Insurtech Leader Announces New Employer-Paid Insurance Plan Featuring Virtual Primary Health Care, Dental Coverage and Investing Platform Connectivity for Hospitality Sector Employees

Insurance Applications Group, Inc. (IAG), a leading Insurtech company specializing in proprietary employee benefit products and administrative technologies for the hotel, restaurant, temporary employment, and other high-turnover industries announced the launch of HospitalityCARE VPC (Virtual Primary Care), an employer-paid health care service and insurance bundle that couples PlushCare, the leading primary care telemedicine platform, with medical and dental insurance benefits for the hospitality industry. HospitalityCARE VPC is designed for companies seeking to recruit and retain new employees amid the current, unprecedented labor shortage.

“This August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported there were 10.5 million job openings in the US with 8.4 million unemployed workers. This unprecedented situation poses a significant recruiting challenge for businesses in the hotel and restaurant industries” said IAG Founder and CEO J. Marshall Dye. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average hospitality industry employee works 26.12 hours per week. With an employer cost of $25 per week, businesses can provide a powerful recruiting and retention tool for less than $1 per worker hour on average. Employers will now be able to provide high quality, tech-enabled health care along with access to financial tools that help employees build a healthier and more stable financial future, elevating the Employee Experience.”

HR Technology News: Workrise Appoints Tech Industry Veteran Allen Narcisse as Chief Operating Officer

According to Willis Towers Watson’s 2021 Employee Experience (EX) Survey, “…the pandemic created an Employee Experience stress test as employers deployed a range of actions, including restructuring, cutting pay and benefits, and adopting a flexible work model in response to the crisis. These actions took a significant toll on people and business with declines in productivity, engagement and well-being, among other things, at many organizations.” As a result, their recent survey found 92% of organizations were “prioritizing Employee Experience enhancements over the next three years.”

“With a growing number of COVID variants increasing worker reluctance to go to a physical doctor’s office, HospitalityCARE VPC’s integration of virtual primary care leader PlushCare equips employers with a timely, much needed competitive advantage. The HospitalityCARE VPC program and app allow employers to deliver a highly-valued Employee Experience that will help hospitality organizations to recruit and retain their market’s top talent in today’s challenging hiring environment,” stated Dye.

The HospitalityCARE VPC plan is comprised of the following services and insurance coverages:

Virtual Primary Care

PlushCare, now a part of Accolade, offers virtual primary care services in all 50 states, providing access to same-day visits with best-in-class doctors through HospitalityCARE VPC’s mobile benefit application. Unlike legacy telemedicine services where members are randomly connected to any available contract doctor, PlushCare provides repeat access to the same, dedicated virtual primary care physician. PlushCare’s physicians can treat a wide range of chronic conditions while providing the full primary care experience, including prescriptions, lab orders, and specialist referrals.

At the member’s discretion, their personal PlushCare physician can be granted access to the member’s health records, providing an even higher level of consistent medical care. In addition to virtual primary care physicians, members will have 24/7 virtual connectivity to a care team of nurses and care coordinators that support them between doctors visits via unlimited text messaging.

HR Technology News: EO Equals Campaign Launches to Strengthen Communities Through Employee-Owned Businesses

Virtual primary care visits and care team member communications are paid for by the plan’s fully insured benefits.

Mental Health
“COVID has created an increase in mental health needs for our clients’ associates across the country. A surprising statistic is that primary care providers prescribe 79% of antidepressant medications, and see 60% of people being treated for depression*. Virtual access to PlushCare primary care physicians for the treatment of depression and anxiety enhances the mental health benefits provided by HospitalityCARE VPC,” Dye continued.

HospitalityCARE VPC provides insured benefits for in-person doctor’s office visits, as well as emergency room and urgent care visits. The plan also pays benefits for x-rays, lab work, prescription drugs and a lengthy list of out-patient and in-patient services.

Prescription Drugs
HospitalityCARE VPC includes insurance coverage for both generic and name brand prescription drugs.

Dental Insurance
HospitalityCARE VPC includes comprehensive dental insurance that provides coverage for a full range of dental procedures and treatments.

Investing and Retirement 
One-click access to the highest rated investment apps to enable the employee to establish an account to receive a potential signing bonus or other financial incentives that may be offered by the employer.

HR Technology News: Naylor Association Solutions Launches Upgrades to Its Career Center & Job Board Platform for Online Recruitment