The American benefits landscape has been the birthplace of a number of concepts and strategies that have migrated to Canada: targeted health population programs, wellness and prevention programs, and worksite health management all began in the U.S. With the high cost of healthcare, these programs and strategies are intended to reduce costs for employers, increase employee productivity and reduce the incidence of disability claims. A similar strategy, which is gaining more attention in the U.S. landscape, is benefits advocacy.
Benefits advocacy is at its core a conduit for employees to get assistance with claims submission and adjudication, navigate treatment and have their healthcare fees negotiated. While advocacy is a valued service by plan members, a significant side benefit of this service is the freeing up of time for HR, which is often called upon to resolve escalated issues or provide assistance to employees with claims questions or issues, distracting them from their core business objectives.