Get Personal with Your Workplace Benefits

(Family Features) Choosing employee benefits during annual enrollment is often one of the most important financial decisions you make each year.

If your company is like most, it offers benefits to protect you and your family physically, emotionally and financially. In fact, 9 out of 10 employers in a Dynata survey on behalf of Colonial Life and Unum said they have no plans to eliminate or reduce employer-paid insurance benefits. Some employers even plan to boost comprehensive coverage, increasing benefit options or adding telehealth coverage.

Before you enroll, understand your needs and the different coverages available, especially supplemental benefits you can usually pay for through payroll deduction.

Supplemental Benefits Add Coverage and Financial Protection
Supplemental benefits allow you to customize your benefits package with coverage most important to you and your family. Because you sign up through work, it’s usually more affordable than buying coverage on your own. It can also be easier to qualify for coverage as part of a workplace group, often without answering any health questions.

The major types of supplemental benefits include:

• Life insurance provides financial protection for your family should anything happen to you. It can help loved ones pay for living expenses, debts, medical bills and funeral costs in addition to future needs such as college tuition or retirement. Even if your employer provides life insurance, it may not be enough for your family’s long-term needs.
• Disability insurance is designed to pay a portion of your income if you’re sick or injured and unable to work. It can be offered as short-term – typically 3-6 months – or long-term coverage that can last several years or until retirement.
• Dental insurance helps reduce out-of-pocket costs for common dental procedures like cleanings, fillings, crowns, dentures, oral surgery, orthodontia and other treatments.
• Vision insurance helps cover costs for exams, glasses and contact lenses, and may include access to discounted materials and services through a network of vision service providers.
• Accident insurance offers a lump sum financial benefit if you have an accident or injury. It helps pay out-of-pocket expenses such as doctor bills, co-pays or emergency room fees.
• Hospital insurance helps pay for hospital stays and, on some plans, outpatient surgery and diagnostic procedures.
• Critical illness insurance provides a lump sum financial benefit if you’re diagnosed with conditions such as heart attack, stroke, cancer, organ failure, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS and more.
• Cancer insurance provides more specific coverage for the costs of treating cancer. It can also provide additional benefits for treatments and services such as ambulance transportation, hospital confinement, radiation, chemotherapy, medications and surgery.

Why You Might Need Supplemental Benefits
Even the best medical insurance likely won’t cover all your out-of-pocket costs for illnesses and injuries. The average health care deductible for single coverage was nearly $1,500 last year and almost double for family coverage, according to a report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Add in co-pays, coinsurance and other noncovered costs and an average family may have more than $4,700 in out-of-pocket medical costs each year not counting health insurance premiums.

Supplemental benefits can help bridge the financial gap. You can use your benefits for uncovered medical costs such as deductibles and copayments or nonmedical expenses such as travel for treatment or child care during recovery. You also don’t have to be sick or injured to take advantage of some supplemental coverage. Many plans include a wellness benefit that can pay a set amount for preventive screenings or diagnostic tests.

Visit unum.com/enrollment to learn more about common insurance benefits.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

(BPT) - As time and technology reshape the workforce, most professionals are not in the position to stick with one career until retirement. Nursing offers relevant, future-focused opportunities for people of all ages and experience levels, from those re-entering the workforce or making a career change, to registered nurses pursuing further education. Below, you’ll find four reasons students are pursuing licensure or a degree in nursing (from RN to BSN and beyond), shared by Dr. Bonnie Stegman of Maryville University.

1. Satisfaction

If you are interested in making a direct impact on the lives of individuals and communities, consider nursing. It’s a rewarding career, according to nurses themselves. Nurses provide personal contact and engagement with patients, which has only become more important in today’s often-hectic healthcare environment. At the same time, nursing is an exciting and expanding field with new areas of focus. You have more options than ever to pursue your interests and work at the cutting edge of healthcare.

2. Wide-ranging opportunities

Nursing often is associated with foundational healthcare settings such as primary care practices, hospitals or nursing homes. However, nursing offers many paths to develop the track that’s right for you. Specialties include areas relevant to our aging population, such as gerontology (focused on elderly patients) and genetics (patients with or at risk of hereditary diseases). You also can specialize in public health, working in nonprofit organizations, community health centers or governmental agencies. And you can build on your experience caring for patients and transition into other areas, serving as an administrator or educator, for example.

3. Flexibility

The opportunities available within nursing let you pick what best fits your needs and preferences. For example, if family responsibilities mean you need to keep a 9-to-5, Monday-Friday schedule, some primary care or specialty practices can accommodate that. Through telehealth, you can provide patient care and education remotely, potentially creating opportunities across geographic areas and time zones. If you’re open to moving around, you might find work as a traveling nurse to be an interesting — and usually well paid — choice. This flexibility means you can adapt and shift your focus as you move through stages and phases of life.

4. Demand and compensation

Nurses are in high demand nationwide, a trend that shows no sign of slowing. That means you can expect competitive salaries and benefits. You’ll find that employers are getting creative in how they recruit and incentivize new hires. Mercy Children’s Hospital in St. Louis recently tested a seasonal staffing option, where nurses could opt to work a full-time schedule from September to June, then take time off in the summer while retaining their benefits — and a guaranteed job in the fall. Such initiatives represent a valuable offering for anyone with childcare considerations. Other employers are providing financial incentives such as signing bonuses and tuition reimbursement.

