Well, it's happening. Costello said that with the limitations that managed care has put on companies, she feels she is limited to a few major health plans, which diminishes a firm's ability to pick new and nontraditional ones. The price was right and the practitioners in the plan are all certified, she said. So far, the added coverage has proven to be very popular.
Employees are very happy with the things it does.
She also said it's a great tool for recruiting. You look like a company that's out there and working for your employees. It's got an attraction to it. The strategy behind offering alternative treatment options is to decrease employee absenteeism and cut down on health care costs in the long run, according to practitioners and human resource directors, including Costello. Karen Clark, executive vice president of Calverton, Va.-based Benicor Associates Inc., an employee benefit consulting and brokerage firm, said that at least 20 businesses, including her company, have picked up the alternative health care plan in the last few months.