Employee Health Insurance
Employee health insurance is something that most businesses should provide for those who work for them. It's important because, in America, health insurance is almost as much of a necessity as food and water if you have a health crisis. While there are some free clinics and charities, those typically require strict qualifications and are only available to those in a big metropolis area.
Having employee health insurance can also entice the best quality of workers to come to your company. If a worker is truly talented, competent and qualified, he will likely be weighing his options on job offers. If your competition offers health insurance while you do not, he will likely choose your competition.
Also, studies have shown that workers who have employee health insurance generally feel more happy with their employers. That translates into quality of performance. If workers feel as though their employers don't care about them, they will put much less thought, energy and effort to the work done. However, having a general insurance package and benefits greatly increased productivity and quality control.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, there are new "pay or play" proposals for employers. That means that laws are being considered where an employer would be required either to provide coverage or subsidies for those who could not otherwise afford health care. Under the proposal, if an employer did not comply, he would be fined. Businesses who already offer employee health insurance will already be ahead of the game if such proposals do go into effect.
Generally, employee health insurance works differently than other kinds of health insurance. Even those with pre-existing medical conditions can more easily get coverage if it's employee health insurance.
Employee health care can go beyond providing insurance. Many employers choose to work with health care providers to have health meetings and sometimes retreats. This is especially important for those working in restaurants and around a great deal of people. Knowledge of blood pathogens and other health-related issues is important to impart on those dealing with potential hazards.
Since many do gain health knowledge by watching television, sometimes shows are even brought into meetings as a way of entertaining and breaking the ice, as well as to get people to truly pay attention. For instance, according to "Television as a Health Educator: A Case Study of Grey’s Anatomy" done September of 2008, awareness of how HIV is passed on to mother to her newborn rose significantly after an airing of a "Grey's Anatomy" episode on the topic.
In this age, modern workers also need to know about HIV and AIDS. Even though knowledge is more widespread than when the disease was first introduced, many still maintain fears about it. Therefore, it's important to educate those infected and those working with the infected. While a person is not required to tell his co-workers about his disease, many do or reveal it in other ways. In order to ensure that the person makes an easy transition, workers need to be told about how it is passed and how it isn't. Education is also needed in cleanliness and the history of the disease. One cannot catch it as one does a cold from someone standing nearby. That's important to impart upon nervous co-workers.
Overall, employee health insurance is good for both the employer and employee. As an employee, it can cut your costs considerably than if you choose to simply get insurance independently. The discount is significant. Another plus is that employees can get tips from co-workers on who the good doctors and facilities are that accept the insurance since they will all have the same insurance coverage.
For the employer, offering health insurance is a way to strengthen the overall business and goodwill. What expenditures do come with offering insurance usually balance out in other benefits to your business.