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Personalized education and support can help employees better understand and use their benefits, the 2025 Healthcare Literacy Report from Optavise found.
“When employees sit down with someone to walk through their benefit options, they gain a deeper understanding of how their plans work, leading to higher satisfaction and understanding of their benefits, leading to better participation, smarter health care decisions and lower costs," said Joshua Madson, head of worksite strategy for Optavise. "At its core, health is human -- and that's why human connection in benefits education matters more than ever."
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Although three-fourths of employees now say they are very or extremely satisfied with their health plans and report understanding how they work, many still face challenges navigating their benefits on their own. The data show meaningful progress but also underscore the ongoing need for personalized education and support to close the remaining gaps.
These gains appear closely tied to how employees are learning about their benefits:
- More employees are turning to HR teams (40%) and third-party experts (18%) for help, up from 27% and 15%, respectively, last year.
- However, one-quarter of employees still report relying on self-guided online resources or printed materials to learn about their benefits.
- Of those who self-educate, just 65% report feeling very or extremely confident in understanding how their health plan works, compared to 82% of those who learn about their plans from HR or third-party experts.
Ease of access also is a contributing factor. Nearly 9 in 10 employees who are very or extremely satisfied with their benefits say it is easy or very easy to access them. Of employees who report it is difficult to access their benefits, 58% are not confident in understanding how their health plan works.
Despite several encouraging trends, the need for continued investments in benefits education programs and offerings is crucial. One in four employees still lacks confidence in understanding how their health plan works. Key terms such as "coinsurance" remain confusing, with 17% reporting they don't know what it is and an additional 35% reporting they know what it means but don't fully understand how it applies to their coverage.
More one-on-one education could help bridge these gaps, the report said. Although many employers offer personalized guidance through HR or external benefits educators, only half of employees take advantage of these sessions. Those who do, however, rank them as the most helpful resource offered.
When asked what resources would help them better understand their benefits, 42% of new employees want one-on-one conversations with outside benefits experts, and 36% want one-on-one enrollment support. Presentations and group sessions with benefits experts also are highly valued, with 92% of new employees saying they are very or extremely helpful during onboarding.
"Employees who have the proper training, personalization, incentives and support are the ones who feel most satisfied with their workplace benefits," Madson said. "These findings can help employers bridge the gaps in your employee benefit offerings to increase engagement and lower costs."
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Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
