Promoting Health Equity with Wageworks: A Guide for Employers

Promoting Health Equity with Wageworks: A Guide for Employers

Health equity is an increasingly relevant and important topic as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. It refers to the idea that everyone deserves an equal chance to achieve their best possible health regardless of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or other factors. As an employer, you can play a vital role in promoting health equity for your employees. In this article, we’ll explore how you can use Wageworks to support health equity in your workplace.

What is Wageworks?

Wageworks is a platform that offers a variety of flexible benefits to employees. It allows them to set aside pre-tax dollars for healthcare, dependent care, and commuting expenses. The platform aims to help employees save money and make their benefits work better for them.

How Can Wageworks Help Promote Health Equity?

Wageworks offers several features that can promote health equity in the workplace. These include:

Flexible Benefits

By offering flexible benefits through Wageworks, you can give your employees more control over their healthcare choices. This can be especially important for employees who may have limited access to healthcare or who may be facing financial barriers to accessing care. For example, employees who have a high deductible health plan can use Wageworks to set aside money for their deductible. This can make it easier for them to afford necessary care.

Commuter Benefits

Wageworks also offers commuter benefits, which can be particularly helpful for employees who rely on public transportation to get to work. By making it easier for employees to get to work, you can help ensure that they have reliable transportation to access healthcare services. This can be a critical factor in promoting health equity.

Education and Communication

Wageworks provides education and communication materials to help employees understand their benefits and make informed choices about their healthcare. By ensuring that all employees have access to this information, you can help to reduce health disparities and promote greater equity in healthcare.

Real-World Examples

Several companies have successfully used Wageworks to promote health equity in their workplaces. For example:

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo offers its employees a variety of benefits through Wageworks, including healthcare and commuter benefits. The company also provides resources and support to help employees better understand their benefits and how to make them work for their individual needs.

University of California, Davis

The University of California, Davis uses Wageworks to provide flexible benefits to its employees. This has helped to reduce healthcare costs for employees and improve access to care.

Conclusion

Promoting health equity in the workplace is essential for ensuring that all employees have the opportunity to achieve their best possible health. By using Wageworks to offer flexible benefits, commuter benefits, education and communication, and other resources, you can help to reduce disparities and promote greater equity in healthcare. Consider implementing this platform in your workplace to support health equity among your employees.