In today’s society, many people are opting to work from home or freelance with a flexible schedule. In order for employers to keep up with this trend and retain their top talent, they have been offering more flexible benefits plans that meet the needs of the employees. A flexible benefits plan is one where workers can choose how they want to use their allotted healthcare dollars in order to get the most out of it. These plans offer a variety of options such as dental, vision, and even gym memberships so you can spend your funds on what matters most to you.
In this blog post, we will explore all about flexible benefits plans – including advantages and disadvantages – so you know which option is right for you!
What Are Flexible Benefits Plans?
Flexible benefits plans, or “Flex” plans, are benefit packages that can be tailored to fit the needs of each company’s employees. For instance, each company’s employees may have different insurance needs. Some people may need dental coverage, while others only need life insurance. Flex plans allow companies to offer individualized benefits for their employees to meet their specific needs while minimizing employer costs.
Different Types of Flexible Benefits Plan
There are three different types of flexible benefits plans, and each offers different coverage options.
Reimbursement Plan
The first type of flexible benefits plan is a reimbursement plan. This means you pay the full price for your health care and then afterward submit claims to be reimbursed by your insurance company. Your insurance will cover your health care expenses as long as you stay within the approved amounts and types of coverage (such as the number of office visits, tests, etc.). This is the most common type of flexible benefits plan employers offer because it allows you to choose which providers are covered under your plan.
Prepaid Plan
The second type of flexible benefits plan is a pre-paid plan. Unlike the reimbursement plan, with this plan, you will pay a fixed amount for your premiums each month, and in return, your chosen health care providers will charge you less for their services. At first, this seems like a good idea; it is important to remember that you will be limited to the list of approved providers, and if your plan does not include your provider of choice, they may not see patients under the pre-paid plan.
Health Savings Account Plan
The third type of flexible benefits plan is a health savings account (HSA) plan. This plan allows you to put aside money for health care expenses, and the funds are tax-sheltered until you spend them on qualified medical expenses. Also, an HSA can be used as supplemental insurance coverage for other medical insurance plans that you might have. Similar to the pre-paid plan, you will be limited to a list of providers who are willing to work with an HSA, though, unlike the pre-paid plan, network listings do not restrict your choice of provider.
How the Flexible Benefits Plan Works
The flexible benefits plan is an employer-funded account with specific goals in mind. This means that employers can ensure that their employees are able to get the most out of this type of plan while retaining the flexibility they expect.
Typically, flexible benefits plans work like this: Employees receive an allotment for health care expenses each year (along with several other eligible expenses). The employer decides how much should be set aside into the benefit plan based on actuarial factors. Regardless of how much money is in the account, employees have access to it all. They may choose to use it for health care expenses or dependent care expenses during the year.
Employees pay no taxes on flexible benefits plans, so 100% of their contributions are available when they use the money. Employers love flexible benefits plans because they help attract and retain their best talent, making this option one of the most popular employee benefit choices available. In addition, employees like them because it gives them peace of mind to know that their employer is helping with expenses that can be quite high, especially for families or individuals in certain situations.
Advantages of Flexible Benefits Plans
For Employees
Flexible benefits plans can help you save a good amount of money if you do a detailed analysis of the expense. Here are some of the advantages coming with flexible benefits:
- Many plans usually charge a fixed amount per day or month, and this can be suitable for employees who don’t visit the doctor frequently. Also, the cost of co-payments is usually lower than that of health insurance premiums.
- Flexible benefits plans often cover all your medical expenses, not just those related to anyone’s ailment or condition.
- Flex plans often cover alternative and complementary treatments such as acupuncture, chiropractic treatment, and massage therapy. These treatments are usually not covered under health insurance plans unless the insurance company has an addendum for this specific purpose.
- You can also combine your flexible benefits with a life insurance plan or critical illness insurance plan to get better coverage.
- Flexible benefits plans are not subject to the same regulations as health insurance plans.
For Employers
Flexible benefits plans also offer employers various advantages. Those looking for new ways to attract and retain employees should consider offering flexible benefits plans. As an employer, you may find these types of benefit plans worth your while because they can help reduce costs, increase productivity and even improve worker morale. And, if you already offer flexible benefits plans, these perks may be the reason to continue and expand the plans provided to employees.
Disadvantages of Flexible Benefits Plans
However, flexible benefits plans do have some drawbacks also. The main disadvantage is that flexible plans lack portability. With ease, you cannot transfer these benefits from one job to another, and they are lost if you move out of the country. Here are some possible downsides of flexible benefits:
- The money saved in a flexible benefits plan is usually forfeited when you leave your job for any reason. You cannot withdraw this money earlier unless there are exceptional circumstances. However, this is not the case for health insurance plans.
- If you are subjected to pre-existing condition clauses, your plan may be voided on renewal if you have consistently availed yourself of treatments under this clause. This is because flexible benefits plans are more dependent on the discretion of doctors than health insurance companies who can access their database, which has records about your condition.
- Flexible benefits plans are not subject to the same regulations as health insurance plans, and this can make it difficult to claim reimbursements if you want to change your provider or move out of the country.
Bottom Line
When it comes to employer-provided benefits, workers are often offered a package of medical, dental, and vision plans. However, all too often, employees end up dissatisfied with their coverage because they don’t have enough choices or flexibility in how they can use these benefits. Flexible benefits plans allow employees to customize what type of plan best suits them based on what is most important for their individual needs, whether that be wellness programs, disability insurance, or even life insurance. Additionally, flexible benefits plans also help employers attract and retain qualified workers; they can reduce the risk of healthcare-related lawsuits against an employer because employees have access to many different types of treatments outside the traditional system.
