Fixing Poor Employee Engagement in Your Health Plan: A Guide to Smarter Healthcare

Fixing Poor Employee Engagement in Your Health Plan: A Guide to Smarter Healthcare

Health plans are one of the biggest investments employers make, yet many employees barely engage with them. Why? They’re overwhelmed, confused, or simply unaware of how their choices impact costs—both for themselves and the company.

If your team isn’t engaged, your health plan isn’t working as hard as it could. Here’s how to turn it around by educating employees to become smarter healthcare consumers.


The Engagement Problem

First, let’s address the core issue: most employees don’t know how to navigate the healthcare system effectively. They don’t know how to compare costs, where to find high-quality providers, or when to choose telehealth over an urgent care visit.

This knowledge gap leads to:

  • Employees overpaying for routine services.
  • Inefficient use of the health plan, driving up costs for everyone.
  • Frustration and dissatisfaction with their benefits.

But employers who make benefits education a year-round priority are seeing big payoffs.


Creating Smarter Healthcare Consumers

Here’s the key: when employees understand how to make informed decisions, they save money, and so does your health plan.

Imagine this:

  • An employee compares prices for an MRI and chooses a high-quality provider that charges $600 instead of $2,000. That’s a direct saving for both the employee and your plan.
  • A parent chooses telehealth for their child’s ear infection instead of heading to the ER, avoiding a $1,500 bill entirely.

Small shifts in decision-making can create a big impact.


Partnering with Your Benefits Broker for Education

You don’t have to tackle this alone. Your benefits broker can be a valuable partner in driving engagement and education. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Workshops and Webinars Collaborate with your broker to host live sessions or webinars that break down health plan basics. Topics might include: - How to use telehealth effectively. - Understanding deductibles, co-pays, and out-of-pocket maximums.
  2. Customized Educational Materials Your broker can create easy-to-understand guides and videos tailored to your workforce. For example: - "How to Find the Best Provider for Your Needs." - "A Step-by-Step Guide to Comparing Prescription Prices."
  3. Ongoing Communication Make benefits education a year-round effort. Partner with your broker to send monthly emails or texts with actionable tips like: - "Did you know you can save $50 by filling your prescription at a different pharmacy?


Measure and Refine

Once you’ve started educating your employees, track the results:

  • Are employees using telehealth more often?
  • Are they choosing cost-effective providers?
  • Is overall plan usage becoming more efficient?

Your broker can help you analyze this data and refine your education strategy for even better results.


Making It Work For You

Engaging employees in their health plan isn’t just about saving money—it’s about empowering your team to make smarter choices, leading to better health outcomes and higher satisfaction. By partnering with your benefits broker to deliver targeted education, you’ll create a win-win for everyone.

Start the conversation today. Your employees—and your bottom line—will thank you.

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