Health benefit options for dental and medical clinic staff
If you run a small medical clinic or dentist office, you understand that your employees are your best assets. Are you doing everything you can to retain them? Learn how you can improve retention by building a standout benefits package for healthcare workers with the tips in this guide.
Learn how PeopleKeep can help you build an outstanding health benefit for your medical office.
Improve employee retention and productivity with benefits
Running a private practice can be challenging. One key factor to success for your clinic is keeping your employees happy, healthy, and engaged. Understanding the relationship between a well-cared-for staff and a thriving clinic is essential. Clinics that offer robust benefits don’t just patch up physical ailments or help clients prevent serious care; they foster an environment where loyalty and efficiency bloom.
As an owner or manager of a small clinic, you may think you need more financial resources to offer the same benefits as larger, more established practices. That’s no longer the case, thanks to modern, personalized health benefits solutions. Now, you can provide a competitive health benefit to your employees without the high cost of traditional benefits.
Why should medical offices offer employee benefits?
Medical professionals work hard to save lives, prevent illnesses, and provide critical resources to those in need. But do they have access to insurance coverage and medical care benefits when they need it most?
Many healthcare workers can’t afford their medical bills. A 2024 Mercer study found that only 56% of healthcare workers say they can afford healthcare without any financial hardship.
Offering a competitive benefits package ensures your healthcare professionals have suitable medical coverage and additional perks that support their needs. Providing benefits your employees value improves morale and engagement, which are among the biggest challenges medical facilities face. When employees feel cared for, they’re more likely to stay at your organization.
A quality benefits package also helps you attract qualified employees. The medical field is facing a workforce shortage that’s only projected to get worse. A 2021 study by the American Association of Medical Colleges estimated that there’d be a shortage of at least 37,800 physicians by 2034, not counting other essential medical staff.
Our 2024 Employee Benefits Survey found that 81% of employees said an employer’s benefits package is an important factor in whether or not they accept a job. Additionally, employees ranked health benefits as the most important benefit, with 92% of employees valuing them.
Why should dental offices offer employee benefits?
Today’s dental workforce is different from what it was a decade ago. Dental assistants, hygienists, and office managers are more focused on their benefit packages. Hiring the right qualified dental professionals and keeping them long-term is critical. However, with a tight labor market, it can be challenging to sway job candidates. That’s where health benefits come into play.
Offering employee benefits isn't only a measure of caring for employees' morale but is essential to their overall health and job satisfaction. The benefits you offer reflect your office’s commitment to its team’s health and morale. A supportive and cared-for environment can lead to a more harmonious workplace with a team that’s better equipped to deliver quality care to patients.
Health benefit options for medical and dental clinics
Traditional health insurance benefits are expensive. Many private practices and small dental offices can’t afford to offer a group health insurance plan or may fail to meet the plan’s minimum participation requirements.
With personalized employee benefits like health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), you can easily provide an affordable and flexible health benefit to your employees, no matter your business size or budget.
In the sections below, we’ll explore your options for offering a health benefit to your medical professionals and office staff.
Traditional group health insurance for healthcare workers
Employer-provided health insurance is a common type of benefit among employers. Because of this, most employees are familiar with it and how it works.
You can offer many types of group plans, including:
- Preferred provider organization plans (PPOs)
- Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
- Exclusive provider organizations (EPOs)
- Point of service plans (POSs)
Small clinics can also take advantage of the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) marketplace to find coverage. Qualifying organizations may also be able to claim the small business health care tax credit.
But, even with these options, the rising cost and rigidity of group plans can make it difficult for small practices to offer them. Plus, you may get hit with an unexpected annual rate increase, especially if an employee received a lot of care in the previous year. Most small organizations can’t take on this additional financial risk.
Thankfully, you have more options than traditional group plans.
Health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) for dental and medical offices
An HRA is an alternative for organizations that can’t afford or simply don’t want to offer traditional group health insurance policies. Employers can use an HRA to reimburse employees for qualifying medical expenses tax-free. Employers set a monthly allowance that fits their budget for their employees to use on medical costs that fit their needs.
There are a few different types of HRAs, each of which has different solutions for employers and employees.
The two types of HRAs that employers can use as alternatives to a group plan are the following:
- Qualified small employer HRA (QSEHRA): The QSEHRA is an HRA for organizations with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs). With maximum contribution caps and fewer design considerations, it’s the perfect option for small practices looking to offer their employees a health benefit. All W-2 employees with coverage that meets minimum essential coverage (MEC) can participate in the benefit, including those on a parent’s or spouse’s group plan.
- Individual coverage HRA (ICHRA): The ICHRA is a type of HRA available to organizations of all sizes. With an ICHRA, you can offer your employees as much as you want in allowances and customize allowances and eligibility with employee classes. An ICHRA is an excellent alternative to a group plan for larger organizations subject to the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate.
Instead of offering a group plan, you can use a QSEHRA or ICHRA to reimburse your employees for their individual health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. Your employees can choose an ACA-compliant plan from the state or federal Health Insurance Marketplace or a private exchange that best fits their needs.
If you already offer a group plan and you’re looking for supplemental coverage, you can pair it with a group coverage HRA (GCHRA), or integrated HRA. This allows you to reimburse your employees tax-free for out-of-pocket healthcare costs the group plan doesn’t fully cover. This can include deductibles and coinsurance. This makes it an excellent option to supplement a high deductible health plan (HDHP).
When you administer your HRA through PeopleKeep, we handle the most time-consuming tasks, like generating legal plan documents and reviewing employee reimbursement requests, so you can spend more time running your practice and treating patients.
Learn more about PeopleKeep's HRA administration software
Qualified small employer HRA
A powerful alternative to group health insurance made specifically for small employers.
Individual coverage HRA
A health benefit that enables employers to cover the individual insurance plans their employees choose.
Group coverage
HRA
A health benefit that employers can use to help employees with their out-of-pocket expenses.
More helpful resources for dental and medical offices
The dental practice's guide to HRAs
Customer case study: Summit Dental Group
Group health insurance vs. HRAs comparison chart
Offer a personalized health benefit with PeopleKeep for a happier, healthier team
Learn how PeopleKeep’s HRA software can help you build and manage a hassle-free, affordable health benefit your team will love. Learn more about how PeopleKeep serves small employers, or book a live demo of our software.