Zabasky: Small Employers Should Conduct Annual Benefits Checkups

John Zabasky, CEO of WorXsiteHR Insurance Solutions, Inc., is urging small employers to adopt a free annual review of their benefits setup as a standard practice. Zabasky, who started the California-based company in 2013 as the exclusive third-party administrator for the HealthWorX Plan—a no-cost medical plan subsidized by a non-profit for lower income, part-time, and seasonal workers—emphasizes that employers should schedule the review automatically each year rather than waiting for problems to arise. "Most employers only look hard at their benefits when something breaks," he said. "I want employers checking in every year, on purpose, whether anything is wrong or not."

The annual checkup, which Zabasky describes as a plain look at how a plan is working rather than a sales pitch, should cover enrollment numbers, claims patterns, and direct worker feedback. He notes that the idea grew out of his experience with seasonal and part-time workforces, where rapid changes in turnover and hours can make a plan that fit in January a poor fit by September. A good review yields three things: a plain-language summary of plan performance, a short list of changes worth making, and a direct answer on whether costs are in line with what similar employers pay. The goal is to catch small problems before they become renewal-time surprises. "A benefit only works if people use it," Zabasky said. "A checkup is how you make sure that stays true year after year, not just in the first year."

Zabasky recommends keeping the process simple: a short meeting, a plain summary, and a few actionable recommendations. "You want them to walk away knowing three things: what is working, what is not, and what to do about it," he said. With WorXsiteHR administering the HealthWorX Plan, the annual review habit helps ensure that access to healthcare does not quietly erode over time.