Educating Employees About Healthcare Benefits

The need for great benefit plan offerings is coveted now more than ever with employers looking at benefits as a way to attract and retain the best talent in the market. However, when it comes time for employees to look at their healthcare options, it’s important to remember how grueling it can be to understand the differences between plans and choose a plan that’s right for them. Supporting employees through this process means making sure they are as educated as possible when making these decisions. As an employer, there are several things you can do to help. Here are 4 ideas to keep in mind when encouraging employees to participate in your benefits plans:

Ask Employees About What’s Important to Them

Providing relevant information to employees starts with understanding what their priorities are and how you can fit those needs into the educational resources you give them. By reaching out to your team and asking what information they’d like when it comes to benefits, you’re focusing on what matters most to them and making your support in their decision apparent. At Exude, we start supporting our clients by administering an annual employee survey to their workforce to begin uncovering and analyzing these insights.

Providing Healthcare 101

After gathering information on what the priorities of your organization are when it comes to benefits, the best way to educate in addition to addressing immediate concerns of employees is also compiling basic “Healthcare 101” topics. In a study done by Carnegie Mellon University, it was found that most consumers don’t understand basic health insurance concepts such as co-pays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses. One way to support this initiative is by developing a 365 communication campaign to educate employees on timely topics throughout the year and keep them informed on an ongoing basis. Having this information to reference throughout an employee’s usage of healthcare plans will be helpful in addressing any questions or confusion that may come up.

Offering Accessible Educational Resources

Making sure every employee has easy access to education on your healthcare plans is critical to ensuring there is clear communication and understanding., There are a number of ways this can be done, including monthly healthcare email updates or offering quick open enrollment sessions during employee lunch hours. Exude clients not only have the option of in person open enrollment sessions and physical open enrollment packets, but we also offer a number of virtual tools that are easily accessible and can be watched by the employee in the convenience of their home at whichever time works best for them. Making this process as easy as possible for your employees is key to proper utilization.

Talk About Benefits Outside of Open Enrollment

One mistake many employers make is focusing on communication about benefits only during open enrollment season. It’s important to remember that employee plan needs change continually with the seasons and life events. Examples of this may be the decision to start a family or the addition of family members onto a plan, and in either case the need for resources about choosing a new plan are necessary. Keeping employees informed year-round is the best way to help them remain prepared to make the best coverage decisions for themselves.

Not sure where to get started? Exude offers employee benefits consulting to develop long-term strategies that are personalized to organizational goals. Get started today by filling out the form below to get in touch with one of our experts!