Strategic Communication Essential During Open Enrollment

Mercer has developed a short checklist that outlines steps sponsors should take to maximize the value of their benefits while minimizing employee questions and concerns:

• Communicate the impact of health care reform – Employees are already confused and expecting the worst, with 41% anticipating that their situation will be worse off with health care reform. The best strategy is to communicate early and often to reduce fears, clarify misperceptions, and help employees make smart benefits decisions.
• Promote the role of wellness initiatives within an overall health benefits program – Among very large employers who have measured the results of their wellness initiatives, more than 75% said their health management programs had a positive impact on their medical plan trends. Yet nearly 40% of employees who have access to wellness programs through their employer indicate they do not use them. Mercer has found through actual client experience that a targeted communications strategy can significantly boost wellness program participation.
• Use online and mobile strategies for more convenient access to information and tools – In today’s fast-paced, mobile-oriented world, employees have less time to learn about their benefits, despite their need for more education. Mobile devices have become the dominant method of communication, with 56% of U.S. cell phone owners using their phones to access the Internet and 80% using their phones to text. Clearly, an effective communications program should deliver content and tools that can be viewed easily via a mobile device wherever and whenever an employee finds the time.
• Empower your employees to become informed consumers – Even for employers not making changes to their plans, it’s important to provide access to educational resources to help employees navigate today’s complicated health care landscape and better understand and appreciate the value of the benefits they are offered. Better education can lead to more cost-conscious choices. For example, high-deductible, consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) can often have a positive impact on employees’ and employers’ bottom lines. Yet among large employers that offered a CDHP alongside other medical plan choices last year, only 24% of eligible employees enrolled. Some may be avoiding CDHPs because they do not understand how they work or that lower premiums can result in overall savings despite the higher deductible.
• Anticipate questions to avoid being overwhelmed with calls – Health care reform’s 2014 provisions will likely spark numerous questions. An effective communication and education program that emphasizes self-service tools and convenient online access can minimize calls and reduce the burden on human resources staff and contact centers.

“As our checklist shows, strategic communication will be an essential component of any successful 2014 open enrollment program,” said Suzanne Nolan, Mercer’s Marketing and Communications Leader, U.S. Benefits Administration. “In fact, 78% of employers are concerned about meeting the communication requirements associated with the health care reform law, such as educating employees and supporting informed decisionmaking.”

Mercer has developed a series of open enrollment communication tools designed to help plan sponsors. More information is here.