6 steps employers can take to fill the gap and empower employees

Encourage employees to take advantage of the free resources available through your health plan. This includes taking full advantage of preventive care benefits, including an annual physical, mammogram and other routine health screenings, to leveraging the 24-hour nurse line for answers to health questions and determining where to get care.
Promote virtual visits and convenience care clinics as the least expensive ways to treat many routine illnesses. Seeing a nurse practitioner or a physician's assistant, for minor illnesses, may save money. And, teach employees that the emergency room is only for true emergencies.
Use shopping, price and quality decision support tools to compare cost differences for services at an outpatient center versus a hospital, and prescription costs at different pharmacies.
Share tips with employees such as asking for generic drugs when possible, asking for a 90-day supply, and promoting prescription apps for additional savings.
Encourage employees to speak with their doctor and pharmacist about their consumer-driven health care plan (CDHP) and treatment options. Doctors may recommend alternative, less expensive procedures.
Avoid using industry acronyms and make information available early in the open enrollment process.

Changing the narrative

In the wake of COVID-19, 63% of employees are paying more attention to their health and benefits. Yet, due to measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19, employees may have also experienced delays or postponement of preventive care. With these temporary delays, now is the time for employers to push for even more employee attention on benefits going into open enrollment and beyond, so preventive health care is not overlooked.

Instant Insights /

Employers may be overstating employees' benefits confidence levels

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