It’s well known that good decisions lead to better outcomes and lower spending. This is true in all areas of life, such as shopping for a car, buying a house, or choosing employee benefits. When employees make wise benefits and healthcare decisions, we all win! So, let’s make it as easy as possible.

The challenge

How to help employees make wise benefits decisions

Start by educating them about their options. Benefits are not one-size-fits-all. Instead, what’s important is to help employees identify which benefits are right for them, right now.

Let employees see how their benefits affect their day-to-day life as well as their future. The plans they choose—healthcare, flexible spending accounts, disability, and 401(k)—can have a meaningful impact on their lives. Since you have your employees’ attention during onboarding and Open Enrollment, take advantage of these opportunities to get them on the right track.

5 steps to clearer choices

At CPI, we’ve created the Decisions Guide to simplify the benefits decision-making process. Using a conversational tone, plain language, and eye-catching graphics, our Decisions Guide demystifies confusing healthcare plans and makes benefits simple by accomplishing five main goals.

1. Give employees decision-making tools

   One thing we hear from employees is that they feel overwhelmed when it comes to making their benefits decisions. Health insurance can be confusing and frustrating, which leads many employees to choose plans that may not be right for them. Our Decisions Guide includes prompts, questions, and condensed content to walk employees through the important points and help them think about their short-term and long-term goals before they enroll.

2. Make plan comparisons relevant

   We’ve all seen full-page (or even multi-page) medical plan charts with rows of plan features and benefits jargon. When employees need to enroll in benefits, what they care about most is cost and coverage. We use a simplified, but impactful, chart style to show the most pertinent information only.

   For employees who care about the cost, they can easily see the differences in premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. If employees care more about coverage, our comparison charts will help them quickly compare the plans based on the most common features.

3. Focus on their needs

   The Decisions Guide makes benefits real for employees. One way it does this is through lifestyle examples. Stories about people like them help employees evaluate the options based on their personal situation. For all employees, regardless of their stage of life and healthcare needs, the Decisions Guide takes enrolling in benefits off autopilot.

4. Encourage healthcare consumerism

   Being a wise healthcare consumer doesn’t just save money for the user, it also reduces costs for the company. The Decisions Guide puts the employee in the driver’s seat of their own healthcare decisions. By pointing out more efficient and cost-effective healthcare services, employees are empowered to make informed decisions about things like:

   • Where to go for medical care
   • When to use FSA or HSA dollars
   • How to stay healthy and save money
   • How to find in-network providers

5. Foster self-reliance

   Equipping employees with helpful tools will empower them to be self-sufficient when it comes to their benefits. The Decisions Guide includes links to vendors, documents, videos, and other resources that point employees in the right direction. Employees will know where to go when they need help—which translates to fewer questions to the HR and Benefits teams.

The Takeaway

It’s important to give your employees more than just benefits details. A benefits Decisions Guide will help them think through their options to make informed plan choices. When employees are empowered, everyone wins!

Want a Decisions Guide for your staff? Contact us to get started.