Winter 2025 Insight Employer Newsletter

Simple tips on how your employees can get the most out of their health coverage
At Independent Health, we’re not just here for your employees when they need to utilize their health insurance benefits. Instead, we want to help keep them active, informed and engaged all year long.
Therefore, upon your group’s plan effective date, we encourage your employees to take the following steps so that they can get the most of their coverage:
- Create their MyIH member account
By registering for their own MyIH member account, your employees get everything they need in one convenient and secure place. Among the things they can do when logged into their account include:- Check their plan benefits
- View recent medical and pharmacy claims
- Access their member ID card as well as request additional cards
- Change their primary care physician
- Update their contact information
- Track their plan deductible and out-of-pocket costs (if applicable)
- Manage their Health Savings Account (HSA) through HealthEquity (if applicable)
- Activate RedShirt RewardsSM and complete the program’s annual attestation.
- Select their point-of-enrollment wellness benefit (Health Extras or Nutrition Benefit)*
- Receive reminders about important health action items and preventive care services through their personal action plan.
As part of the MyIH member account registration process, your employees will also provide us with an email address, giving us a direct way to communicate with them and enhancing our ability to effectively help them manage their own health.
- Download the MyIH app
With Independent Health’s MyIH app, the personalized information and answers your employees need about their health plan are just a chat or tap away. This free app is available to both iPhone® and AndroidTM users. In addition to viewing their plan information safely, securely and whenever they need to right from their smartphone, you employees can use the MyIH app to chat one-on-one with a live Independent Health RedShirt®.
- Schedule an Annual Visit with their doctor
It’s important your employees choose a primary care physician (PCP) to coordinate their care and serve as the central source for information and guidance on all matters of their health and well-being. Getting an annual routine checkup with their PCP is free and excluded from deductibles. It’s one of the more than 60 preventive services Independent Health offers at a $0 copayment. If your employees don’t have a PCP, they can use our “Find a Doctor” tool to search for a PCP and other providers. Once your employees find a PCP, they should then add his or her name, address and phone number to their member account.
- Complete a HIPAA Authorization Form
All employees who have covered dependents on their plan are encouraged to download and complete a Protected Health Information/HIPAA Authorization Form. By doing so, they will then have the ability to review, access and discuss their dependents’ claims, coverage and health information. Having this form completed in advance can be extremely helpful in times of emergencies. It can be found on the “Frequently Used Forms” page of our website.
We’re always here to help!
If your employees have questions about their coverage, they can reach out to our Member Services Department, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. As always, if you need assistance, you can contact your account manager or our Sales Department at (716) 631-8072 or 1-800-755-5802.
*Not included with all plans. Check your summary of benefits to see if your plan includes these options and benefits. Some plans offer a choice in benefits that require annual activation and selection of benefit by member.

What you need to know about GLP-1 weight-loss medications
Fueled by television ads, celebrity endorsements and an obesity epidemic, there is a weight-loss drug boom sweeping the United States. At the center of this boom is a class of injectable drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, Mounjaro and Zepound are among the drugs that are considered GLP-1s. These medications were originally designed to help manage blood sugar (glucose) levels in people with type 2 diabetes. However, in recent years, some GLP-1s have also been studied and approved for chronic weight management because of their ability to reduce hunger, constant cravings and food intake. While studies have shown that certain GLP-1 agonists can help suppress appetite and lead to weight loss, they are not intended as the first step in weight management and not everyone should use them.
According to medical experts, weight-loss medications are most appropriate for patients who are considered overweight or obese, have tried other evidence-based approaches for weight loss (e.g., healthy diet and exercise) without success and have at least one weight-related health condition, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Financial impact of GLP-1s
Although not all GLP-1s are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for chronic weight management, this hasn’t prevented millions of Americans from using them for the sole purpose of weight loss. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 35 percent of U.S. adults have obesity. Since a month's supply of GLP-1s can cost between $900 and $1,500 per month, some analysts predict the weight-loss medication market could surpass $150 billion a year within a decade, which would likely drive up overall health care and prescription drug spending as well as health insurance premiums.
As a result, many employers are currently faced with the difficult decision over whether to cover these pricey weight loss drugs. According to recent data from the Segal Group, simply covering anti-obesity medications led to an increase in the rate of growth in employer-sponsored prescription plan spending. Because GLP-1s are so popular and expensive, the average trend for employers that covered anti-obesity medications in 2023 was 13.2%, which was 4.8 percentage points higher than for employer plans without coverage for anti-obesity medications.
To help manage costs and improve access for our members who need GLP-1 medications to treat type 2 diabetes or who have a higher risk for obesity-related complications and comorbidities due to obesity, Independent Health has a medication policy in place for our commercial plan members that requires preauthorization for GLP-1s that are approved for weight loss. Our prior authorization criteria is consistent with other health plans locally and across the country.
Lifestyle changes are still key to lasting health
Despite the dramatic increase in the use of GLP-1s for weight loss, healthy lifestyle changes are still considered the most cost-effective and recommended strategy for shedding weight and keeping the pounds off. When it comes to preventing and reversing obesity, employers have the unique opportunity to influence real change by offering worksite wellness programs that motivate their employees to adopt healthier lifestyles and habits so that they can reach and maintain a healthy weight without needing expensive medications.
Independent Health has a long history of working closely with local companies and businesses to design, implement and maintain successful worksite wellness programs. As the only health plan with a team of wellness specialists based here in Western New York, we are able to assign large employer groups their own wellness specialist who works one-on-one with them every step of the way. By analyzing a group’s medical and pharmacy claims, biometric screening results, and aggregate health risk assessment data, the wellness specialist will recommend lifestyle change and engagement strategies that are tailored to specifically meet the needs of both the organization and its employees.
If you are a large employer group that is interested in a wellness solution for your employees, we may be able to assist you. Contact your broker or an Independent Health benefit consultant today!

