Do I Need to Offer Group Ancillary Benefits to My Employees?

When you are offering employee benefits, it is important to consider your employee’s wants and needs-especially when it comes to medical coverage. Health insurance is a basic necessity for every employee benefits package, as practically no employee wants a full time job that does not offer this coverage. 

However, basic group health insurance doesn’t cover everything, either. There are common exclusions from group health insurance such as: 

Vision Coverage 
Vision coverage such as non-emergency eye care expenses, contacts, eye glasses and eye exams are not covered under basic group health insurance, but may be covered under group ancillary benefits. 

Dental Coverage  
Expenses related to dental health can be expensive and typically aren’t covered under basic health insurance. Dental expenses such as copays, cleanings, crown fillings and deductibles can be covered by a supplemental dental insurance coverage. Every employee needs some sort of dental care, especially those with children who may need braces or fillings.  

Accident and Critical Illness Coverage  
Accident and critical illness coverage can help with the costs associated with sudden accidents and critical illnesses that affect the employee or their dependents. It can help with emergency expenses as well as deductibles and coinsurance. 

Who is Covered Under Group Ancillary Benefits? 
Group health insurance as well as group ancillary benefits are typically available for full-time employees (working over 30 hours a week) and their dependents. All full-time employees are eligible for group health insurance regardless of health or preexisting conditions. Some part-time employees may also be covered under group health insurance, depending on the employer’s policy. Since group health insurance is spread over multiple employees and their families, the premiums and deductibles are typically affordable.  

Eligible dependents that can be covered under group health insurance include spouses, children and occasionally domestic partners. Dependents receive health insurance through the insured employee. If the employee leaves the company, they and their dependents may be left without coverage if they don’t carry individual health insurance policies.  

Group health insurance is often more affordable for families than individual health insurance policies and can cover dependents up to 26 years old.  

Protecting your employees is crucial from having a reliable workers compensation policy, creating a supportive atmosphere and providing the best benefits. Be sure to speak with your insurance agent about benefits you can provide your employees to find and maintain top, happy talent.