Global Benefits
Why Employers Care
As companies expand operations globally, they are developing strategies to enable seamless operations in all aspects of the business, including benefits. Employers are increasingly seeing the value of developing global benefits policies in part, to ensure global consistency, internal equity, and consistent external competitive positioning. Governance and the establishment of a clear framework for decision making and accountability are also noted as critical elements by multinational employers who have developed global benefits philosophies and practices.
What Can Employers Do?
Employers and health benefits staff specifically can work to align international benefit programs to the company's global philosophy, develop a consistent approval process for managing benefit changes, examine the approaches used to communicate information about benefits globally, and develop quality improvement measures to support the ongoing development of a global benefits strategy.
Global Health Benefits Institute Resources
- Global Benefits Inventory Databases: Employer Panel Discussion Highlights – June 23, 2008
These highlights summarize member companies' experiences with global benefits inventory databases.
- Brokerage for Global Employee Benefits – April 23, 2008

This quick survey focuses on where multinational employers utilize global brokers and what functions global brokers serve.
- Inventory Database for Global Benefits Quick Survey Results – April 15, 2008
This quick survey investigates how employers utilize global benefits inventory databases to collect and analyze benefit offerings around the globe and benchmark against other employers within a country or region.
- Global Expatriate Medical Plan Quick Survey Results – November 19, 2007
This quick survey highlights cost-sharing practices in multinational’s expatriate medical plans.
- Best Doctors Presentation – September 27, 2007
Best Doctors presented three key issues when dealing with the healthcare of foreign or expatriate employees: quality, network, benefits
- Governance Survey Report – June 25, 2007
This report outlines the approaches employers are taking regarding governance of their global benefits programs.
- International Health Care Plans Quick Survey – April 27, 2007
This quick survey inquires about how multinationals' expatriate healthcare plans compare to their U.S. domestic healthcare plans especially in the area of cost sharing.
- Global Inventory/Audit Discussion Guide – December 4, 2006
This document outlines the key issues in conducting an inventory of global benefits and describes how the resulting data can be used.
- Global Benefits Inventory Databases Discussion Highlights – December 4, 2006
This document summarizes Institute members’ discussion about the global benefits inventory database process.
- Mercer's Global On-Line Database (MercerGOLD) Overview Presentation – December 4, 2006
Mercer demonstrated some of the key features of its global online database. The database is a web tool for multinationals to store, manage, and analyze design and financing information on employee benefit, HR, and compensation programs in a globally consistent template.
- Developing a Global Health Benefits Philosophy and Strategy: Panel Discussion Guide and Educational Resource – October 5, 2006
This guide presents an overview for developing a global health benefits philosophy and strategy.
- Global Health Benefits Strategy Discussion Highlights – October 5, 2006
These highlights summarize four Institute members’ experiences with developing global health benefits strategies.
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