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Use Communications to Involve Employees in Health Plan Spending Control

Categories - From Our Newsletter, News

Implementing cost-sharing increases or cutting benefits in an effort to bring health plan costs under control can be unpleasant tasks for employers, with concerns about how the news will impact employee productivity and morale. The better employees understand the reasons such plan changes are necessary, however, the lesser the chance that the changes will have a negative impact.

Employee communication materials like total compensation statements, total reward or benefit statements are great tools to help explain and communicate changes to programs.

According to the 2009 UBA Employer Benefit Perspectives survey from United Benefit Advisors, more than 80% of employers felt employees are at least aware of the health care crisis and the reasons for increased cost sharing or benefit reductions; a little less than 20% of employees themselves said they were upset about the benefit reductions or cost increases that their employers implemented. Since communications can play an important role in bringing employees on board with health plan changes, what steps can employers take to make implementation as smooth as possible? Here are a few ideas, both for plan-change-targeted and ongoing health plan communications-

- Make sure employees are aware of the reality of health care costs. Research and publicize to employees national health care cost data and cost trends. Be specific: for example, contrast the average cost of a hospital stay or doctor’s office visit today with that of five or 10 years ago. Do the same for the average cost of coverage under various types of health plans.

- Share specific cost data from your company’s health plans. Employees frequently think of the cost of the health plan only in terms of what they pay in premiums, and overlook the employer’s contribution. This narrow view hides the true cost of health care coverage, as well as what the employer pays toward the cost of coverage (which, ideally, employees should see as part of their total compensation package).

- Use concrete examples to illustrate how health plan spending can cut into the ability of the company to make outlays in other areas. For example, determine the approximate dollar amount increase in the company’s health plan contribution one year to the next, and compare it to some other company expense. Is the amount of the increase equal to an employee salary? Stated differently, has health plan spending growth prevented a needed hiring? Use this process to show how health plan cost increases can eliminate raises and bonuses, result in the cancellation of company events, delay the purchase of new equipment, and the like.

- Help employees see that when they use their health benefits astutely, they not only save themselves money, but also keep plan costs down as well. For example, when employees use preferred providers, they receive the highest plan benefit, and the plan pays the lower, negotiated preferred provider rate. If employees have begun to understand the point above-how health plan spending can impact salary increases, staffing, investment in equipment, etc.-this can motivate them to use the plan more wisely.

- Use statistical data to show employees how, generally, unhealthy people use more health care, resulting in higher plan costs. If employees accept this, they’re more likely to try to follow recommended preventive care schedules, attempt to change unhealthy behaviors, and overall aim to become more physically fit.

Employers want employees to be active participants in controlling rising health care costs. To-the-point communications can bring employees on board in this effort, resulting in more manageable costs for employer and employee alike.

Contact us to discuss how we can help you to communicate with your employees.

January 31, 2010

Benefits to Consider as the Work Force Ages

Categories - From Our Newsletter, News

If you thought you looked a little older this morning as you got ready for work, you’re not alone. According to a 2008 Business & Education Resources Study examining shifting workplace demographics, the percentage of employees who are 40+ has increased year after year. In 1990, 40% of the workplace fell into this distinguished category. In 2000, 48% of workers were 40+, and by 2010, 51.4% of U.S. workers will be older than 40. These increases reflect the aging of the 78 million baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964.

The increase in life expectancy amplifies the boomer effect. Only 100 years ago, the average life expectancy was 47; compared to 77 years today. As we live longer, we may begin to experience increasing age-related changes in hearing, vision, and even dexterity. The sometimes gradual degeneration of vision or hearing can profoundly affect an individual, both personally and in the workplace.

Normal changes in the aging eye include decreased ability to focus at short range, reduced acuity, a need for better lighting, and reduced contrast sensitivity and depth perception. Left unchecked, such problems can result in expensive errors and even accidents, creating the potential for high costs for employers.

According to the American Society on Aging, 15% of the overall population suffers from some type of hearing loss, with 60% of this group over the age of 55. Hearing loss can be a trickier situation to manage than vision degeneration, because it may go undetected or ignored for longer periods of time. Employees with untreated hearing impairment are more likely to miss some of what is being said in group or one-on-one discussions. Verbal instructions may be misunderstood and not followed correctly, which can result in errors or accidents. Overall workplace information exchange can suffer.

