Myth Busting: Annual Doc Visits Don’t Cost Employees and Are a Win-Win
Did you know your staff and their dependents can receive their annual checkups at no additional cost? Yet according to an annual survey1, around 25% of Americans have avoided care because they didn’t know what their health plans covered. And it turns out income has an effect on this trend – Americans who make less are more likely to avoid care. “Thirty-six percent of people making less than $75,000 annually said they avoided care because of uncertainty over what their health insurance covered, compared to 24% of those making more than $75,000.”
Help us get the word out to your staff that in-network preventive checkups, vaccinations, and screenings are covered at 100% under their ELCA-Primary health benefits.*
Any additional medical care or health expenses incurred during or after the appointment may be FSA- or HSA-eligible.
Deferring Health Care Costs
Deferring health care has become a real issue. It costs employers like you in lower employee productivity and worsening employee health. Check out Portico’s recent article on the implications of deferred care. Americans are frequently delaying routine doctor and dental visits. This could be because of inconvenience, lack of time, or maybe even fear of what they’ll find out at their visit.
But we can’t put health and well-being on the back burner. During an annual checkup*, employees get that all-important opportunity to discuss their health with their primary care doctor on a more personal level and are screened for certain age-specific conditions.
According to PublicHealth.org, preventive health screenings and visits with a primary care doctor can significantly increase life expectancy, especially among 30- to 49-year-olds.
At Portico Benefit Services, we know your staff can’t serve your community well if they aren’t at their best financially, emotionally, and physically. We want to help you spread the word about the importance of annual checkups to keep your most important asset — your staff — in tip top shape for the new year.
Related Resources
1Horvath, H. (2020). Health Insurance Literacy Survey 2020. Policygenius. Retrieved February 10, 2022, from https://assets.ctfassets.net/3uw9cov4u60w/Oe30cni5ZPbOOlhPC65Ea/3192cef6e5bc15db386e8e8a661ad090/Health_Insurance_Literacy_Survey_2020.pdf
*Reminder: Eligible medical care that extends beyond what’s listed as a covered preventive service is subject to an individual’s deductible and coinsurance. For example, claims for tests related to a vitamin deficiency, or an extended discussion with the doctor about knee surgery options and concerns, would not be covered at 100% even if those services or discussions occurred on the same day as an annual physical exam.
Portico assumes no responsibility for the content, claims, representations, or accuracy of the material contained in the web link sites. Portico does not endorse the content of the sites or the organizations sponsoring the website.
Portico Benefit Services maintains the ELCA Medical and Dental Benefits Plan (which includes the ELCA post-retirement medical benefits obligation), ELCA Retirement Plan, ELCA Retirement Savings Plan, ELCA Disability Benefits Plan, ELCA Survivor Benefits Plan, and ELCA Flexible Benefits Plan. Portico also maintains two group retirement plans for ELCA-affiliated social ministry organizations – the ELCA Master Institutional Retirement Plan and the ELCA 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan. Plan member rights under the plans are governed by the plan documents, which are the full, legal descriptions of the plans. If any information herein is inconsistent with the corresponding plan document, the plan document is the controlling document.