Never Say Never: Health Care Coverage Change Is Inevitable

Rebecca Mazin
Thu, 31 Oct 2013 07:00:00 +0000

I cringed in 2010 every time I heard President Obama quoted or repeat any version of the now much maligned statement, "If you like your health-care plan, you'll be able to keep your health-care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what."

I wasn't thinking about individual plan purchases. I was, and still am, thinking about the many hours I have spent as a Human Resources professional explaining plan changes to employees. Whether you have been covered by an employer or individual plan for more than a year I am certain you too have experienced changes. Deductibles, co-pays, preferred prescription drugs, FSAs; the list of health plan options is as endless as the potential changes in health care coverage. And employers often switch carriers all together in a search of better rates; so no you can't always keep that plan, period.

It's About Communication

This is not about the side you favor in the healthcare reform debate. For the record I am in favor of reform but pretty disappointed in the Affordable Care Act roll-out. Add my voice to the chorus of those citing a missed opportunity.

But it doesn't mean you have to miss an opportunity as an employer who offers coverage. Fall is the most common season for open enrollment; the time of year that employees review and renew health care benefits. If you have not started to communicate for a January 1 effective date what are you waiting for? If you have started, or are winding down, make sure you tout all of the good things in your plan. Sure are still a moving target but that should not stop you from laying out all of the ways you are complying, and may even be ahead of the game.

Do your employees know about preventive coverage? Did they get their flu shot yet (with no out of pocket expense)? Are there new employees who are worried about pre-existing conditions who should not be?

If you can't answer these questions make sure that your provider or broker can give you clear, readable, jargon free communications that you can pass on to your staff. And while you are reminding people brush up on notification requirements in the event of an emergency, hospital admission and change in status. And last, but far from least, make sure employees know about yearly and lifetime limits. Employees worry a lot about the $40 it costs to go to an in network specialist without thinking about the hundreds of thousands that would be incurred in the event of a near fatal car accident.

Talk Up the Good Stuff

Sure you can dwell on how complicated health insurance is, how expensive, or how confusing regulations are. But you will send a much more positive message if you describe an example of how an employee can get treatment for asthma for their child under the plan and what the out of pocket costs might be. If you have choices between in and out of network coverage you can show the difference side by side.

With all of the plan components there's plenty to communicate. Don't fall into the trap of assuming that employees can just read all the material you send out. In its 2013 Study of Employee Benefits Trends MetLife found that more than one third of employees give their employer benefits communications a grade of C or below. Yet when employees find the communications clear and easy to understand they are three times more satisfied with the plans.

With all the money you spend on employee benefits its certainly worth the time and effort to raise your employee communications to an A level. Whatever you announce and send out skip the statement assuring employees that things won't change; never say never.