How to improve health and well-being benefits

4 ways to give health and well-being benefits a makeover

March 10, 2023 10:41 AM

If employers want their benefits to do the most good for employees, it's time to think outside the box about how to encourage health and well-being.

Whether it's helping employees pay off medical debt, or ensuring workers have access to healthy food options, physical health is top of mind for organizations Paytient and FarmBoxRx. Paytient provides an interest-free credit card employees can use to pay for medical expenses, reducing financial stress so employees can focus on getting better. And FarmBoxRx is tackling a persistent issue in the U.S.: access to healthy food. The company provides boxes of produce to people on Medicare and Medicaid, along with recipes and meal plans to help workers prioritize nutrition.

When it comes to improving and maintaining mental health, having a fulfilling life outside of the office can go a long way. At Haberman, a Minneapolis-based marketing agency, employees get $1,000 and three days of PTO to support a side passion. The benefit encourages work-life balance, which can improve mental health and happiness among their team. Co-founder Sarah Haberman says employees share their passion projects with the rest of the team — she herself is training to become a breathwork facilitator, and plans to teach her team members calming meditations that can help them combat stress.

Look beyond health insurance options when considering healthcare benefits, and get inspired by the organizations doing innovative things.

Insurance, and assurance: How Paytient is helping employees pay for healthcare without breaking the bank

Having health insurance is not interchangeable with the ability to afford healthcare. Despite employers' best intentions with their benefit offerings, the financial stress of medical expenses on today's employees can be devastating to their well-being and work productivity. Fintech company Paytient is hoping to solve this issue with a health payment account through a Visa card that allows them to pay their out-of-pocket medical expenses upfront. Then, employees can pay off the card through a personalized, interest-free payment plan through the Paytient app.

"Paytient [allows folks] to walk in the door saying, 'No matter what, I'm going to be able to swipe the card and make a payment plan that works best for me and my family's budget,'" CEO and co-founder Brian Whorley tells editor Lee Hafner. "People share that if it weren't for Paytient, [they] would not have gotten care for themselves or family members."

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Insurance, and assurance: How Paytient is helping employees pay for healthcare without breaking the bank

Food as medicine: This company delivers produce for Medicaid and Medicare members

Approximately 53.6 million people live in food deserts, which are urban communities more than one-half mile from a supermarket, and rural communities more than 10 miles away. As a social determinant of health, access to nutritious food can influence the severity of chronic conditions — or whether or not people develop those conditions to begin with.

"In America, diet-related disease is massive, whether that's type two diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease," Ashley Tyrner, founder of food delivery service FarmboxRx, tells associate editor Deanna Cuadra. "Where you live, down to your zip code, can tell you better than anything what your health is going to be."

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Food as medicine: This company delivers produce for Medicaid and Medicare members

This marketing agency pays employees $1,000 to pursue their hobbies

Attaining work-life balance is essential to fostering happy and fulfilled employees, and Haberman, a Minneapolis-based marketing firm, is giving employees a necessary nudge. The company offers a passion project program — employees who have worked at the firm for at least a year are eligible for $1,000 and three days of PTO to pursue an interest or hobby outside of work.

"We know that great things happen when people are engaged with their passions for good, both personally and professionally," says co-founder Sarah Haberman. "It's a beautiful thing when you can allow people the opportunity to dig into their passions, and then share it back with the agency. You just never know what might happen."

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This marketing agency pays employees $1,000 to pursue their hobbies

Based on empathy, grounded in science: The essential role of health coaches

Behavior change isn't easy. Dealing with stress, making healthy food choices, getting enough exercise — everyone struggles with at least one of these issues, writes Dana Medlin, Senior Director of Behavior Change & Engagement at RecoveryOne, a leading digital physical therapy solution. People don't give up from a lack of desire to change, but rather, because they approach behavior change alone and in ways that aren't productive or that don't lead to lasting results.

Medlin became a health coach to offer patients reinforcement, hope, and trust. With evidence-based interventions and rigorous training, coaches are uniquely qualified to support patients on their healthcare journey, helping them change behaviors so that they can live healthier lives.

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Based on empathy, grounded in science: The essential role of health coaches