Next to housing, offering health care coverage to employees is one of the top issues facing employers. With the high cost of premiums and deductibles, offering full health care coverage is most likely not an option for many of our small businesses.
However, there are now health care options out there that businesses can look at and potentially offer. The Employee Benefit and Retention Forum on Thursday, December 5, from 9 – 10:30am at the Ross Aragon Community Center is designed to give employers options. The panel that has been gathered will offer employers a variety of options that might work for their budget. Our local Archuleta County Public Health Department will be informing the attendees of new services and programs they are offering. While not health care coverage, their services are certainly health care options. Peak Health Alliance (formerly Elevate Health Plans) will be there to speak about affordable health care coverage.
Have you ever heard of Direct Primary Care? This medical care coverage is certainly a very attractive option for many businesses and for the health care provider as they can offer more personalized, yet affordable medical services. Dr. Dan Schaeffer and Jori Montroy with Whole Health Family Medicine will be on hand to describe the services associated with this health care coverage. Many businesses do not know that there are several providers in this community that offer services to our residents based on a sliding payment scale. The Pagosa Springs Medical Center and Axis Health Systems will be on hand to describe new services and sliding scale options.
In addition to health care options, has your business thought about offering other types of benefits to those employees that may not want health care coverage or are covered through another resource? We live in a community with lots of amenities. Can you utilize those resources to your advantage and offer perks to your employees? Yes – you can!
Have you even surveyed your employees to see what types of benefits they might be interested in: soaking passes, a pass to one of the fitness centers, chiropractic or massage certificates?
The forum is free, snacks will be provided and it is open to business and individuals alike. As we get ready for 2025, please learn more about what options are out there for you as a business owner or an individual. Some of them are more reasonable than you think.