Human Resources: Employee Benefits

By Clark May

The landscape of employee benefits is not what it was 20 or 30 years ago. Employee benefits were designed to be viewed as a great asset. The cost was affordable and it helped dealers recruit and retain excellent employees. The return on the investment of both time and money was clear. But with skyrocketing costs and countless regulations, many dealers now feel, at best, that benefits have become more of a headache for not only the business, but their employees/families as well.

When employees feel that their employer genuinely cares about them and wants them to excel in every aspect of their life, employees in turn care more about their work and the clients they serve. This shows up in expanding customer relationships and increasing mission impact. This is the foundation for everything that we do. 

Leveling the playing field

There is often a value gap where dealers are spending hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars on healthcare. But, in the privacy of their own homes, employees are grumbling because the user experience isn’t great. We transform that value gap, get a better return on that investment for the dealer, and their most important asset – their employees.

Optimizing the benefits

Financially, the first question that OPOC.us generally asks any dealer is, “Where is your money going today?” Healthcare is an investment – dealers not only have to offer a viable program, but it needs to be attractive and marketable to attract new talent. We bring more transparency to where their dollars are going today to determine if they’re getting a good return or if they’re buying what they need. OPOC.us is helping dealers across the country reduce their healthcare cost, increase benefits, provide transparency, and put critical control factors in place to suppress long-term costs.

Experts on hand –for everyone

Healthcare/benefits is an area where employees/families are often challenged with rising costs and responsibilities surrounding their personal health decisions. OPOC.us supports dealers, helping them show their employees that they care about them and their health. This is done by creating a positive user experience when employees and their families are using their health benefits. For example, by offering employees a personal advocate to help them every step of the way, we help bring more transparency to where all the money is going, and help optimize the money being spent on healthcare.

There are many options when it comes to labs, MRIs, scans, all the way up to big items, such as surgeries. Employees often aren’t making informed decisions when it comes to quality, cost and options. In the long run, that lack of information can impact the future of healthcare costs. In the short run, it can impact the checkbook of the employee. For example, there might be 10 different pharmacies that are in-network, but the price can be quite a bit different.

We want to help employers make sound decisions on what is a good investment, based upon the needs of the employees. Then, help employees identify what kinds of services are right for them. This helps contain costs and helps employees take steps toward living a better life.

Clark May is a senior analyst with OPOC.us, serving clients for more than 14 years. He handles key client engagements, and is responsible for strategic planning oversight and optimizing spend for clients. He holds an MBA from the University of Findlay, where he also played basketball.

Contact the OPOC.us CARE Center at 866-676-2871 to schedule a time to speak with an expert on creating a better way forward.