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Hi Ruth,
When we restructured our benefits structure a while back, it was a big step in the right direction. Prior to instituting a “benefit bucket”, staff had no incentive not to opt into our medical insurance, and would get double coverage if their spouse had insurance as well. Which meant our agency was paying a higher cost to benefits than we really needed to.
Now, there is an incentive not to take insurance. If I were to opt into health insurance, I might get health insurance plus a 4k 401k employer contribution. However, if I opt out of insurance, then my 401k contribution might be 12k. (This is not a match, it’s just an employer contribution.)
This works really well, and I think most staff value the option of choices here. It’s just a very cumbersome process, and very confusing to explain to new staff. So we’re looking for something that might be easier but just as flexible. (Likely wishful thinking!)