Should Telemedicine Be a Benefit for Your Employees

Should Telemedicine Be a Benefit for Your EmployeesCredit Guschenkova/Shutterstock Healthcare costs for employers are expected to rise nearly 6.5 percent in 2018, according to a study by PwCs Health Research Institute. As such, employers everywhere have tried to reduce their costs through different means, including offering employees high deductible plans and cutting back on other health-related benefits.High deductible planssave employers money and give employees mora back in their paycheck but arent as comprehensive when it comes to paying for major medical expenses. If you struggle with providing your team with comprehensive health coverage, telehealth or telemedicine is an avenue to supplement basic coverage and support their well-being.Telemedicine connects patients with doctors through a phone call, video chat (or text chats), on the computer, or a mobile app. Doctors are readily available and can help with a wide range of minor health issues. Depen ding on which state theyre practicing in, they can prescribe non-narcotic medication to patients through the platform, such as antibiotics. A number of platforms also have mental health providers for therapy and substance abuse help as well as dermatology professionals. Read related article from our sister site, geschftlicher umgang.com Best Telemedicine SoftwareFortunately, many health plans already offer an added telemedicine feature. Insurance companies generally encourage the use of telemedicine because it also reduces costs for them. Even if your plan doesnt include telemedicine, you should consider adding it to your benefits package.Benefits of telemedicineCost Savings Urgent care or emergency room visits are expensive and often unnecessary if individuals have quick access to a doctor who can diagnosis minor issues. Typical costs for a trip to the emergency room can range from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on the issue and treatment. Urgent care visits are significantly less cos tly but are still more expensive than a telemedicine appointment, which costs about $100 per visit.Editors musiknote Interested in telemedicine software? Use the questionnaire below toget quickly connected to our vendor partners to learn more about options for your business.Time savings Telemedicine visits are big time-savers. Many platforms can connect patients to a doctor fast, sometimes within minutes of submitting your request. Being able to speak with a physician so quickly not only saves patients from having to schedule appointments weeks ahead, they dont have to schedule time off from work. Further, the sooner a patient consults with a doctor, the faster they can get a diagnosis and, in some cases, prevent certain types of illnesses before they worsen, saving both time and money for you and your employee.More choices Depending on your location, the availability of doctors, and the limits of your insurance network, you and your employees may not have an ample selection of heal thcare professionals. Telemedicine platforms give you access to dozens of experts who are part of the service. Its especially beneficial for those who live in rural communities who, in addition to taking time off from work, must travel further to get the care they need.Private issues Another added benefit to telemedicine is that it may be more comfortable for patients to speak with a healthcare provider about sensitive, private issues. For individuals seeking counseling, it can be intimidating to seek help in-person, whereas with telemedicine, the patient is more in control of the conversation and can use instant messaging to talk with a professional.Before you sign upA telemedicine doctor is not a replacement for a patients primary care physician. Virtual doctors are equipped to handle minor issues only, such as allergies, cold, fever, pink eye, sinusitis, sore throat, among other minor conditions.If a telemedicine doctor cant confidently diagnose a patients condition, they will li kely recommend the patient see their primary care doctor or visit urgent care. This can be more expensive, but anytime an individual thinks their illness is more than a minor issue, they should seek an in-person consultation with a healthcare provider.Telemedicine works best when its used as a preventative measure against serious illness therefore, encourage your staff to use it as such and stay health-conscious, especially if your health plan isnt as comprehensive as youd like. Andreas Rivera Andreas Rivera graduated from the University of Utah with a B.A. in Mass Communication and is now a staff writer for geschftsleben.com and Business News Daily. His background in journalism brings a critical eye to his reviews and features, helping business leaders make the best decisions for their companies. 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3 Instantly Recognizable Signs Your Boss is Emotionally Manipulating You

3 Instantly Recognizable Signs Your Boss is Emotionally Manipulating You Nightmare babo stories run rampant on the internet and in urban legends told among groups of professionals. But these tales tend to focus on outwardly-aggressive supervisors who yell, rage, and make ridiculous demands of their employees, while making few mentions of baboes who take a low-key approach to degrading their employees morale. But these kinds of bosses cause just as much damage as their more bombastic counterparts. leid sure whetzu sich youre dealing with an emotionally manipulative boss? Keep an eye out for these three signs your boss is manipulating your emotions.1. Your boss withholds communication, leaving you constantly unsure where you stand.If your boss wants to use underhanded methods to influence you, she may choose to leave you in the dark about your job performance, whether youre completing tasks to her satisfaction, and whether theres room for improvement in your work. This tactic allows yo ur boss to avoid confrontation while also sowing confusion and discontent among her employees. If you rarely receive feedback of any kind from your supervisor, youll subconsciously push yourself harder in order to earn evidence of her approval. But because this method lacks direct communication and relies heavily on guesswork, it frequently leads to employee disillusionment, resentment, and eventual burnout. Strong managers will elect to discuss their opinions of your performance on a regular basis a boss who avoids these conversations cant lead effectively in the long run.If you notice this behavior from your supervisor, try taking a proactive stance by asking her for a meeting to go over your progress. A direct request is more difficult for her to dodge, and by leading the conversation, youre more likely to receive the feedback you need.2. Your boss encourages employees to compete for their attention and favor.Bosses with poor communication skills sometimes use their lack of openn ess to encourage intracompany competition for their attention and approval. If your boss sparingly doles out praise to some employees and criticism to others while largely remaining opaque to the rest, hes using a manipulative strategy to keep his workers constantly striving to catch his eye.The best way to combat this problem involves reframing your bosss actions in your head, and refusing to let him pit you against your colleagues. Keep your goals and your teams goals at the forefront of your mind, and youll be impervious to your manipulative bosss childish machinations.3. Your boss uses guilt to convince you to invest more than your share of hours and labor.See if this sounds familiar you have a major project due at work, and times running short. Youve pulled plenty of overtime hours to complete the task, but your boss still wants you to work an extra shift over the weekend. You push back due to prior plans, and your boss responds with something like Oh, well, when I approved y our week-long vacation earlier this month, I hoped I could count on you to work some extra hours on this very important project. Thats a classic example of a boss using guilt to convince her employee to invest extra time and energy at work. While theres nothing wrong with a boss scheduling overtime shifts to finish a major task, a boss who plays a game of quid pro quo, using your PTO against you isnt playing fair.If your boss tries to make you feel badeanstalt for using your benefits during a busy time, remember that PTO is part of your compensation, and you have the right to make use of it. If your boss wants to enforce blackout dates during hectic periods, thats his prerogative. But a mature and respectful boss will communicate those policies clearly and wont wield your benefits as ammunition for future guilt trips.