By David Barton
Founder, Shenandoah Valley Group
Most companies, and their busy HR teams, struggle each year to keep up with managing employee health benefits, especially with all the options and plan varieties now available.
Even for employers who have standard benefit plans with large insurance companies, keeping up with enrollment, costs, billing, and questions can be a full-time job. On top of that, there are the hidden costs that add up when employees aren’t taking advantage of simple cost savings, like prescription drug discounts or the best provider care for their needs.
The solution? Technology. More specifically, harnessing technology to set up communication systems and automations that can transform the way businesses offer and administer health benefits.
As a health insurance advisor, I find a lot of my clients aren’t aware of the technology systems and third-party solutions that are readily available to simplify benefits administration.
Employee benefits are an essential part of attracting and retaining talent, but the cost and time needed to manage employee benefits can be overwhelming. With so much paperwork and complex regulations, it’s hard for businesses to offer the best benefits possible while keeping administration to a minimum – and keeping benefit costs low.
Simple Systems
Many essential health benefit management processes can be easily managed through a simple communication and ticketing system.
- Open Enrollment: Signing employees up for their selected plan benefits can be automated. Employee data can be easily stored, and automated reminders generated to be sure all employees have been officially enrolled and receive detailed onboarding instructions.
- Claims: A simple ticketing system can save time and hassle, not to mention alleviate worry for HR and employees. In fact, internal systems can be alerted when an employee may receive a claim and an automated message can be sent to the employee letting them know exactly what to do should they receive a medical bill.
- Prescription Drugs: Thousands can be saved annually through easy to create prescription drug management systems. Companies can be alerted when an employee may require a high-dollar prescription drug and communication system automations can ensure that employees are connected to prescription drug programs that can help them get their prescriptions for far cheaper or even for free.
Communication Management
Most companies only communicate with their employees about benefits once a year. I help companies with simple ways of communicating regularly with employees so that benefits are clear, claims are easily managed, balanced billing is avoided, and cost savings options are not ignored.
One of the biggest benefits of having a communication system in place is automated messages that can be sent to employees throughout the year reminding them of key plan benefits, wellness checkups, vaccination schedules and offerings, information on maintaining optimal health or disease management and how to effectively use their benefit packages.
In fact, technology systems these days can help employees better understand how to avoid providers who overcharge and find providers who give superior care at a lower cost. Those provider referrals can even be automated.
What Next?
If your new year’s resolution is to work smarter, then setting up a communication system for your employee health benefits administration is a quick way to check that box.
I help companies all the time with setting up these systems and I help them better understand how to save time, hassle and cost when it comes to overall health benefit management.
I am sure, like me, you have seen all the stories about artificial intelligence (AI) and technology advances that seem hard to keep up with. The good news is, they are simple and easy to put to work for you.
Don’t get left behind and don’t be intimidated by technology advances that can make your job a lot easier, and help your employees get the most out of their benefit plans.
If you would like to learn more about setting up a communication system or simply how to better use technology to help with benefits administration, grab some time on my calendar. I
look forward to helping you work smarter in 2024.