External Site.
For employee resources, search Blue365 in the Marketing Toolkit.
3. Coverage when your employees are away from home
Whether traveling for business or fun Opens in a new window, sometimes your employees and their families are outside of their normal coverage area. But that shouldn't mean they're left without any options should they need to seek care.
For Wellmark customers, the BlueCard® program has employees and their families covered. Those on a PPO or POS* network plan can take advantage of our national network for all their care needs no matter their location. And, employees with an HMO plan can travel knowing they’re covered for out-of-network emergencies.
For more information, and to find an in-network national doctor or hospital, log in to myWellmark or visit BCBS.com External Site.
4. Easily get answers to health-related questions
Whether it's through self-service information on a website, accessible customer service representatives, or an easy-to-use messaging center, employees deserve to get accurate answers or assistance when they need it (not 10 business days from now).
Enter BeWell 24/7SM, which connects Wellmark customers with real people who can help with a variety of health-related concerns no matter the time or day. Your employees and their families can get help coordinating appointments, managing complex situations, getting a second opinion, and more. Just have them call Eight, Four, Four, Eight, Four, Be Well 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For employee resources, search BeWell 24/7 in the Marketing Toolkit.
5. Health plan insights and healthy living tips
Keeping your employees up-to-date on the latest benefit news, as well as trends in healthy living and well-being, is an important part of maximizing the value of health insurance coverage. Some carriers may use direct mail, email campaigns, or even deliver info to the workplace.
BlueSM, an award-winning, periodic magazine created for Wellmark members, features health and wellness articles, consumer tips, health plan news and healthy recipes. And, your employees don't have to wait for it to hit their mailboxes. Access Blue online Opens in a new window or through a monthly enewsletter that features brand new stories to help your employees get the most from their plans and live healthier, too.
Find it online at Wellmark.com/Blue Opens in a new window, and sign up for the free monthly newsletter Opens in a new window, too!
6. Proven care and results with accredited facilities
Your employees get access to specialized care — like a surgery or transplant — with facilities that are recognized for their proven history of delivering exceptional care and results. This could mean fewer complications, lower readmissions and higher survival rates.
Hospitals and facilities are evaluated based on pre-determined standards to earn a Blue Distinction Center designation, and all Wellmark members have full access to the Blue Distinction® network — no matter their plan.
Learn more about the program and search for designated Blue Distinction Centers External Site.
7. Fuss-free virtual visits
Virtual visits provide increased convenience and satisfaction for your employees — and reduced time away from work and costs for you. Plus, virtual visits also check the box for convenience typically addressed by higher-cost urgent care centers or even emergency rooms.
For the quickest and easiest way for Wellmark members to see a doctor or mental health professional from a phone, tablet, or computer, encourage employees to download the Doctor On Demand® app. Over live video, employees connect with a board-certified doctor who can treat the most common medical conditions, including mental health, and even prescribe medications, if needed.
For employee resources, search virtual visits in the Marketing Toolkit.
8. Easy-to-access pregnancy support program
Within a given year, 3.8 million women in the United States will become pregnant according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) External Site. When an employee becomes pregnant — they likely have a lot of questions and decisions on their mind. How can you support them even if they're not ready to announce their pregnancy? A program that's ready when they are is a good first step.
Wellmark's pregnancy support program for employees who need it features robust online resources via myWellmark. Once logged in, your employees have 24/7 access to WebMD® Pregnancy Assistance, Count the Kicks® and text4babySM. After an initial assessment and evaluation of claims data, employees with high-risk pregnancies will have access to the support of an Advanced Care nurse throughout their pregnancy journey.
For employee resources, search pregnancy support in the Marketing Toolkit.
Psst: Find more resources here
Check out the Healthy Employees and Resources sections for even more actionable insights to use in your workplace.
Questions? Contact your authorized Wellmark representative, or email blueatwork@wellmark.com Send Email to learn more.
*Members on a POS network may have to pay an out-of-network cost share, which may increase their cost.
Doctor On Demand is a separate company providing an online telehealth solution for Wellmark members. Doctor On Demand® is a registered mark of Doctor On Demand, Inc.
Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures for patient safety and outcomes, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for providers located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable healthcare. Each provider’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Providers in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans’ areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on www. bcbs.com. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider’s in-network status or your own policy’s coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for non-covered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.
WebMD® is a registered trademark of WebMD Health Services Group, Inc. WebMD is a separate company that provides wellness services on behalf of Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Count the Kicks® is a registered trademark of Healthy Birth Day.
text4babySM is a service mark of Wellpass.
