Open enrollment season is often a whirlwind of paperwork and rushed decisions. But employee benefits shouldn’t be a once-a-year event. It’s just the beginning of an essential phase in employee benefits management: ensuring that employees use and benefit from the coverage they’ve chosen. This is especially important now considering that projections show that the cost of employee benefits will continue to rise year over year. Effective utilization supports employee well-being and financial security and maximizes the value of your investment as an employer.
Open Enrollment Limitations
Traditional open enrollment often falls short due to…
- Information Overload: Employees are bombarded with information in a short period, leading to confusion and poor decision-making.
- Lack of Engagement: Many employees passively select their benefits without fully understanding their options or how to maximize their value.
- Missed Opportunities: Year-round life changes, like marriage, birth of a child, or changes in health status, often necessitate benefit adjustments that are missed outside of the open enrollment window.
How to Ensure Your Employees Use Their Benefits
Here are five ideas on how to encourage your employees to make the most of their benefits post-enrollment.
1. Provide Clear, Ongoing Communication
Many employees struggle with understanding complex insurance terms and the finer points of coverage. They may also need to be reminded of the full benefits of the choices they made. Post-enrollment is the ideal time for continued education efforts to reinforce key aspects of their chosen plans.
- Regular Communication: Share information about benefits throughout the year through various channels, such as email, intranet articles, and webinars.
- Targeted Campaigns: Focus on specific benefits, whether it’s health insurance, retirement planning, wellness programs, or one of the many voluntary products you offer.
- Interactive Tools: Provide access to online resources, such as benefits calculators and comparison tools, to help employees make informed decisions.
2. Offer Guided Support Through Your Benefits Broker
Even with clear materials, many employees have questions unique to their situations. Partnering with an experienced employee benefits broker, like TIS Insurance Services, means your team has a trusted resource to turn to for one-on-one support. Our team is equipped to assist with coverage questions, claims navigation, and long-term planning.
3. Use Technology to Boost Engagement
Technology can significantly enhance benefits engagement by making information and resources more accessible. With the right tools, employees can access plan details, find in-network providers, and even set preventive care and wellness check-up reminders. Consider the following:
- Benefits Administration Platforms: Use a robust benefits administration platform to manage enrollment, track benefits utilization, and communicate with employees.
- Mobile Apps: Offer a mobile app that allows employees to access benefits information, enroll in plans, and manage their contributions on the go.
- AI-Powered Chatbots: Implement AI-powered chatbots to answer employee questions about benefits and provide personalized support.
For our clients, TIS offers access to the Healthee app at no additional cost. Through this app, your employees can manage your benefits, access to their Member ID cards, find information about their benefit package, and access telehealth services. Healthee provides a convenient place that empowers employees to stay on top of their benefits, helping them make healthier choices and, ultimately, reduce costs.
4. Promote Preventive Care and Wellness Programs
Many benefits packages include preventive care options and wellness programs, yet they often go underutilized. To ensure employees take advantage of these features, create incentives around them. Encourage participation in annual screenings, flu shots, and wellness activities by offering incentives or rewards like additional paid time off. By promoting preventive care, you can help employees stay healthy, reduce absenteeism, and keep healthcare costs down in the long run.
Here are some strategies to consider:
- Personalized Recommendations: Use data to provide personalized recommendations for benefits based on individual needs and preferences.
- Gamification: Incorporate gamification elements into benefits education to make learning more fun and engaging.
- Wellness Challenges: Promote employee wellness through challenges and incentives related to health and well-being.
- Feedback Mechanisms: Regularly solicit feedback from employees about their benefits experience to identify areas for improvement regarding employee retention.
5. Hold Regular Benefits Check-Ins
Many employees make benefits choices without fully understanding how they align with their needs. Scheduling benefits check-ins throughout the year can help employees assess whether their current choices work well.
Don’t Forget About the Data
Data analytics can provide invaluable insights into employee benefits utilization, preferences, and needs. By analyzing data on enrollment patterns, claims data, and employee feedback, HR teams can:
- Identify Trends: Understand which benefits are most valued by employees and where there might be gaps in coverage.
- Personalize Communication: Tailor benefits communication to specific employee segments based on their demographics, health status, or other factors.
- Optimize Benefit Design: Adjust benefits offerings to better meet employee needs and control costs.
Partner with TIS Insurance Services Today
As one of Tennessee’s largest privately-owned insurance agencies, TIS Insurance Services is committed to delivering comprehensive benefits and superior service. From employee benefits insurance to claims advocacy and risk mitigation, our team is here to help you foster a culture of benefits utilization. Learn more about our employee benefits offerings here.
