| | JULY 2024MANAGEHRMAGAZINE.COM19We excel in finding the best products and pricing by accessing carriers on a product-by-product basis, ensuring optimal value for our clientsASSOCIUM began as a human resource consulting firm. The consulting department continues to provide consulting services ranging from ad hoc projects to on-going access to HR support. Benefits clients can take advantage of discounted HR services. ASSOCIUM's broad offering includes cost-cutting and group buying initiatives originally tailored to nonprofit organizations and now offered to all clients. Today, ASSOCIUM continues to expand their offering to include one of the best employee assistance plans in the industry, through Humanicare. In addition, through its collaboration with Novus Health, the company will soon introduce a new healthcare navigation program to help individuals, particularly those at risk of conditions such as pre-diabetes. Over the past decade, drug expenses have significantly increased, particularly for specialty medications like HUMIRA, Remicade, and Rebif. These costs often , posing a financial challenge for employers. Recognizing this issue, ASSOCIUM's Specialty Drug Program focuses on securing alternative funding sources for high-cost medications. This program, with a 97 percent success rate, addresses the affordability concerns associated with specialty drugs, providing relief to employers and employees. ASSOCIUM has offered its Specialty Drug Program to several organizations. In one notable instance, a client found themselves with benefit plan costs that exceeded their financial capacity. The company wanted to provide comprehensive coverage for their employees, but were constrained by two high-cost drugs, mainly for their two employees taking medications worth over $30,000 annually. ASSOCIUM's consultants successfully identified alternative funding sources and reduced the client's annual medication costs by $20,000, a substantial 30 percent of their total $60,000 budget. The client's financial flexibility allowed them to sustain their benefits plan. The team at ASSOCIUM functions as a cohesive group that addresses all aspects of service delivery. This includes specialized personnel overseeing renewals, marketing efforts, and direct client administration. Such a setup enables needed support for individual clients that range from handling billing inquiries to managing employee additions/terminations and providing advice during layoffs or union negotiations. The team members are cross-trained and prepared to seamlessly shift between their primary roles to provide the required support, fostering a collaborative culture and maintaining uninterrupted service delivery.The reliable benefits service provider has been primarily consolidated by its extensive connections with the industry's insurance carriers. This enables ASSOCIUM to have direct access to key contacts inside these carriers, facilitating more efficient communication and advocacy on behalf of their clients. By leveraging its expertise and networks, the company ensures that clients receive exceptional value and helps them navigate through the complexities of the insurance landscape.
< Page 9 | Page 11 >