In the competition to gain and retain a talented workforce, companies are vying to offer employees and job candidates benefits covering an increasingly wide range of working arrangements, generational health needs, and expectations. In turn, health plans like Blue Shield have responded by providing new or improved benefits solutions available to our members and group clients. Increasing benefit offerings, however, brings added layers of complexity exaggerating a longstanding gap between employees’ understanding and using their full benefits.

The good news is employers and insurers have an opportunity to add value through benefit education and engagement, ensuring employees/members make the most of their health plans. At Blue Shield, we’re addressing the complexity issue by leveraging digital health solutions and engagement methods to create personalized and easily accessible health benefits.

Among our efforts in this space are:

• Digital platforms like Wellvolution in which our members have access to a 24/7 single source to learn about (and use) a variety of apps covering an array of health issues.
• Member emails directly focusing on benefit education and engagement, with topics like how to sign up for Rx deliveries and accessing $0 copay Teladoc visits.
• Developing how-to video tutorials and digital content for members to learn about benefits and other health-related topics such as virtual care.

As the importance of benefit offerings increases, companies and health plans alike should be aware of the added complexity. As one benefits study states it, “[E]nhanced benefit programs won’t be effective in the war for talent if employees don’t understand their benefits, recognize their value or understand how to use them.”

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This article leverages findings from “Harnessing growth and seizing opportunity: the future of workforce benefits,” a study by EY-LIMRA, available for download here.