As employees struggle to fill gaps in their health and financial safety nets, brokers have a critical role to play in helping employers make sense of the ever-changing benefits landscape.
Low literacy has been linked to higher rates of hospitalization and less frequent use of preventive services, both of which drive up health care costs.
To help keep employee out-of-pocket spending low and reduce company health care expenditures, employers need to provide their people with the tools and resources needed to make informed decisions.
While rising costs, complex billing systems and health care illiteracy remain todays top benefits-related challenges, new software solutions and tools geared toward the HR function have made them easier to tackle.
DebugScreen: mobile
{
"author": {
"name": "Kim Buckey",
"webUrl": "/author/profile/kim-buckey/",
"description": "",
"imageLarge": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f16d6fc2845f417ea0e93a3f2b6cd37d?s=136&d=mm&r=g",
"estimate": 24,
"social": [],
"articles": [
{
"uri": "/2022/01/03/how-brokers-can-support-employers-in-helping-employees-navigate-the-evolving-benefits-landscape/",
"title": "How brokers can support employers in helping employees navigate the evolving benefits landscape",
"byline": "Kim Buckey",
"kicker": "Commentary",
"prettyDate": "January 03, 2022",
"timeToRead": "6 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "https://images.benefitspro.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/412/2018/10/01-take-step-begin-business-man.jpg",
"width": "620",
"height": "412"
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/kim-buckey/",
"name": "Kim Buckey"
}
],
"kickerNode": [
{
"uri": "/commentary/",
"sectionName": "Commentary"
}
],
"summary": "As employees struggle to fill gaps in their health and financial safety nets, brokers have a critical role to play in helping employers make sense of the ever-changing benefits landscape.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2021/07/07/how-voluntary-benefits-help-attract-and-retain-employees-in-a-hot-job-market/",
"title": "How voluntary benefits help attract—and retain—employees in a hot job market",
"byline": "Kim Buckey",
"kicker": "Commentary",
"prettyDate": "July 07, 2021",
"timeToRead": "5 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "https://images.benefitspro.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/412/2019/10/07-employees-up-down.jpg",
"width": "621",
"height": "410"
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/kim-buckey/",
"name": "Kim Buckey"
}
],
"kickerNode": [
{
"uri": "/commentary/",
"sectionName": "Commentary"
}
],
"summary": "The pandemic focused employee attention on the gaps in their coverage that left them exposed financially and medically.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2021/01/19/improving-health-literacy-year-round-benefits-communication-planing-for-2021/",
"title": "Improving health literacy year-round: Benefits communication planning for 2021",
"byline": "Kim Buckey",
"kicker": "Best Practices",
"prettyDate": "January 19, 2021",
"timeToRead": "7 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "https://images.benefitspro.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/412/2019/08/0919-Enrollment-Communication-MI.jpg",
"width": "616",
"height": "372"
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/kim-buckey/",
"name": "Kim Buckey"
}
],
"kickerNode": [
{
"uri": "/best-practices/",
"sectionName": "Best Practices"
}
],
"summary": "Low literacy has been linked to higher rates of hospitalization and less frequent use of preventive services, both of which drive up health care costs.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2020/09/22/how-employers-can-support-smart-employee-benefits-choices-during-the-pandemic/",
"title": "How employers can support smart employee benefits choices during the pandemic",
"byline": "Kim Buckey",
"kicker": "Best Practices",
"prettyDate": "September 22, 2020",
"timeToRead": "7 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "https://images.benefitspro.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/412/2020/07/ice-cream-choices-decisions.jpg",
"width": "0",
"height": "0"
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/kim-buckey/",
"name": "Kim Buckey"
}
],
"kickerNode": [
{
"uri": "/best-practices/",
"sectionName": "Best Practices"
}
],
"summary": "Here are a few pandemic-specific changes to keep in mind to help employees act as informed health care consumers as COVID-19 continues to unfold.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2020/05/06/how-to-meet-changing-employee-benefits-interests/",
"title": "How to meet changing employee benefits interests",
"byline": "Kim Buckey",
"kicker": "Best Practices",
"prettyDate": "May 06, 2020",
"timeToRead": "5 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "https://images.benefitspro.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/412/2020/02/03-bridge-arrows-gap.jpg",
"width": "617",
"height": "412"
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/kim-buckey/",
"name": "Kim Buckey"
}
],
"kickerNode": [
{
"uri": "/best-practices/",
"sectionName": "Best Practices"
}
],
"summary": "Every employee today has a different expectation about what constitutes a \"good\" benefits package.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2020/04/21/3-faqs-about-health-care-coverage-and-covid-19/",
"title": "3 FAQs about health care coverage and COVID-19",
"byline": "Kim Buckey",
"kicker": "Expert Opinion",
"prettyDate": "April 21, 2020",
"timeToRead": "7 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "https://images.benefitspro.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/412/2020/01/QuestionChoicesShutterstock.jpg",
"width": "616",
"height": "372"
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/kim-buckey/",
"name": "Kim Buckey"
}
],
"kickerNode": [
{
"uri": "/expert-opinion/",
"sectionName": "Expert Opinion"
}
],
"summary": "Your employees no doubt have a lot of questions about health care coverage right now, but here are the three big ones.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2019/12/16/2019-recap-employer-sponsored-offerings-more-diverse-than-ever/",
"title": "2019 recap: employer-sponsored offerings more diverse than ever",
"byline": "Kim Buckey",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "December 16, 2019",
"timeToRead": "5 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "https://images.benefitspro.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/412/2019/12/shutterstock_1145374085.jpg",
"width": "1000",
"height": "668"
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/kim-buckey/",
"name": "Kim Buckey"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "Here's a look back at the top benefits strategies employers used to reduce costs and increase employee satisfaction in 2019.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2019/11/13/netflix-makes-u-s-health-care-complexity-binge-able/",
"title": "Netflix makes U.S. health care complexity binge-able",
"byline": "Kim Buckey",
"kicker": "Commentary",
"prettyDate": "November 13, 2019",
"timeToRead": "5 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "https://images.benefitspro.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/412/2018/12/healthCareDiagnostics.jpg",
"width": "616",
"height": "372"
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/kim-buckey/",
"name": "Kim Buckey"
}
],
"kickerNode": [
{
"uri": "/commentary/",
"sectionName": "Commentary"
}
],
"summary": "The docuseries \"Diagnosis\" draws viewers in with real-life stories while educating them on how to navigate the complex health system.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2018/02/26/3-must-have-cost-saving-services-for-employees/",
"title": "3 must-have cost-saving services for employees",
"byline": "Kim Buckey",
"kicker": "Best Practices",
"prettyDate": "February 26, 2018",
"timeToRead": "9 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "https://images.benefitspro.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/412/2018/02/DrugPrices.jpg",
"width": "600",
"height": "400"
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/kim-buckey/",
"name": "Kim Buckey"
}
],
"kickerNode": [
{
"uri": "/best-practices/",
"sectionName": "Best Practices"
}
],
"summary": "To help keep employee out-of-pocket spending low and reduce company health care expenditures, employers need to provide their people with the tools and resources needed to make informed decisions.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2018/01/29/hr-tech-to-watch-in-2018/",
"title": "HR tech to watch in 2018",
"byline": "Kim Buckey",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "January 29, 2018",
"timeToRead": "4 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "",
"width": "",
"height": ""
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/kim-buckey/",
"name": "Kim Buckey"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "While rising costs, complex billing systems and health care illiteracy remain todays top benefits-related challenges, new software solutions and tools geared toward the HR function have made them easier to tackle.",
"body": null
}
]
}
}