HR's direct involvement in benefits education continues to decline, replaced by employers' increased use of digital tools and social media. Despite the use of a variety of channels to communicate about benefits, employees made the most use of online tools, print materials and email. However, employees did not find these channels particularly useful:

Only 68% of employees reported online resources to be very or extremely helpful, compared to more than 80% for one-on-one conversations.
Only 49% reported email to be very or extremely helpful, a significant decrease from 59% in 2022.
Helpfulness of printed materials has remained steady, with around two-thirds of respondents rating them very or extremely helpful.
Group or one-on-one sessions with HR or benefits experts generally were well received by employees, even though employers offered fewer opportunities compared to last year. This likely was due to the logistical challenges inherent in a hybrid work environment.

More employees report being only slightly or not at all satisfied with their benefits. Fewer report being confident in understanding how their plan works or take the time to compare the costs of medical services or prescription drugs before incurring expenses.

When their doctor is not available, respondents increasingly are turning to urgent care facilities when they need medical care. Although these facilities can be more convenient, their cost relative to a typical doctor's visit depends on their network status.
Although 88% know whether their plan has a network, fewer are checking the network status of their providers. Only about one-third of respondents check whenever they need care, and 43% (down from 48%) check when they are going to see a new provider.
Meanwhile, 85%t (down slightly from 87%) of employees report having a primary care physician, while reports indicate it can take weeks or even months to get an appointment, even for existing patients.

Employers have the opportunity to drive better employee engagement with their benefits through targeted communications efforts.

Instant Insights /

Ongoing declines in health care literacy fueled by several factors

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