Independent Health’s telemedicine benefit provides 24/7 access to care and support
When your employees can’t reach their primary care physician or are travelling away from home, they can speak with an experienced doctor or health care provider at anytime from anywhere by using our telemedicine benefit through Teladoc®.
Not only can Teladoc help with a variety of common medical issues (e.g. cold and flu symptoms, sinus problems, allergies, pink eye, etc.), but it also provides convenient and confidential access to behavioral health (mental health and substance use) and dermatology services, too. That’s significant since it can often be difficult to schedule an appointment to see a licensed mental health therapist or dermatologist.
How Teladoc works
- Create an account – Your employees can visit teladoc.com/IH and enter the required information to set up an account. They may choose to include their medical history, as well as contact information for their primary care physician and preferred pharmacy.
- Request a consult – Your employees can request consultation 24/7 through their online account, the Teladoc mobile app or by calling 1-800-Teladoc. Consultations are also available 7 days a week by online video from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Discuss health concern – A medical practitioner will review your employees’ medical profile before contacting them. Practitioners participating with Teladoc include:
- U.S. Board-Certified Physicians
- Psychiatrists
- Psychologists
- Clinical Social Worker
- Therapists (Marriage and Family)
- Substance Abuse Counselors
- Resolve the issue – If necessary, the doctor may prescribe medication based on your employees’ diagnosis. Prescriptions for short-term antibiotics, antihistamines, cough suppressants or anti-bacterial agents can be sent to their preferred pharmacy. Nearly all of the drugs prescribed are generics.
- Pay for service – Based on the billing information your employees provide with their account, they will be charged according to their plan benefits.* Teladoc has a $0 copay or a low copayment for most plans. If your employees receive a dermatology consultation, they will be responsible for a specialist copay/coinsurance according to their plan benefits.**
- Coordinate care – At your employees’ request, a record of their consultation can be sent to their primary care physician, with whom you may be advised to see for follow-up care.
Using our telemedicine benefit is an easy way for your employees and their family to feel better, faster, and is another way we can help them get and stay healthy. For additional information about Teladoc, visit our website.
*If your group plan is HSA-qualified, by law, your employees are responsible for paying the full cost of Teladoc services until their deductible is satisfied. **If your group plan requires your employees to meet a deductible before their specialist cost share, they are responsible for paying the full cost of Teladoc dermatology services until their deductible is satisfied. If your plan does not require your employees to meet a deductible prior to a specialist cost share, they are only responsible for their specialist cost share for Teladoc dermatology services.
Special report about current state of the health care industry
Rising costs, an aging population, technology and the impact of post-pandemic medical inflation are just some of the reasons that currently affect providers’ ability to deliver quality care and make it harder for consumers to afford quality health coverage. As Independent Health works proactively to address identified challenges, we recently issued a report on the state of our industry, entitled “Navigating modern challenges in healthcare: How thoughtful initiatives can meet critical industry, patient needs.” We encourage you to read this report.
Bringing healthy to WNY this winter through partnerships
As a way to help Western New Yorkers stay physically active this winter, Independent Health is partnering with several local organizations to offer a variety of fun and healthy activities. For instance, you can get your steps in at Tifft Nature Preserve with weekly guided nature walks. You can also hit the ice at Buffalo RiverWorks for open ice skating, which is now free for all Independent Health members. Our members can receive discounted rates on skate rentals at Buffalo RiverWorks, too. Learn more about our community partnerships.