One of the benefits of remote work is that employers in certain fields aren’t tied to finding workers in their region. Virtual workplaces are the new normal, so if your organization can take advantage, it means you can search for the best talent regardless of where they are located. There is one difficulty inherent in this approach, however, and that is finding multi-state health insurance for your workers no matter where they’re located. How can companies navigate this challenge?
The Challenges of Multi-State Healthcare
Insurance is regulated by the states. This means each state has different options and rules that affect your cost and choice of coverage. Compliance rules are different by state, as well. Balancing rules from multiple state policies is a risky and time-consuming process.
Some of the other challenges include:
- Some small businesses may not be eligible for group health insurance in specific states.
- Some carriers won’t cover out-of-state workers.
- Others allow it, but there are requirements for how many employees work in each state.
One way to overcome these hurdles is to purchase a national policy for coverage in 50-states. However, there are very few companies that offer national policies, and this is an option that is usually more expensive. Too, these policies can limit your provider networks. But a national health plan eliminates the need to track multiple state rules and underwriting guidelines. All employees receive the same coverage regardless of where they live and work.
You could also offer separate state plans. There is more flexibility for plan choice if you organize benefits in this way. Your employees may receive better coverage even than under a national plan. But this is a complex way to provide benefits, and for a small business, it’s also particularly time-consuming for staff. Small businesses have very little time to waste, so is balancing the rules of multiple state policies the best way to help your business?
How Can an EOR Help with Insurance?
For many companies, the answer to their multi-state insurance conundrum is to hire an employer of record (EOR). An EOR handles insurance and compliance, whether it’s for healthcare or worker’s compensation. These organizations also take care of the issue of registering in each state where you have contractors. If you’re expanding your workforce into states where you haven’t worked in the past, there’s a whole registration process that can be eliminated by choosing an EOR.
An EOR like FoxHire can handle all of your HR functions related to multi-state contracting. We can hire and onboard new teams. We can also handle employee reviews and terminations. FoxHire takes the hassles out of multi-state hiring by administering your health insurance, payroll, unemployment taxes, and more.
The benefits of an EOR are that we can handle any part of your outsourced HR work. Our administrative processes can handle everything from payroll to benefits, giving you the support you need for subsets of your business, such as seasonal or contract workers, out-of-state employees, or project-specific hires. When you have an EOR as a business partner, you can focus on important strategies for your business without worrying about the hassle of hiring and maintaining your multi-state workforce.
How can we help you today?
FoxHire is standing by to help you streamline your business in 2021. Contact us to find out more.