Make it happen

Once you decide to pursue your licensure or earn a nursing degree, you have a variety of options. It starts with finding a program that offers a realistic path for your existing schedule and responsibilities.

Online programs typically are designed for flexibility. The online nursing offerings at Maryville University include an RN to BSN program with multiple start dates throughout the year that can be completed 100% online to help students balance work and school. You also can find flexible options in on-campus programs. In addition to programs for full-time and transfer students, Maryville’s on-campus pre-licensure nursing options include a part-time evening and weekend program designed for working adults.

As our population ages, career options in healthcare are predicted to expand. Nursing is a resilient and wide-ranging career field with significant opportunities, now and in the future.

A Top-Ranked Job Choice

Work-life balance, financial reward key factors for dentists

(Family Features) Figuring out the perfect career fit is a highly personal decision. One job, however, seems to stand out for offering both financial reward and work-life balance: dentist. In fact, year after year, U.S. News & World Report has identified it as the No. 1 job.

There are numerous variables that define a “great” job. Some people are motivated financially, while others prioritize work-life balance. The dental field offers both of these benefits and more.

Flexible location. Dentists are needed virtually everywhere. In fact, hundreds of counties across the country are known as a “dental deserts,” meaning they have been classified as a dental health professional shortage area by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Support systems. Many new dentists are surprised by how much of their workload involves tasks outside their area of expertise and interest. However, dental support organizations like Aspen Dental Management, Inc. help dentists with front-office support, staffing, marketing and other non-clinical tasks so dentists can focus on patient care. This approach helps to ensure dentists are also able to develop their careers and pursue practice ownership, all while maintaining a positive work-life balance. Learn more at AspenDentalJobs.com.

Salary and stature. Years of training tend to pay off for dentists. The average salary for a dentist is $173,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dentists also tend to command respect for their expertise due to their education and training, similar to others in the medical field.

Community service. Because oral health is a critical part of overall health, dentists are directly contributing to an improved quality of life in their communities. This is especially true of those who are part of a dental support organization like Aspen Dental Management, Inc. that gives dentists and team members an opportunity to provide free dental care to veterans through its Healthy Mouth Movement. These dentists are also able to increase the amount of time they deliver dental services and at lower prices, thereby improving access to dental care to wider segments of the communities in which they practice.

Independence. Dental practices, including those supported by a dental support organization, are often operated by either a single dentist or small group of dentists, which allows them flexibility and autonomy.

Gender parity. Prior to 1980, women comprised less than 3 percent of all dentists, according to research published in Dental Economics. Today, women represent 27 percent of the industry, and this shift is quickly becoming more pronounced as almost half of all recent dental school graduates are female, according to the American Dental Association. In fact, 40 percent of dentists at Aspen Dental-branded practices are women.

Considering that most people spend the majority of every week at work, it’s important to find the right mix for fulfillment that goes beyond a paycheck, and the benefits for dentists who are part of dental support organizations can lead to greater potential job satisfaction.

4 Ways to Stretch Your Health Benefits

(Family Features) Often, employees enroll in medical insurance plans for protection against unpredictable events, sudden illness or serious health concerns that may result in expensive medical bills. Getting the most from your benefits requires understanding coverages and deductibles, as well as taking advantage of voluntary benefits, like dental, vision and hearing, to stay healthy and save money.

Avoid surprises. About 91 percent of adults in the United States are confused about what their benefits cover, according to a recent Harris poll. The best starting point is to review your plan so you understand the care and services covered. If you have a high-deductible plan, you will need to pay for most or a percentage of the health costs until reaching the individual or family deductible. Be prepared to pay any copayments or deductibles the plan requires before receiving care. Also, before scheduling appointments, ask for a cost estimate for the appointment, tests or service.

Preventive dental and vision. Many voluntary plans, such as dental and vision, offer preventive exams, such as routine cleanings and vision exams, that are fully covered. That’s because these preventive exams help to maintain and improve overall health and help reduce health costs. Voluntary coverage is affordable and many plans offer added incentives. For example, coverage for LASIK, dental, vision and hearing benefits can increase from one year to the next for those who continue to enroll and use their benefits. Members could earn monetary rewards to use for dental, vision, LASIK, orthodontia and hearing benefits, care materials and services simply by using their benefits and keeping the benefits paid out under a specified amount.

Medical screenings. Routine health screenings, such as mammograms, immunizations, colonoscopy procedures and prostate cancer screenings, which may be covered fully or in part by your medical coverage, can help you stay healthy and lower health care costs.

Get paid to save. Many employers encourage employees to save money by matching a percentage of the amount the employee contributes to the plan. If available, enroll in a Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account to set aside money to pay for health care costs.
Remember that these accounts are not a substitute for the coverage provided by voluntary benefits.

Learn more about the questions to ask when reviewing benefit plans at ameritasinsight.com.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images