Introducing MBI Plus
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield - Active Partner in MBI Plus

Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield continues to partner with Master Builders of Iowa (MBI) and North Risk Partners / The Bearence Management Group to develop an association health plan (AHP) for all eligible MBI members called MBI Plus. This program is being developed in cooperation with state regulators to ensure it complies with the often complex state and federal AHP laws and regulations. AHPs allow members to join together to obtain health insurance coverage. After months of work and extensive discussions, we anticipate a fully-insured MBI AHP, backed by the strength of Wellmark’s brand, will be available for enrollment by the fall of 2019.

“Wellmark is pleased to be working with the Master Builders of Iowa in developing new healthcare options for their membership,” said Dave Daniel, Director Group Sales & Account Retention at Wellmark. “We believe that MBI’s strong history, membership and solid foundation make them the right organization to partner with in developing a fully-insured AHP.” 

Beyond the notion of competitively priced healthcare plans, MBI Plus also provides smaller firms the ability to look at their respective benefits package as an important strategy in retaining key employees. Company-sponsored benefits are huge when it comes to employee retention. The advent of MBI Plus creates another means by which members can be competitive in not only attracting workers, but also retaining their existing workforce.

A FAQ has been developed to provide greater understanding as to what MBI Plus offers to eligible participants. That document can be found below. Should you have additional questions, please contact Mike Pyle with North Risk Partners / The Bearence Management Group at mike.pyle@northriskpartners.com .  
Employee Wellness Program Ideas
Employee wellness programs have become a staple in many companies as a way to attract top talent, keep them happy and productive and decrease employee turnover.

In fact, 80% of employees at companies with robust health and wellness programs feel engaged and cared for by their employers.

The key to having a successful wellness program at work is encouraging overall wellbeing while still keeping it fun. If you can’t get your team engaged then your wellness program ideas will quickly lose steam. So make your initiatives fun, try new ideas and see what your team values the most.

Here are a couple of ideas to help get you started:

Provide Water Bottles w/ Company Logo
Promote hydration, sustainability and company pride in one by gifting your team branded reusable water bottles. Water bottles will encourage your team to drink more water throughout the day, which can help them maintain a healthy weight, increase their energy, and boost the immune system (among a host of other benefits). And since they’re reusable, you’ll help reduce the estimated 1.5 million tons of plastic waste that bottled water creates every year.

Publish Workplace Wellness Newsletter
Publish a workplace wellness newsletter highlighting the best fitness, nutrition, and educational content from around the web. Setup separate Google alerts for “fitness”, “nutrition” and “wellness education” and select the “best results”. Compile the best articles each week or month into one email and send out for your employees to enjoy.

Bring in a Specialist
Show your employees how they can improve their health by bringing in a specialist who offers biometric screenings and health assessments, and more importantly, can give people a roadmap to improved health.

More ideas coming in next month’s issue!
Frequently Asked Questions
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