Lantern Members Share Gratitude for Benefits Leaders

Benefits leaders are the real MVPs, especially when it comes to keeping employees happy, healthy and protected. These HR professionals always hold their colleagues’ best interests at heart, whether they’re guiding staff through open enrollment, answering care navigation questions throughout the year or even offering an empathetic ear when employees just need someone to listen.

We want to show our gratitude by sharing the stories of members whose lives were changed by their employers’ benefit offerings.

A Life-Changing Surgery

Cecily H., a Senior Leasing Manager with Greystar, spends a lot of the workday on her feet. She often ended the day in pain.

“Coming home and being in pain when you are a single mom and needing to do things, it was very difficult,” Cecily says.

To address the pain and improve her quality of life, she had looked into having gastric sleeve surgery previously, but the cost was out of reach. Then, she learned the procedure would be covered through her employer’s Lantern benefit.

Cecily raves about her experience, from the Care Advocate who answered all of her questions along the way to the surgeon who she still meets with for follow-ups.

“I wouldn’t have been able to have this surgery without Lantern, and it was honestly a lifesaver,” Cecily says. “I’m so glad that my company has this option for us. I have never been happier.”

No Strings Attached

As school administrator John P. planned and prepared to pay for an upcoming surgery, he received a welcome surprise in the mail: a Lantern flyer explaining how he could get the surgery he needed at no cost to him.

“I had no clue this was a benefit afforded to me through my employer’s health plan,” John says. “I thought, ‘This is too good to be true. Where’s the catch?’ But I made a phone call, got hooked up with a great Care Advocate and ended up having a procedure done at no cost to me. I still can’t believe it.”

John rates the service he received through his Lantern benefit a resounding 10/10, noting excellent care from his surgeon, nurses, anesthesiologist and Care Advocate. Receiving this benefit was a tremendous blessing to him and his family, and he tells anyone who will listen.

“I’m getting the same reaction I felt initially, which is, ‘Hey, what’s the catch?’ I get to reassure people and tell them there is no catch. There were no loopholes,” John says. “In fact, I just received reassurance after reassurance that I would get the medical care I needed without having to worry about anything. And that’s exactly the experience I received from beginning to end.”

Overcoming Chronic Pain

Looking to overcome chronic pain and improve her mobility, Lantern member Sandra started using Hinge Health’s digital physical therapy program, which she learned about through her employer.

“I first applied for Hinge Health when dealing with hip pain,” Sandra says. “I was so excited, and I started doing the exercises at my desk daily.”

While the Hinge app helped Sandra start to manage her pain, she learned she would need surgery for complete relief. Luckily, the procedure was covered through Lantern, another benefit her employer offered.

Sandra’s Lantern Care Advocate matched her with an excellent surgeon who took her hip pain seriously.

“He looked at me and said, ‘I can see how much you’re struggling,’” Sandra shared. “Then he told me he could schedule the surgery within a month.”

After the surgery, which went well, Sandra was able to save more money by completing her post-op physical therapy through Hinge.

“These programs have been incredible. I tell everyone about them because they’re convenient, cost-effective and truly help with recovery,” Sandra says. “With these benefits, I’ve saved thousands of dollars and received excellent care.”

Thank You to all Benefits Leaders

As benefits leaders come out of their busiest time of year, we want to say thank you for all your efforts. Whether you offer Lantern or another specialty care benefit, know that your efforts change lives daily.