Health insurance 101: Open Enrollment resources for employers
As a human resource and benefit administrator, you spend the year preparing for Open Enrollment. Open Enrollment is no easy task. It's more than just making sure employees are aware of their options, you want to make sure they feel confident that their choice is right for them and matches their individual needs.
Employees want to know how to choose a health plan
One challenge employers face is the perception that employees have no interest in learning about health insurance. While 51 percent of the U.S. population lacks basic health insurance literacy, a survey from employee benefits company Optavise showed that employees are eager to know more about their benefits and even chose to seek the information online or reach out to friends and family.
Those sources are valuable but it's also up to employers to educate virtual and onsite employees and answer their biggest health insurance questions, such as how to understand health insurance basics and choose a health plan.
Open Enrollment resources for employers
At Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, we want to make sure you have all the tools and resources in place to support your Open Enrollment efforts and make sure your employees become savvy health care consumers this Open Enrollment season.
Consider the Open Enrollment ABCs
Assess your employees’ health care needs. Since your employees' needs are always evolving, your benefits package should be too. Listening to your employees is the best place to start in determining if you need to adjust your plan offerings or benefits. Whether you review your plan's claims, hold a “town hall meeting” or take a company-wide survey, always be listening to employee feedback and evaluate it to determine what changes to benefits will positively impact your workforce.
Be active. Engage your employees when it comes to their benefits. Use an “active” enrollment strategy that requires employees to select the right health care plan and additional benefits they want, rather than making passive selections based on the prior year’s plan.
Some employees may treat their health insurance like car insurance and only engage when it's time to make a decision, but they are accountable for learning about the plan options in order to make the best choice for themselves. You can help support their health insurance education year-round through quarterly lunch and learns, regular communications and one-on-one conversations.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. In many cases, there’s no such thing as too much communication. Repetition helps employees retain the message and act on it when it comes to choosing their health insurance benefits.
Get the resources from Wellmark
- Blue@WorkSM. Think of our monthly e-newsletter as your personal health plan assistant that gives you actionable, educational and tangible takeaways straight to your inbox each month.
- Wellmark Marketing Toolkit. Access and order everything you need to create a successful Open Enrollment campaign by logging in to the Wellmark Marketing Toolkit.
Manage your Open Enrollment resources with Employer Connection
Employer Connection is a secure website available to help you manage Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans. When you log in, you can easily view your latest statement, access reports, order new ID cards for your employees, view benefits information and much more. You'll only see what's relevant to your group, so it's simple to stay informed on what matters most to you.
Open Enrollment resources for employees
This Open Enrollment Period, make sure your employees have the resources they need to make the right choice for their health care needs. Wellmark has several ways you can make sure your employees have access to benefit education.
1.
myWellmark®
By using myWellmark prior to Open Enrollment, employees who currently have a Wellmark health insurance plan can determine which network and plan best fit their health care usage and spending.
There are many ways you can deliver the information your employees need to help them be savvy health care consumers — all found on the Wellmark Marketing Toolkit.
- myWellmark promotional flyer. Download this flyer to promote the benefits of myWellmark to your employees. myWellmark makes health insurance easier by giving Wellmark members their personal health care information at their fingertips.
- How to select your primary care provider on myWellmark flyer. Open Enrollment is the perfect time for employees to choose a designated primary care provider (PCP). This flyer helps members understand the importance of designating a PCP and how to do so with myWellmark.
2.
BlueSM
Blue offers educational and informational articles to help your employees navigate Open Enrollment and their health insurance. They can learn how to get more out of their benefits when they visit the plan smart section of Blue.
Ready for Open Enrollment?
With an array of resources to educate your employees on health insurance Open Enrollment, you can feel confident you’re setting your workforce up for success this Open Enrollment Period.
Questions? Contact your authorized Wellmark account representative, or email us at blueatwork@wellmark.com.