Nobody Should Be on Their Own When It Comes to Getting Care

There’s a gap growing between traditional health insurance and having meaningful access to care.

For decades, employer-sponsored health insurance has been the foundation of healthcare access for working Americans and their families.

But that foundation is under increasing pressure.

• Healthcare costs continue to rise.
• Employers are struggling with what they can afford to provide.
• Employees are struggling with what they can afford to pay.

 
For some organizations, providing comprehensive medical coverage to every employee simply isn’t financially realistic. And for some employees, even when coverage is available, enrolling in it may not feel financially realistic either.

Then there are the people who may not have access to an employer-sponsored medical plan at all.

• Part-time employees.
• Seasonal workers.
• Hourly employees.
• Independent contractors.
• Employees who aren’t eligible for benefits.
• Employees who waive coverage because of cost.

 
A gap is growing between comprehensive health insurance and having no meaningful healthcare benefits at all.

And too many people are falling into it.

Because their healthcare needs don’t disappear when they don’t have medical coverage.

• They still get sick.
• Their children still need care.
• They still need prescriptions, mental health support, help managing an ongoing condition, or simply somewhere to turn when something doesn’t feel right.

 
However, without affordable and accessible options, they are often left to navigate those needs on their own.

• Some delay care.
• Some avoid it altogether.
• Some turn to expensive urgent care or emergency room visits because they don’t know where else to go.
• Others simply ignore it and hope the problem gets better.

 
We can do better.
Because nobody should be on their own when it comes to getting care.

What About the People Who Aren’t on the Medical Plan?

For employers and benefits advisors, this creates an increasingly important question: What can we do for the people who aren’t enrolled in the medical plan?

Historically, there haven’t been many good answers.

• An employer may want to provide comprehensive medical coverage to more people but simply can’t absorb the additional cost.
• An employee may want coverage but can’t make the monthly contribution fit within the household budget.
• And other workers may fall outside the traditional benefits structure altogether.

 
That doesn’t mean employers and benefits advisors should stop looking for ways to help.

It means we need another option.

Something Needs to Stand in the Gap

Traditional health insurance serves an important purpose. It provides financial protection and access to comprehensive medical care that other programs aren’t designed to replace.

But health insurance doesn’t have to be the only way an employer helps someone access healthcare.

There is room for something in the middle… something that:

• Is affordable enough for individuals and families to access.
• Employers can make available without taking on the cost of another traditional medical plan.
• Provides access to real healthcare services people can use when they need them.
• Gives people somewhere to turn instead of leaving them to navigate healthcare alone.

 
That’s why we developed the Call A Doctor Plus Non-Medically Enrolled program.

A New Option for the People Traditional Benefits Don’t Reach

The Call A Doctor Plus Non-Medically Enrolled program gives employers and organizations a way to extend access to healthcare and support services to people who aren’t enrolled in their medical plan.

Rather than requiring the employer to fund another medical plan, individuals can choose to enroll themselves in an affordable monthly program built around services they and their families can actually use.

Depending on which plan they enroll in, members can have access to services including:

• 24/7 virtual medical care
• Primary care
• Mental health support
• Prescription savings
• Muscle and joint care
• Dermatology
• Teledentistry
• Pet care
• Additional health and lifestyle resources

 
And because coverage can include eligible family members, the program can help support the household, not just the employee.

It isn’t health insurance, and it isn’t intended to replace comprehensive medical coverage.

But it’s another option where, too often, there hasn’t been one.

Expanding the Benefits Conversation

For employers, this creates an opportunity to offer something meaningful to employees they may not be able to cover through their traditional medical plan.

For brokers and benefits advisors, it creates an opportunity to broaden the benefits conversation beyond the people who are already enrolled.

And that conversation can start with one simple question: Who aren’t we reaching today?

Look beyond medical plan enrollment. Think about:

• The part-time employee who doesn’t qualify.
• The employee who waived coverage because they couldn’t afford it.
• The seasonal worker.
• The independent contractor.
• The family trying to make healthcare fit within an already stretched household budget.

 
These people are part of our workplaces and our communities… they still need care.

And we can do better than leaving them to figure it out alone.

Closing the Gap

We aren’t going to solve the cost of healthcare with a single program.

But we can recognize where gaps exist and find practical ways to help close them.

• We can give employers another option.
• We can give benefits advisors another tool.
• And, most importantly, we can give individuals and families somewhere to turn when they need care.

 
Because access to healthcare shouldn’t begin and end with whether someone is enrolled in the company medical plan.

And because nobody should be on their own when it comes to getting care.