by Kenneth Ralff

Every day, companies of all shapes and sizes are forced to take cost-cutting measures to stay afloat. While executives struggle with difficult decisions, employees often ask, “how can I help?”

The first step is to talk to employees honestly about how they can help the company by cutting costs. This goes beyond the obvious costs, like business and travel expenses. Employees often don't realize they can have a direct impact on the bottom line by being a smarter consumer with regards to healthcare.

Here are some examples of how you can encourage employees to make cost-saving healthcare decisions:

• Save on Prescriptions. Employees should be reminded to ask their doctor if they can use a less expensive medication. If the medication they are taking is “Tier 3,” which is the most expensive co-pay, then there could be an alternative. For example, Veramyst is essentially the same medication as Flonase and costs five times as much. In addition, by ordering maintenance prescriptions through a mail-order program, employers receive bulk discounts, and employees get cheaper prices. It’s a win-win. It’s also a good idea to let employees know that local retail stores sometimes run specials during which prescriptions are offered at below co-pay costs. If an employee buys those prescriptions outside the health plan, the cost is not only lower but it also never hits your bottom line.
• Utilize the Nurse Line. If your health plan offers this type of service, employees can call (24 hours a day) with questions or issues. Often, employees can avoid going to the emergency room (and incurring those charges, for both themselves and the employer) because they are able to get a diagnosis or treatment plan from the Nurse Line.
• Ask Questions about Healthcare. Encourage employees to talk to their doctors about recommended services, such as MRIs, X-rays, surgeries, etc., to determine all of the possible options. For example, it may be possible to avoid surgery or an immediate MRI by instead doing a physical therapy program first. Or, there may be services that aren’t necessary because the treatment would be the same. For example, let’s say an employee breaks a toe. His or her doctor may recommend an X-ray but, regardless of whether the employee gets one, the treatment is exactly the same – wrap up the toe. So why incur the cost of an X-ray?
• Use the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Since you likely have already paid for these services, it’s more of a return on investment if the services are actually utilized. One example is that EAPs often offer a certain number of free counseling visits. If employees take advantage of those sessions, they won’t be utilizing their health plan coverage to see a therapist. Employees save the co-pay, and you save the utilization costs from your health plans.

Today’s business conditions require everyone in a company to work together to save costs and, ultimately, increase the likelihood of survival. By helping employees understand how they can contribute, you can be well positioned for the future.

For more tips on how employees can save companies money, visit: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123423753469566813.html#printMode