Business Owners and Employees

Small and medium-sized businesses are the financial backbone of a prosperous economy. They provide the jobs, goods and services that create tax revenue to sustain our economy, government structure and essential services. They provide employees with an opportunity to feel a sense of accomplishment and joy from setting goals, working hard, and achieving success.

Happy, healthy employees are essential to a productive, effective, and efficient workforce. Taking time to implement ergonomic strategies in the workplace helps to provide a more comfortable environment in which employees can excel. Micro breaks are great ways to care for our bodies and counteract the sustained stress to our backs and necks from sitting or standing at a workstation.

Business owners, as the primary consumers paying for health care services, are encouraged to take an active role in developing what their health care contracts define as “medically necessary care” for their employees. The definition of medically necessary care is what defines what will and will not be a covered service for the employee patient.

JUST LIKE HOW EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE CONSIDERS THE PATIENT VALUES, MEDICALLY NECESSARY CARE SHOULD NOT BE A ONE-SIZED FITS ALL DEFINITION APPLIED TO ALL EMPLOYER GROUPS IN THE SAME WAY. MEDICALLY NECESSARY CARE SHOULD CONSIDER THE INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYER VALUES AND TEAM CULTURE. THE EMPLOYER SHOULD TEACH THE HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY WHAT THEIR VALUES ARE, AND TOGETHER DEVELOP A DEFINITION OF WHAT MEDICALLY NECESSARY CARE IS FOR THEIR TEAM. EMPLOYERS CAN WORK TOGETHER WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS THAT THEY TRUST TO UNDERSTAND THE FULL SCOPE OF SERVICES THAT THOSE MEDICAL PROVIDERS CAN PROVIDE TO THEIR EMPLOYEES. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT THOSE SERVICES ARE COVERED FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES UNDER THE MEDICALLY NECESSARY CARE GUIDELINES.