How Employers Are Adjusting Benefits During the Pandemic

Two months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we're seeing real-time changes in employer benefits. This isn't speculation or survey data—it's what employers are actually doing, reflected in plan updates flowing through our system.

Telehealth Expansion

The most dramatic shift has been in telehealth. Pre-pandemic, telehealth was a nice-to-have. Now it's essential.

What we're seeing:
• Employers adding telehealth benefits mid-year
• Waived or reduced telehealth copays
• Expanded telehealth provider networks
• Mental health telehealth specifically called out

Some changes are temporary, explicitly tied to the public health emergency. Others appear to be permanent additions.

COVID-Specific Coverage

Employers have moved quickly to ensure COVID-19 testing and treatment are covered without unusual barriers:

• Waived cost-sharing for COVID testing
• Waived or reduced cost-sharing for COVID treatment
• Covered out-of-network COVID care at in-network rates
• Extended prescription refill allowances

These changes often came through carrier bulletins rather than formal plan amendments, but employers are communicating them to employees.

Flexibility Measures

Beyond medical coverage, employers are adjusting related benefits:

FSA/HSA flexibility:
• Extended claims deadlines
• Expanded rollover provisions
• Mid-year election changes allowed

Leave policies:
• Emergency paid leave additions
• Relaxed documentation requirements
• Extended job protection

What's Not Changing

Despite the crisis, some things remain stable:

• Core plan designs (deductibles, OOP maximums) are largely unchanged
• Premium contribution structures are holding
• Open enrollment timelines are proceeding normally for most employers

Employers are making targeted changes to address immediate needs without overhauling their entire benefits structure.

Watching the Data

We're tracking these changes in real-time as they flow into our dataset. In the coming months, we'll have clearer visibility into which changes stick and which revert when the immediate crisis passes.

For now, the message is clear: employers can move fast when they need to.