Benefits administration and technology companies are, to an extent, in a “wait and see” mode as they survey what is happening in Washington, D.C. for the future of health care.
Senate leaders this week are putting the final touches to a draft bill following the passage of the American Health Care Act in the House. But what — if anything — finally emerges, and how the devil in the details will impact benefits professionals and their clients is unclear.
There are, however, key elements that drive health care strategy; ones that cannot be swayed by what is happening at the national political level, according to Marcy Klipfel, senior vice president of employee engagement with Des Moines, Iowa-headquartered, Businessolver, a benefits technology company.
“When it comes to our strategy around health care benefits, being authentic to our culture and caring to our employees always have been and will be the primary drivers – regardless of what Congress does or doesn’t do,” Klipfel told HR Daily Wire in an email. “Of course, should we be presented with a new national health care law, we’ll immediately set to work on integrating any new mandates with our existing benefit plans and overall strategy. So, in that way, yes, we’re in wait and see mode.”
The bill being drafted by Senate leaders will be passed to the Congressional Budget Office for analysis. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said it will not be published prior to arriving on the floor of the chamber and no committee hearings will be held.
“Proactively, though, we always do a thorough external analysis to make sure our plans are as competitive and cost-effective as possible compared to similar organizations,” Klipfel said.
And, internally, the company wants to be “transparent with employees about cost-sharing and the reasons for that, and offer several tools and resources.” This includes Businessolver’s own proprietary MyChoice recommendation engine and mobile app.
This will “help them make informed and empowered benefit choices that are right for them and their families,” Klipfel said. “In this time of legislative uncertainty, I think that’s the best any HR/benefits professional can do.”
