By Nicole Ervast, Business Development Associate
Healthcare is one of the largest employment sectors in the US, and it is only growing. Between 2000 and 2010, healthcare employment increased 25% despite total unemployment going up by 2%. Between 2010 and 2020, the healthcare sector is expected to add 4.2 million jobs. Obviously, a lot of us are working in healthcare. Whether you’re a medical professional, or in healthcare administration, your company/hospital/practice should not only be devoted to the well-being of patients, but to the well-being of all people, most importantly its employees. One of the biggest ways they can show this dedication to health is through a quality medical benefits package. In short: health insurance.
Think about it: healthcare costs are soaring, and a lot of people are complaining about high deductibles and premiums. These costs can put a lot of financial strain and stress on workers, which can contribute to poor well-being (and higher healthcare costs). If healthcare prices are too high, people are more hesitant to go to the doctor, or get a necessary test, because of the out-of-pocket cost. One way to make sure your employees are staying healthy is to lower these costs as much as possible so that their wallets don’t suffer too much for their health.
Keystone has proven that it is possible to still provide a comprehensive medical benefits package to employees. To give you an idea of Keystone’s commitment to our health and well-being, our monthly payments actually went down this year (without sacrificing quality of coverage)!
This wasn’t easy for Keystone to do. It took a lot of discussion with our broker, a lot of putting our heads together and going “back to the drawing board.” It’s hard to figure out a plan that will provide employees with good coverage while keeping costs down for both the employee and employer. This accomplishment can be attributed in large part to our CEO, Mr. Portelli. He has always put his employees first, before himself and often before the business (on a side note, this year marks his 20th anniversary with Keystone. Congratulations!). In my opinion, he is a great role model for healthcare CEOs everywhere.
In September, when we had our annual Benefits Overview meeting with our broker that all employees are invited to attend, our broker made a point to stress to us 4 or 5 times that this is not normal. 99% of companies do not make such a huge effort to find the best possible solution for everyone. That is when I realized how special this company is.
That is the statement Keystone made to me–that my company cares about my health, my finances, and my overall well-being. I cannot express in words how much this means to me. But I can express it through action: by working as hard as I can and being unfailingly loyal to my brand and my team. This is the mindset I have: I care for my company, because my company cares for me.
Particularly in the midst of the holidays, it is important to recognize those who go out of their way to make life better for others, and to return that compassion.
I encourage all healthcare CEOs to be as compassionate and caring as Mr. Portelli and Keystone, and see what kind of return you get.