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Health insurance is often the biggest-ticket item in any company\u2019s benefits package, and the cost of health insurance rises on average each year<\/a>, historically.<\/p>\n Companies spend a lot of money, time and effort to make their benefits competitive and provide quality group health insurance plans<\/a> to employees. But perhaps not enough time is spent educating employees about their available options and helping them navigate what those options mean for them and their families.<\/p>\n A recent Business News Daily article<\/a> underscores the importance of educating employees about their health insurance benefits. Not having a clear understanding of what their health insurance plan covers until they find themselves at the doctor\u2019s office or hospital isn\u2019t ideal. You give your employees an advantage when you inform and empower them to make prudent decisions regarding coverage and treatment options.<\/p>\n Health insurance can be complicated, and often the differences between plans can be subtle.<\/p>\n Lack of direct control can be an issue as well. Much employee stress arises when health insurance plans change unexpectedly \u2013 especially when they\u2019re scaled back. For instance, maybe employees now have to pay more out of pocket or their trusted, long-time physician is no longer in network under the revised plan.<\/p>\n Understandably, employees want more assistance in wading through options and making a decision.<\/p>\n However, there are limits to the help that companies can realistically provide; no business should try to tell employees which<\/em> plan to select.<\/p>\n Business leaders need to take appropriate measures to protect their companies from disgruntled employees or, in some cases, adverse legal action. For instance, if an employee decides that a recommended health insurance plan isn\u2019t beneficial to them for some reason, you don\u2019t want them to have grounds to accuse your company of leading them astray and coercing them into a \u201cbad\u201d decision. Even if the employee has no legal footing, they can still develop a negative attitude<\/a> and resentment toward the company.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why business leaders and human resources (HR) departments generally don\u2019t want to tell any employee which health insurance plan to pick. There are too many variables and unique factors in a person\u2019s life that determine whether or not a plan is optimal for an employee and their family.<\/p>\n A company\u2019s appropriate role is to educate employees to be thoughtful consumers and guide them toward appropriate resources. Ultimately, the decision should be left up to the employee.<\/p>\n Still, employers must take these concerns about health insurance seriously. After all, companies want:<\/p>\n Keeping in mind the narrowly defined role companies should be taking in the employee decision-making process, what exactly can<\/em> companies do to help employees cut through all the confusion and stress about health insurance?<\/p>\n During your new-hire orientation<\/a>, don\u2019t rush through the discussion about health insurance or, worse, just briefly mention it as part of a larger benefits package. Use this opportunity \u2013 when employees are brand-new to your company, eager to learn and you have their attention \u2013 to describe in detail the health insurance plans your company offers.<\/p>\n The most appropriate people and resources to assist with employee questions about health care coverage depend on the particular way in which your employees receive benefits. At a high level, employees might be directed to the:<\/p>\n Provide your employees with at least a few different contact options, if possible.<\/p>\n Have a secure online portal that contains everything employees want to know about their benefits, including health insurance. A portal houses all this information in one central location, where it\u2019s available any time.<\/p>\n With a benefits portal, employees can do many tasks, including:<\/p>\n Some companies have even incorporated decision-making tools that ask employees questions about their individual circumstances and use artificial intelligence to recommend a health insurance plan to them based on their answers.<\/p>\n With all this information easily accessible, employees can feel more knowledgeable, empowered and in control.<\/p>\n Employee education about health insurance doesn\u2019t end at orientation. There will always be evolving personal circumstances, plan updates and a changing regulatory landscape to spur new questions.<\/p>\n Traditionally, open-enrollment meetings and general informational meetings haven\u2019t been that well attended by employees. Why?<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that in our post-pandemic world, these large on-site meetings are increasingly less common.<\/p>\n What else can you do?<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to communicate regularly, especially about:<\/p>\n This is so employees see you as an advocate for their knowledge and health, and as a proponent of transparency.<\/p>\n If changes to health insurance plans are coming, get out in front of them with as much advance notice as possible so employees don\u2019t feel caught off guard. Implement a communications campaign to give employees numerous opportunities to understand the changes coming and how those changes will affect them. This is also a proactive move to ward off any anger or resentment based on misunderstandings.<\/p>\n We all have our preferences \u2013 some of us like to read on a screen; others like to hold printed materials. Some of us work at the office; others work remotely at home.<\/p>\n To reach all of your employees, consider using a variety of communication channels to raise the likelihood that they receive the message and remain informed:<\/p>\n What if your employees have a health-related problem \u2013 but they\u2019re not sure where to go or what to do to seek help \u2013 and they don\u2019t feel comfortable reaching out to HR or the insurance carrier to ask? Or maybe they need guidance with their relationships or finances \u2013 or help finding dependent care for their children or aging parents?<\/p>\n That\u2019s where employee assistance programs (EAPs)<\/a> play a vital role. An EAP is a third-party, confidential resource that can connect employees to many types of professionals to assist with diverse issues.<\/p>\n For example, during and since the COVID-19 pandemic, employers have become much more attuned to employees\u2019 mental health<\/a>. With mental health struggles increasingly viewed as less stigmatizing and more commonplace within the workplace, company leaders are having open and frank discussions about the need to proactively address issues before they escalate into major problems.<\/p>\n Treatment for mental health issues is often covered under health insurance plans. However, an EAP can serve as an initial resource for:<\/p>\n Additionally, EAPs can connect employees to nutritionists, clinicians and other professionals who can help them proactively cease unhealthy habits and lifestyles, such as poor diet, lack of exercise, obesity, smoking or substance abuse<\/a>. By implementing positive changes, employees can work toward using their health insurance less, potentially saving them (and the company) money, and thereby reducing some of the stress associated with health insurance costs.<\/p>\n Your EAP should be easily accessible within a benefits portal or company intranet.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t let employees suffer in silence. Champion your EAP so they know they have a confidential, safe environment in which to seek help.<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that employees want more help with employer-provided health insurance to better understand offerings, and reduce the fear of wrong decisions and unexpected changes to their health plan \u2013 all of which could mean big costs for individuals and families. Although employers should refrain from explicitly recommending a specific health insurance plan to employees, there are many meaningful steps that leaders can take to mitigate employee stress about health insurance, which we have outlined here. <\/p>\n For more information about best practices in delivering quality employee benefits, download our free magazine: The Insperity guide to employee benefits<\/a>.<\/p>\nWhy health insurance is a stressful topic for employees<\/h2>\n
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The challenge for employers<\/h2>\n
How employers can do better<\/h2>\n
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1. Explain everything thoroughly during new-hire orientation<\/h2>\n
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2. Provide employees with contacts and resources<\/h2>\n
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3. Make information available 24\/7<\/h2>\n
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4. Deliver ongoing education<\/h2>\n
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5. Communicate regularly<\/h2>\n
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6. Leverage different channels to reach employees<\/h2>\n
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7. Promote your company\u2019s employee assistance program<\/h2>\n
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Summing it all up <\/h2>\n