With public dependency on hospitality services, protecting frontline workers is an investment that affects everyone. Having teenagers of his own who work in hospitality, Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association President and CEO Patrick Tamm believes that providing as many resources as possible to hospitality workers helps to keep both the people and the services up and running.
“A third of America gets their first job in the hospitality industry, but at the same time, we have a lot of part-time work, because people want that type of flexibility,” Tamm said. “We try to meet people where they're at and also try to provide benefits in a very competitive workplace. We’re trying to make sure people have the right benefits that they want and can be best utilized by them as well.”
To meet this need, United Healthcare works with Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association and other associations nationwide to allow small businesses in the hospitality industry to offer healthcare benefits to their employers and employees.
“There are two programs offered to restaurants as part of the relationship with both the National Restaurant Association and the state associations like the Indiana Restaurant Association,” said UnitedHealthcare Vice President of Sales Michael Telesky. “The National Restaurant Association has a benefit trust, specifically for groups, two to 99, but primarily for groups to two to 50. That allows groups to join a trust of other restaurant groups under one large group, which is the benefit for coming into the restaurant hospitality Association Benefit Trust. They get the benefit of being underwritten, which they can't do in the regular two to 50 space and allows them to typically enjoy more competitive rates.”
“The state associations have access to a program for groups 51 plus; it can be up to any size group on the state associations,” Telesky continued. “That program is up to 5% reduction on their manual rates for the group. This can include up to a 5% premium reduction. The one reference here is specifically through the National Restaurant Association, and it's for small groups. Larger groups 51 plus, have access to the state association plan, and that's different. That's up to 5% on both medical and specialty lines, dental, vision, life, and disability.”
Telesky shared that this state-level healthcare coverage includes well-rounded value adds in different healthcare realms. The full dental coverage has prenatal benefits for expectant mothers as well as preventative services that roll over from year to year. The vision side gives hospitality workers access to one of the largest vision networks in the country, including Warby Parker, which is an online vision company. For life and disability, UnitedHealthcare also offers financial support for life and disability needs.
Tamm applauded UnitedHealthcare for its understanding of the hospitality industry and the way it searches for ways to cut costs. Senior Vice President for Health Insurance Services Clinton Wolf similarly shouted out UnitedHealthcare for the way it challenges the perception of affordability for small hospitality businesses to receive healthcare benefits and for how it has been a great partner to work with because of the way it advocates for the health of hospitality workers.
“UnitedHealthcare has looked at very innovative ways to really help people be healthier,” Wolf said. “That's one of the things I like about UnitedHealthcare. I feel like their approach to health insurance is that the way to keep premiums low is for people to be healthy. When they can create incentives for people to use a Peloton, or to use an Apple watch or some of the other things like that helps to keep a person healthy. It's not just about paying claims; the best way to do that is for people to keep healthy. They're very innovative when it comes to looking at different ways to achieve that.”
UnitedHealthcare has a few wellness programs that it offers through its hospitality initiatives to enable and motivate its hospitality clients to be advocates for their own health. The Motion Program pays employees and their spouses $3 toward their health savings account just for walking every day. The Rally Wellness Program is a turnkey wellness program where employees can earn digital coins as part of a rally that allows them to enter raffles and other similar events. Through Real Appeal, a virtual weight-loss program, employees get assigned to a weight-loss coach and get a success kit shipped to their house.
To learn more about the benefits supplied through UnitedHealthcare’s Hospitality Initiatives, visit its website at www.uhc.com.
