“Wellbeing is attained little by little, and yet is no little thing itself” – Zeno of Citium

Wellbeing in the workplace can seem like a mythical creature – you’ve heard of it, you think perhaps you’ve caught a glimpse, but it can be difficult to grab onto.

According to the LinkedIn Global Talent Trends Report that was issued in October last year, after compensation, candidates rank organisational support of work-life balance and flexible work arrangements as key priorities in their job selection.

This speaks to the importance of a tuned-in company culture with leading organisations finding ways to support these needs in various ways and manifestations, ensuring that personnel frameworks, internal processes and employee benefits come together in a bigger picture where the employee experience of wellbeing is simply superior to that of competing employers.

When it comes to healthcare benefits, this should be no different. A medical scheme option that stands head and shoulders above the rest will provide your people with the ideal balance between solid healthcare benefits and total freedom of choice.

I would go so far as to say that when it comes to supporting wellbeing and furthering flexible choice, seeking out a market leading savings option may well be the wisest strategy you could adopt. This is particularly the case if that option has been singled out by industry experts and actuaries as one of the most benefit-rich and competitive options on the medical schemes market.

Ticking the boxes on those ‘basics’

Of course, the option of choice should include the type of core cover you would expect in the areas that are often considered to be the basics. For example, unlimited hospital benefits are important, yes, but unlimited hospital cover in any private hospital is the goal.

Prescribed minimum benefits must naturally be covered by any medical scheme in South Africa, but just how comprehensive that cover is, particularly when it comes to emergency care and chronic conditions, is no small matter.

And when it comes to cover for oncology, it’s not really possible to say with certainty just how much is enough. The ideal medical scheme will provide unlimited oncology cover – this is no doubt the level of support that you would want to provide for the human beings who make up your organisation.

Supporting multiple aspects of employee wellbeing

A superb range of preventative, wellness and kids’ health benefits paid directly from risk ensures that the value you receive is already significantly greater than most other savings options on the market. In fact, many employers do not realise just how big an impact this can have, and it is worth unpacking.

Let’s begin with access to a scientifically-based fitness assessment and exercise prescription programme, giving your employees the advantage of having regular professional input and ongoing monitoring with a registered biokineticist at an accredited exercise facility or from home.

Imagine giving your employees the key to eating their way to wellness with a nutritional assessment and healthy eating programme, which provides a consultation with a registered dietitian to help them create their own personalised healthy eating plan.

And for the many employees with young families, excellent kids’ benefits can be a game changer, particularly if they include a newborn hearing screening and congenital hypothyroidism benefit, baby wellness visits, childhood immunisations, school readiness assessments, pre-school eye, hearing and dental screening, occupational therapist visits for children, nutritional assessment and healthy eating plan, as well as a fitness assessment and exercise prescription programme. Every parent will thank you for having unlimited visits to the GP and basic dentistry once your day-to-day benefits are depleted for kids under the age of six.

It goes without saying that preventative care benefits should include women’s health benefits including mammograms, HPV (cervical cancer) vaccination and contraceptives, and men’s health screenings including prostate checks and PSA blood tests.

What about that all important mental health support? Company employees will find a great deal of value in a medical scheme that offers unlimited professional telephonic emotional health and wellbeing support around-the-clock, as well as referrals for face-to-face counselling, should this be required.

Now, if not just some but all of these benefits are paid directly from the scheme’s risk pool so that using them does not affect any other benefits, it is truly a win-win situation, both for the company and its people.

Next-level flexibility in medical savings

But what do you look for that truly sets the right choice of savings option apart? A fully flexible 25% savings account that can be used for day-to-day healthcare requirements entirely at your employee’s discretion is the clincher.

In real life terms, this would mean that your employees would be able to visit different types of healthcare providers such as homoeopaths, chiropractors and naturopaths registered with the health professions council and without any imposed limit restrictions or exclusions. We’re talking about straightforward access to the kind of personalised care that works for each and every individual, in line with their preferences.

This freedom also extends to retail purchases that support the wellbeing of your busy and active talent base, including nutritional supplements such as protein powders, vitamins and minerals, provided the product has the required NAPPI medicines code.

Obtaining medical scheme cover that contributes to employee wellbeing in such meaningful ways should not come at the expense of your entire employee benefit budget either. Choosing the right option that is geared towards value for money ensures that the wellbeing of your organisation is also protected and prioritised, so that you can continue to enrich the experience of your employees for many years to come.

Sources:

Josua Joubert is the chief executive and principal officer of CompCare Medical Scheme.