If you were reluctant to change your benefits program during the Covid-19 pandemic, you aren’t alone. In the face of so much uncertainty, many employers decided to keep their benefits status quo. However, more than a year into the pandemic, employers are becoming aware of the need to be more mindful about how they spend their benefits budget while ensuring that their employees have access to adequate offerings and perks that meet their needs. In fact, due to the economic downturn resulting from the pandemic, your budget may be smaller, and therefore, you might need to make some changes to your benefits program. Open enrollment season is a good time to reevaluate your entire benefits portfolio.  

This is the time of year when your employees get to choose their 2022 workplace benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance, as well as supplemental offerings, such as life insurance and flexible spending accounts. Before open enrollment officially kicks off, consider reviewing your plan offerings to make sure they still meet the needs of your workforce as it continues to grow and evolve. That includes getting feedback from employees regarding what they like about the current benefits package, as well as what they don’t. 

Robust Benefits to Attract and Retain Talent

Of course, it’s understandable if you’re hesitant to cut back on benefits. The good news is, as a WTIA member, you don’t have to compromise when it comes to your benefits offerings. Portalus, a WTIA subsidiary, offers robust benefits programs designed to fit every budget while meeting the unique needs of your workforce.

We can also help you put together a competitive benefits package that attracts high-quality talent. After all, employers must contend with the Great Resignation, which despite the pandemic, has seen growing numbers of employees leaving their jobs in search of higher pay, greater flexibility, and yes, better benefits. And benefits are an important consideration for new hire candidates who are evaluating a job offer, second only to salary. Portalus caters specifically to startups and small businesses that may have limited budgets, but want to offer a solid benefits package so they can attract the best and brightest to their workforce.

One benefit in particular that’s garnered a lot of attention during the pandemic is virtual and digital healthcare. In fact, eight out of 10 employees said that if their employer offered it, they would value access to digital health solutions, such as video calls with their doctor and well-being apps that help them find healthcare support and self-manage conditions, according to Mercer’s 2021 “Health On Demand” report. Portalus can help you provide virtual care solutions for your workforce, among other benefits that help foster overall health and well-being.

Association Health Plan Advantages

If you’re still not sure whether you can afford to offer top-notch benefits, consider that you have a plethora of options available to you under the Association Health Plan (AHP). The AHP is built to serve the specific needs of our members while enhancing your buying power. It’s a one-stop, turnkey solution you can rely on to help your employees get access to vital health and wellness benefits.  

“Portalus strives to keep healthcare costs as low as possible for tech and professional service companies,” said Raven Mencias, Senior Sales Director, Portalus Benefits Program. “We understand the strain our members are under in the current healthcare environment, and how important that offering is in this day and age. We act as an advocate on behalf of our members to ensure that we keep costs as low as possible while offering a wide variety of options to serve their needs.” 

In addition, the AHP provides more than a suite of healthcare products. It also includes administrative features to help streamline and simplify the management of your health plan, such as free COBRA administration, consolidated billing, and health savings and flexible spending account banking through Navia at no additional cost. “Our goal is to make the AHP as ‘plug and play’ as possible to provide employers with an important and valuable suite of benefits that doesn’t require them to spend a lot of time administering their health program. That way, they can focus on what they do best: running their business and taking care of their employees,” Raven said.

This open enrollment season, take a proactive approach by: 

• Talking to your broker and reviewing your existing benefits, 
• Asking for employees’ feedback and making sure they’re getting the most out of your current offerings, and 
• Evaluating your benefits budget for the coming year.  

And if there’s something that isn’t working, by all means, let Portalus or your broker know. We welcome your feedback and want to make sure you’re getting the benefits and service you expect. “Our mission is to make sure we’re serving the tech industry well, so if we can do better, we want to hear from you,” Raven noted.

If you have questions about your benefits program or want to make changes, visit https://www.washingtontechnology.org/services/medical/, contact your broker, or Raven Mencias at rmencias@washingtontechnology.org.