Health Benefits for Small Businesses: An Affordable Way to Support Employees

For many small businesses, offering traditional health insurance is one of the most difficult decisions they face. Owners understand the importance of helping employees access healthcare, but rising premiums, deductibles, and administrative costs often place comprehensive health plans beyond the reach of smaller organizations.

The result is that many employers want to provide a meaningful benefit but simply cannot justify the cost of a traditional group health insurance plan.

Fortunately, today’s healthcare landscape offers additional options that can help improve access to care without replacing traditional insurance.

A Different Approach to Employee Healthcare

Virtual healthcare programs have become an increasingly popular benefit because they provide employees with convenient access to licensed healthcare professionals from virtually anywhere. While these programs are not health insurance, they can help employees receive care for many common healthcare needs quickly and conveniently.

For employers that cannot currently offer a traditional health plan, virtual care may provide an opportunity to offer employees access to healthcare services at a much lower monthly cost.

What Can Virtual Care Include?

Depending on the program selected, virtual healthcare may include services such as:

• Virtual Primary Care
• Virtual Urgent Care
• Behavioral Health
• Care Navigation
• Health Coaching
• Other virtual healthcare services designed to improve access to care

Many organizations also choose to pair virtual care with a prescription savings program.

One example is a program that offers access to a large list of commonly prescribed generic medications with no out-of-pocket cost to the member when obtained through the program’s participating pharmacy network. These prescription programs are separate healthcare services and are not insurance.

Together, virtual care and prescription access can create a valuable healthcare benefit for employees while remaining significantly more affordable than many traditional group health plans.

Affordable Benefits Can Still Make a Difference

For approximately $30 per employee per month (depending on the selected program and group), many employers can provide access to virtual primary care along with a prescription benefit that may include many commonly prescribed medications at no cost to the employee through participating pharmacies.

While these programs are not intended to replace comprehensive health insurance, they may help employees:

• Access care sooner
• Avoid unnecessary trips for routine healthcare needs
• Speak with licensed healthcare providers from home or work
• Reduce barriers to obtaining many common generic medications through participating programs

For many employees who currently have little or no healthcare access, this type of benefit can provide meaningful value.

Every Business Is Different

There is no single healthcare solution that fits every employer. Some organizations may benefit from traditional health insurance, while others may choose to supplement an existing plan with virtual care. Some employers who cannot yet afford comprehensive insurance may decide that offering virtual healthcare is a practical first step toward supporting their workforce.

The important thing is understanding the available options and selecting a program that aligns with your organization’s goals and budget.

How Remote Wellness Solutions Can Help

Remote Wellness Solutions works with employers, organizations, brokers, and benefit professionals to evaluate available virtual healthcare solutions. We help identify programs that fit an organization’s needs, explain how they work, and coordinate implementation with trusted vendor partners.

Our role is to help organizations understand their options—not to replace health insurance or recommend that employers forgo traditional coverage when it is appropriate.

If your business has wanted to offer a healthcare benefit but believed it was financially out of reach, it may be worth exploring today’s virtual healthcare options. Even a modest monthly investment can help improve access to care and demonstrate your commitment to employee well-being.