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Why Employee Meetings Matter During Open Enrollment

When work is busy, the last thing you may want to do is plan an employee meeting.

As a manager, you can already hear your employees’ complaints as they shuffle in the room assuming this will be unproductive and boring. 

Add to that the subject of health insurance… well, enough said.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

In fact, the topic of our health continues to be an important discussion today.

Often people do not realize how much they need help with their health insurance decisions.

Employee meeting

Is This Your Company?

According to a recent survey

  • Over half of the group surveyed did not know the full scope of what their current insurance plan covers. 
  • 72 percent of employees polled said they would welcome advice on which insurance plan is best for their unique situation. 
  • 62 percent said they normally don’t change their insurance plan each year because it’s too stressful. 

The survey revealed – “People don’t know what they don’t know when it comes to health insurance.”

If your company is anything like this survey, then a meeting would be well worth everyone’s time. 

The fact of the matter is that there might be better solutions for an employee which could be different from one year to the next. 

I encourage you to take advantage of Open Enrollment as an opportunity to help your employees in a meaningful way this year. 

Here are some ideas to maximize your employee meetings.

1. Promote Open Enrollment 

This time of enrollment is normally held the month prior to the renewal date of your insurance policy, and typically lasts a few weeks. 

The purpose of this meeting is to ensure your employees receive materials with healthcare plan details and options to sign up with a deadline date. 

Remind your employees that if they have had any major life changes in the past year that open enrollment is a time for them. 

Changes in status of marriage, birth of children, adoptions, or death of a dependent/spouse are all important changes that could impact coverage. Additionally, moving to a new home involves a change of address. 

Having accurate information of these changes is important for eligibility for certain benefits. 

2. Educate on Healthcare Literacy

There is a definite health insurance “knowledge gap” in America.

For example, CNN recently posted an article explaining terms related to healthcare answering questions such as what are deductibles, co-pays, and explanation of benefits. For some of us, these terms might be obvious, but you would be surprised to know how many people don’t understand these concepts as a whole framework.

Take advantage of this opportunity to educate your employees about healthcare terminology. 

The more informed your employees are about healthcare terminology, the more they are empowered to make better healthcare decisions.

3. Talk about Cost Savings

Everyone is concerned about rising costs. This is another opportunity for you to educate your employees on how to lower their medical expenses. 

I recently wrote an article, 7 Ways to Lower Employee Healthcare Costs, in which I explain the importance of reminding employees to take advantage of preventive care and getting their regular check-ups. 

This can be a simple add-on message to your enrollment communication to bolster your efforts in lowering healthcare costs.

Employee Meeting

Remember What Matters Most to Your Employees

When it comes to healthcare, the top concerns for employees are healthcare costs along with mental health and overall well-being. 

Your communications to employees should reflect your awareness and sensitivity to these concerns; But this is also a great opportunity to provide resources to help. 

Think through any challenges your team might be facing on a personal level, or as a department, and take advantage of this time to promote healthy lifestyles and overall well-being. 

Your meeting might just be another item on the calendar; or it could be a great opportunity for your team to connect and understand these issues better.

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Victoria Braden

President/ceo

BRADEN BENEFITSRATEGIES INC.

With 30 years of experience, specializing in group health insurance for small to medium size companies in the state of Georgia who are looking for affordable and quality employee benefit solutions.