Worst Acting Ever

bring on the hate mail

Please forgive the wooden acting, there is obviously a good reason why these folks are in the insurance biz and not Hollywood.

Sun Life has started putting up some little videos on Group Benefits. There are two up so far, the first is mostly just an introduction to the video series, don't bother watching it. The second video actually has some substance to it.

Link to Video 2's Page - Plan sustainability – Series 2

Sun Life is surveying their plan members and seeing how they would react to changes aimed to reduce costs on their plan.

The main result were as follows.

1. Young people 18-34 just don't care.
2. Everyone else is in favor of managed plans (drug pre-authorization, generic substitution, maximum drug cost limits) but very unfavorable to reductions in co-insurance, lower dispensing fee maximums and raising premiums.

Makes sense, the only question it raises for me is the level of understanding on the behalf of plan members. Especially with drug pre-approval, as I have found any time this is used it drives employees crazy. I think they simply stated they prefer pre-approval, because they don't grasp how it works as well as something simple like a lower co-insurance. Prior pre-approval has led to some of the ugliest situations I have run into with drug plans. Green Shield has a program called a Conditional Formulary, where expensive drugs need to be pre-approved. The Dr. would write a prescription, the employee goes to the pharmacy to fill it, and the computer tells the pharmacist that the drug needs pre-approval, or the plan won't pay for it. I then get angry phone calls from the employee, HR and owners. 

Overall I have noticed similar reactions with my own clients, and have been recommending similar changes to help curb rate increases while keeping employees happy. My observations weren't scientific or by survey but it is nice to see them validated.

--
Robert Reynolds, GBA
Certified Group Benefits Advisor
Hendry McKenzie Reynolds Employee Benefits Ltd.

Toll Free: 1-888-592-4614
rob@hmrinsurance.ca
www.hmrinsurance.ca

E.O. E.