Helping employees realize the full value of their benefits
For employers looking to protect employee health care dollars, it may mean educating them about the benefits embedded in their plan — at little to no additional cost.
Even with employer-sponsored plans, health care comes at a cost for employees and their families, which can include paying premiums, meeting deductibles and accruing out-of-pocket expenses — all depending on their plan. In fact, 77% of surveyed employees cite financial concerns, which include medical costs, as a primary source of their stress.1
But providing health benefits also comes at a high cost for employers. In fact, it’s often one of their top expenditures.2 And when health benefits see low utilization, that can create a no-win situation for all by essentially leaving money on the table.
That’s why it’s important to ensure employees are aware of their benefits, including those that may be available to them for little to no additional cost. To that end, carriers like UnitedHealthcare take actions to help members better understand their benefits, including conducting marketing campaigns that inform members of their benefits and how to access them. Employers can supplement that with their own targeted communication campaigns. Doing so may cause employees to perceive greater value in the benefits their employer offers them and lead to increased employee satisfaction. As a result, better health outcomes, lower costs, improved productivity, and higher levels of employee engagement may follow — up to 25% higher than for employees who are least satisfied.3
And that’s a win-win for all.
For UnitedHealthcare members with a fully insured plan, some of the benefits available at little to no additional out-of-pocket cost include:
- Personalized advocacy support for when members need help navigating their benefits
- Special Needs Initiative for when members who are caring for children with special needs and complex conditions need additional support
- Routine preventive care and screenings, including the first diagnostic breast imaging and colonoscopy as recommended by a network provider
- Virtual visit options for urgent care, primary care, mental health and specialty care needs
- UnitedHealthcare Vital Medication Program, which is a $0 cost-share program that eliminates the out-of-pocket costs for 5 life-saving medications: insulin, epinephrine, glucagon, naloxone and albuterol
- Blood glucose meter to help members with UnitedHealthcare Pharmacy monitor their blood sugar levels, such as those with type 2 diabetes
- UnitedHealthcare Rewards, which provides members the opportunity to earn rewards for reaching health goals and completing one-time activities that support healthier lifestyles
- Wellos®, a customized wellness app designed to support positive behavior change by helping members actively engage in their health and wellness goals
- Real Appeal®, a personalized program designed to assist members on their weight-management journey and support long-term transformation
- Quit For Life®, a smoking cessation program that uses physical, psychological and behavioral strategies to help members overcome nicotine dependency
- Calm Health app, which gives members 24/7 access to digital content and resources created by psychologists to support better sleep, reduced stress and improved mindfulness
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers members access to 24/7 unlimited telephonic “in-the-moment” support from master level specialists to help address anxiety, depression, grief, loss, relationship issues and more
- Virtual behavioral coaching via 1-on-1 weekly coaching phone or video chats, including in-app messaging capabilities offered in between sessions
When employees have access to benefits that cost them $0 out-of-pocket (or close to it), it may make it easier for them to access and afford care. The challenge is that employees may not always be aware that they have access to these benefits, but they want to be — one study found that 73% of surveyed employees desire more education about their health care benefits and how to access them.4
73%
of surveyed employees desire more education about their health care benefits and how to access them
And educating employees about their benefits is a proven and effective way to increase utilization, which can lead to improved employee satisfaction, a healthier workforce and reduced costs.5
To drive better awareness and understanding of benefits, employers may want to consider promoting benefits via regular employee communications throughout the year, not just during open enrollment. It’s also important to ensure those communications are easy to understand and timely — simple, free of complex language and, when possible, aligned with current events or seasons.
Additionally, by soliciting feedback from employees via employee listening surveys and analyzing benefits utilization and claims patterns, employers may be able to identify additional opportunities to close gaps in understanding through more targeted communications. Check out this ebook for best practices and tips for communicating and engaging employees in their benefits. UnitedHealthcare goes a step further by also providing materials to employers to use in their own internal communication efforts.
When employees understand and realize all the benefits that are available to them through their plan — especially those that don’t cost them extra — they may be more inclined to utilize and appreciate those benefits, which can have positive effects on their health, job satisfaction and their likelihood to stay with their employer.2
Helpful. Simple. Clear.
Health plans from UnitedHealthcare are designed to deliver immediate value to employees and their families. They’re built with benefits your employees can use at little to no cost to get and stay healthier and take care of their families’ needs.
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