How can employers help their benefit plan succeed?
The success of your health benefits program depends largely on employees’ understanding it and using it wisely. Even if your health benefits package is no-frills, you should communicate its value to your employees.
It amazes me that some employers never share how much they are paying for their insurance. Employees don’t realize how much it costs. They see the tip of the iceberg; they see the 10 or 20 percent that they are asked to pay, and they think that’s an awful lot, but that’s just a fraction of the whole cost. As a minimum initial step, it doesn’t hurt to share with employees how much the employer is putting into their health insurance. It can help them gain perspective on why that employer may not always have a lot left over for other things, like pay increases.
In addition, in your role as company health promoter, don’t forget to encourage employees to use the important preventive services that are most likely included in your coverage. Basic services like screenings and immunizations can yield significant results. In that respect, the money you spend for prevention is an investment in the future health of your employees and your business. Your insurance broker or carrier may have ongoing promotional campaigns that you can tap into — reminders about mammography screenings during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, for instance — and may be able to provide turnkey materials for your use.
Finding a value-adding health care vendor with whom you can establish a stable, mutually rewarding partnership can be good for your workers’ health and your company’s bottom line.
Greg Mercer is vice president of sales, marketing and business development for Kaiser Permanente. Reach him at (216) 621-5600 or [email protected].