Regular visits to an optometrist or ophthalmologist are the best way to promote healthy eyesight, and a good first source to screen for hearing problems is a general practitioner, with referral to a specialist if appropriate. Most hearing and vision problems are readily correctable through hearing aids or corrective lenses. Be that as it may, many employees delay seeking treatment for hearing or vision loss for financial reasons. Postponing treatment can result in the kinds of workplace costs and risks discussed above.

To encourage employees to take care of these important senses, employers can offer vision and hearing coverages as voluntary benefits. Voluntary benefits are paid in full by the employees who choose to purchase them. However, employees typically save money because the benefits are offered at group discount rates, and often save time by learning about the benefits while they are at work. (Some employers do choose to make a contribution to the coverage.)

Voluntary vision care plans are plentiful, and can offer a variety of choices to employees. Usually, vision care plans cover eye exams and corrective lenses (either eyeglasses or contacts). Plan enhancements could include safety eyewear for individuals in certain industries; laser or Lasik surgery; and polycarbonate lenses for children and active adults.

How a vision benefit is provided also varies according to the plan that is selected. Some plans offer discounted fee services and lenses through a list of exclusive providers or retail outlets; others use a preferred-provider approach and pay a larger or smaller benefit depending on the provider used; and still others pay according to a fee schedule.

Hearing care plan benefits might include discounts on audiologists’ fees, and compensation for hearing aids and related products and services (for example, batteries and cleaning).

Voluntary vision and hearing benefits become ever more valuable with an aging workforce, creating a win-win situation: Employees as well as their employers are likely to benefit from better hearing and vision health in the workplace.

Contact Us to discuss how we can help you to communicate with your employees.

Making Your Voluntary Benefits Program a Success

Categories - From Our Newsletter, News

Both employers and employees have much to gain from a solid voluntary benefits program. For employees, being able to enroll in an insurance product through a workplace voluntary benefits program offers them the advantage of group pricing, the convenience of paying through payroll deduction, and perhaps access to insurance that would be difficult to get on an individual basis. For employers, offering a range of voluntary insurance products can help increase employee satisfaction-and along with it loyalty and morale-and make the employer more competitive in attracting and retaining the best employees.

These advantages alone, however, do not ensure that a voluntary benefits program will be a success. Careful planning, including the selection of benefits to offer, choice of vendors and well-crafted communications, are keys to program success.

• Bring in the kinds of benefits that employees want and will enroll in. Survey employees as to what types of additional benefits they would participate in if given the opportunity. Depending on your employee demographics, these could include additional life insurance options, long-term care, or even pet insurance. Voluntary benefits enable employees to self-customize an individual benefits package that is uniquely appropriate to them.
• Examine gaps in your company's current benefits coverage, and consider how voluntary benefits plans can be used to fill these gaps. For companies that have had to scale back on their regular benefits package, voluntary benefits can be particularly helpful. If your benefits budget is tight and, for example, needs to be dedicated to helping fund medical benefits, offering dental and vision on a voluntary basis gives employees easy and affordable access to these benefits.
• After determining which benefits your company would like to extend to employees on a voluntary basis, research appropriate vendors. Look for the product lines vendors offer, whether they have minimum participation requirements, how they conduct enrollment, and their initial and ongoing communications materials. Also examine the vendors' experience and track record working with companies of your size and in your industry. The quality of the vendor, employees' customer service experience with the vendor, and the vendor's ability to smoothly work with your company's human resources department and systems will go a long way in determining the success of your voluntary benefits program.
• Though the vendor will supply some communications materials, company communications concerning the program will help to incorporate it into your overall benefits program in the eyes of employees, making it more likely employees will enroll. Consider announcing new voluntary benefits offerings in a communication from top management, which will demonstrate the company's commitment to the program. Make voluntary benefits enrollment a part of your annual enrollment process, and incorporate descriptions and information on voluntary benefits offerings into the communications materials for your core plans.
• Work closely with the insurance provider you select for your company's voluntary benefits to enhance communications opportunities and enrollment efforts. This will be particularly important if any of the voluntary benefits have minimum participation requirements. Some voluntary benefits vendors will want to come in for presentations, individual meetings or enrollment sessions, all of which can be very effective in increasing participation in these programs.

Voluntary benefits can be a great add-on to any company's benefits program. Careful planning and consideration of the various issues that can affect participation can increase the chances of program success.

Contact Us to discuss how we can help you to communicate with your employees.