Flex Shield Closes the Gap on HDHP: Unita Pairs a Hospital Indemnity Policy with Built-In Wellness Benefits and GAP Coverage in One Paycheck-Neutral Enrollment
ALBANY, NY, UNITED STATES, March 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — enhancedcareMD, doing business as Unita, announced the launch of Flex Shield, a fully insured, Department of Insurance-approved benefit solution that closes the coverage gaps high-deductible health plans leave behind. Available in over 40 states, Flex Shield brings together two complementary policies under a single enrollment — a hospital indemnity plan with built-in wellness benefits and a GAP health plan. The solution generates average payroll tax savings of $1,000 per enrolled employee per year for employers through its Section 125 structure.
“High-deductible health plans have left a growing gap in financial protection for working Americans,” said Chris Bernardine, President of Unita. “Flex Shield was built to close that gap — not just with insurance, but with the wellness support that helps employees avoid the claim in the first place. And because the program is structured to be paycheck-neutral, enrollment becomes an easy yes.”
Two Policies. One Enrollment. Every Gap Covered.
Flex Shield brings two complementary policies together under a single enrollment. The GAP policy covers out-of-pocket costs that high-deductible health plans leave exposed — deductibles, copays, and coinsurance — so employees are not forced to choose between care and cost. The hospital indemnity policy provides direct cash benefits for covered events including hospital admissions and confinement, intensive care unit stays, emergency room visits, ambulance transportation, and outpatient surgical procedures, paid directly to the employee rather than a provider.
Built into the hospital indemnity policy is the Wellbeing Screening Benefit — the feature that closes the gap before it opens. Each month, Unita health professionals reach out directly to enrolled employees and file the Wellbeing Screening Benefit claim on their behalf, no paperwork required. Qualifying services include coaching sessions with a certified wellness coach and licensed counselor, health risk assessments, UnitaScan biometric face scan technology, a company-branded wellness portal with personal challenges and health courses, and UnitaMind, Unita’s full mental health program offering in-person, video, text-based, and group therapy alongside self-guided digital resources. The resulting monthly payment helps offset premiums, and most employees find their net take-home pay remains the same as it was before enrolling.
“Most benefits programs wait for something to go wrong,” Bernardine added. “We close the gap on that too. Health professionals reach out every month, handle the claim, and make sure employees are engaged and supported — long before a hospital visit ever happens.”
Closing the Gap on Employer Costs
Employers adopting Flex Shield close a financial gap of their own. The Section 125 structure generates average payroll tax savings of $1,000 per enrolled employee per year — a figure that often covers program administration costs and delivers net savings at scale. Combined with a more engaged, health-conscious workforce, Flex Shield offers employers a benefit that pays in multiple directions.
Unita supports implementation with enrollment materials, employee communications, and enrollers, and the program coordinates with existing medical plans.
About enhancedcareMD (Unita)
enhancedcareMD, operating as Unita, is an employee benefits implementation and wellness technology company headquartered in Albany, New York. Unita delivers integrated solutions connecting insurance coverage, proactive wellness services, and technology platforms to help employers build benefit programs that engage employees and deliver measurable value. Products include Flex Shield, UnitaScan, UnitaMind, and more.
Chris Bernardine
enhancedcare, Inc dba Unita
cbernardine@enhancedcaremd.com
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