Partnership enables company to offer its employees more affordable healthcare options
Tip Top Poultry Partners with HealthGate for Employee Healthcare Cost Savings
<0> HealthGate, LLCTanya Mack, 404-702-2055 </0>
HealthGate, LLC, the company providing value-added, more affordable healthcare services online, announces its partnership with Tip Top Poultry, Inc., a self-insured food product processor based in Marietta, Georgia. As a self-insured company, Tip Top Poultry pays healthcare expenses for employees directly in lieu of monthly payments to insurers. Following a six-month waiting period, employees may opt for a traditional health insurance plan. For those who don’t, delayed or bypassed preventative or medical care can turn into more serious healthcare needs later, up to and including urgent or hospital intervention. The lack of healthcare alternatives can negatively affect employee and employer productivity due to missed work and downtime on the job.
Tip Top has signed with HealthGate to offer direct employee access to Healthcare Savings Offers negotiated with local doctors and certified caregivers located in Marietta. “We have created some custom offers for urgent care and problem visits within a few miles of the plant - starting at $75 - with up to 50% savings,” stated Tanya Mack, HealthGate President. “With their permission, Tip Top Poultry’s HR staff will help employees shop online for the services they need and even extend a short term loan for medical care.”
Phil Stroud, Tip Top’s VP of People, added, “HealthGate has agreed to return a percentage of profit to the Tip Top Poultry benevolence fund to help with our uninsured employees’ healthcare needs.” Moving to a self-insured model has helped Tip Top shift risk, better manage employer healthcare expenses, and promote health and wellness versus disease management. Complementary programs like those offered by HealthGate provide affordable options for the uninsured or those in a benefit wait period to maintain good health while managing out of pocket medical expenses responsibly.
Phil Stroud added, “We hope our program with HealthGate will inspire other companies to give their employees more affordable healthcare options and put a new focus on keeping the workforce healthy.” Tip Top Poultry introduced the HealthGate program on August 15, 2013 with a series of on-site presentations, one-to-one introductions to employees, prizes and giveaways.