www.oregonbusiness.com/powerbook/7-powerbook-2009/1623- -
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Published on: 1/1/2009
Last Visited: 8/27/2009
Some employers see it as a "necessary evil," says Rod Cruickshank, president of the Portland-based benefits consulting firm The Partners Group.
A more constructive way to look at it, he says, is to view health benefits as an asset, not a liability.
Cruickshank says a company's health plan reflects its ambition as a business.
Sure, health benefits are pricey, but business leaders need to decide if they want to use benefits as a way to attract and keep skilled workers.
"You need to be prepared to play with the big boys," he says.
...
"Doing a good job in health care means a broker has been there the last decade," Cruickshank says.
Part of the challenge in choosing a health-care plan is that it also depends on an executive's opinions about health care, says Cruickshank.
If you believe workers should strive to take more personal responsibility for their health, your plan might emphasize this by rewarding prevention efforts.
If you believe workers should have total access to comprehensive health care no matter their lifestyle or predisposed conditions, your plan will cater to this.
"The days of just saying, 'I will take that plan,' are over," Cruickshank says.
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