FSA Friday - 6/22/18 - The continuing evolution of employee benefits

In last week's FSA Friday we talked about healthcare convenience, and a bigger focus on digital tools to improve patient experiences. In short, healthcare companies are either going digital, or "going home." But, as we learned, these efforts were aimed at improving the human experience.

This week, we continue the discussion, highlighting two articles that reinforce why digital is very much the industry's future. But they also point out that the human factor will always be paramount when helping patients manage their healthcare.

What's new in employee benefits? Health advocacy programs - Teri Dreher, Daily Herald

Employers love health advocacy services. If you're not familiar with these programs, they're pretty much what they sound like -- consultants hired to help guide employees through medical processes while making them more educated healthcare consumers.

Some of these services include:

• Answering questions on healthcare services
• Researching healthcare providers that fit employee needs
• Coordinating care between doctor and patient
• Helping with mental health
• Educating on healthcare with presentations

For employees, this means a more accessible approach to healthcare. Foreign concepts and tricky medical jargon become easy to navigate with employer-provided healthcare advocates. At the same time, employees can learn more about properly using their insurance and what doctors will work best for them.

Benefits product roundup: HR app, HSA calculator, PBM auditing - Caroline Marwitz, BenefitsPro

We're no strangers to the latest in healthcare technology. But we were impressed by some of the benefits-focused products highlighted in this BenefitsPro article. For example, DialCare's direct-to-consumer telemedicine plan, which companies can customize for specific employee needs.

Among the other tools highlighted in this article are around-the-clock healthcare advocates (if your company doesn't provide these already), phone access to registered nurses, online access to pharmacies and more.

(Impressive, for sure. But we're still partial to our very own FSA calculator.)

Improvements in these programs and keeping employees healthy shows the effects employee healthcare and overall employee health can have on a company. Whether it's saving employers money or boosting company morale, employers should strongly consider having people-focused, wellness-driven programs and services in place.

FSA Friday is a weekly roundup of the latest topics, tips and headlines to keep you updated on all things flex spending. It appears every Friday, exclusively on the exclusively on the FSAstore.com Learning Center. And for the latest info about your health and financial wellness, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.