The Importance of Preventative Care Coverage

Running a small business comes with its own set of priorities, and for most, ensuring your team is taken care of is critical. When it comes to employee benefits, one area that often gets overlooked but holds significant value is preventative care coverage. Let’s dive into why preventative care is a game-changer, not just for the health of your team but for your business as a whole.

What is Preventative Care?

Preventative care is all about taking steps to prevent health issues before they become serious problems. Instead of only seeing the doctor when someone feels sick, preventative care includes services like regular checkups, screenings, vaccinations, and counseling to catch potential health concerns early on. This proactive approach means fewer sick days and fewer severe health issues for your employees, leading to a healthier, more productive team.

Preventative care covers a wide range of services such as blood pressure screenings, cholesterol checks, cancer screenings, and immunizations. The goal is to identify health issues before they develop or at least catch them in the early stages. This approach makes a big difference in managing chronic conditions, which can be more costly and challenging to treat when ignored.

The Role of Preventative Health Care

Preventative healthcare plays a critical role in improving overall health and well-being. For small business owners, it’s not just about reducing sick days but about creating a positive, health-conscious work environment. By encouraging employees to use preventative care, you’re promoting a workplace culture that values health and well-being, which can also boost morale and loyalty.

When employees stay healthier, they perform better, experience less stress related to health concerns, and can focus more on their work. Preventative healthcare allows individuals to manage their health in a way that’s less reactive, which ultimately lowers healthcare costs for everyone involved. For small businesses especially, this can mean lower insurance premiums over time.

Preventative Care in Health Insurance

If you provide health insurance for your employees, there’s a good chance it includes preventative care services. Most major health insurance plans cover preventative care services at no extra cost to the insured individual. This means employees don’t have to worry about co-pays, deductibles, or other out-of-pocket expenses for preventative visits. And since preventative care is considered a key part of keeping healthcare costs down, insurers are increasingly willing to invest in it as a means to avoid more costly treatments down the road.

Understanding the specifics of what’s covered under your plan is essential. Not all plans cover every preventative service, and some plans have specific guidelines around how often a service can be used. Make sure you review these details with your team so they’re clear on what’s available to them and can take advantage of these services as intended.

Benefits of Preventative Care Coverage

Preventative care benefits are often underestimated, but the potential impact on your business can be huge. Here are some reasons why small business owners should make sure employees are aware of and use their preventative care coverage:

• Healthier Employees: Regular checkups, screenings, and immunizations mean employees are more likely to catch potential health issues early, so they can be treated quickly and effectively. This leads to fewer unexpected sick days and helps employees stay physically and mentally fit.

• Lower Long-Term Costs: Investing in preventative care can mean lower overall healthcare expenses. Chronic illnesses, like diabetes and heart disease, can become very expensive to treat if left unchecked. Preventative care helps in managing and even preventing such conditions, which keeps long-term insurance costs down.

• Improved Employee Retention and Satisfaction: Offering comprehensive health coverage, including preventative care, shows that you’re invested in your employees' well-being. Employees who feel valued and supported are more likely to stick around, reducing turnover and building a more loyal team. 

• Increased Productivity: When employees feel good, they work better. Healthier employees mean fewer days out of the office and more energy when they’re at work. Employees who can manage their health proactively are less likely to face major health interruptions, helping your business run smoothly.

Encouraging Your Employees to Use Preventative Care

Preventative care is only beneficial if employees actually use it. As a small business owner, you can play a big role in encouraging your team to take advantage of the preventative care services available to them. Here are some ideas for fostering a health-conscious culture:

• Share Information Regularly: Keep your team informed about the preventative care services covered under your health plan. Regular reminders, whether via email or during team meetings, can help ensure they know what’s available.

• Promote Annual Check-Ups: Make it clear that yearly physicals and screenings are encouraged. Consider offering flexible scheduling to make it easier for employees to take time off for these appointments.

• Organize Wellness Initiatives: Bring in wellness experts for workshops or seminars, or sponsor wellness challenges to get employees engaged with their health. These activities can help create awareness and normalize discussions around preventative care.

• Lead by Example: When leadership actively participates in preventative care, it sends a strong message to the rest of the team. Set the example by prioritizing your own health and taking advantage of preventative services.

How Justworks Can Help

If you’re wondering how to implement a comprehensive preventative care program for your small business, Justworks can help! Justworks can streamline the process of finding and managing the right health insurance plans, including preventative care coverage. Justworks can provide your business with high-quality, affordable health insurance options and assist in educating your employees on the benefits available to them. 

Preventative care creates a positive environment where employees feel cared for and empowered to take charge of their well-being. Healthier employees lead to higher productivity, improved job satisfaction, and lower long-term costs—all of which benefit your business. Get started with Justworks today!