Life for plan sponsors is a lot easier than it used to be – thanks to online health insurance enrollment for employees. With open enrollment periods coming up for most employers, now’s the time to reach out to your employees and encourage them to make use of your health insurance company’s online portal for plan information and enrollment purposes.
How does this benefit Plan Sponsors?
- It gets your HR staff or management out of the business of handling and forwarding paperwork, saving you time and money and lowering your business risk from human error.
- It boosts employee loyalty. According to the 12th Annual Employee Benefit Trends Survey from MetLife, 8 employees in 10 reported they value noncash benefits, such as medical benefits – when they are customizable to fit their needs.
- Employees get the benefit of authoritative information about their plans, straight from the source. Your staff doesn’t have to become plan experts.
- You and your staff spend less time fielding basic questions from employees.
- New information from online enrollment or online changes is automatically synched up with your account. You get a full report. In most cases, data flows right through to all carriers and to your payroll systems.
How does it benefit employees?
- Enrollment is easy and can be done at home or at work, 24/7.
- Changes to coverage are easy to make at any time.
- Technology allows for instant premium quotes and easy side-by-side comparison of health plan alternatives – you your employees can make better decisions for their families.
- More confidentiality – employees can share private information directly with the carrier and not involve HR or supervisors.
- Eligibility documents for dependents can be easily uploaded from home.
Both employees and employers benefit from the more efficient online delivery and administration of health care plans. Plan information and data can be accessed at any time, 24/7, and appropriate changes easily made, both during and after open enrollment periods. Employers can easily obtain up-to-the minute information on their health care plans with a few clicks.
The efficiency also reduces costs for all concerned.
What Employers Can Do
Employers can maximize the benefit of online enrollment for themselves and for their employees by being proactive about communicating the plan benefits to employees, and notifying employees about how they can access your plan’s online portal for themselves.
Once they have done so, they can come back to work better informed, and ask more detailed questions.
You can also arrange to have your agent or benefits advisor come to your workplace and do an in-service presentation on available health care plans, supplementary and voluntary coverage, and any other relevant issues, ahead of or at the beginning of open enrollment period.
Such a presentation can also help you boost participation and enhance employee loyalty. Most employees place a good deal of value on quality health care plans – once they fully understand the benefits.
To arrange a meeting and informational briefing for your employees, contact ACBI.
ACBI Insurance 