Open enrollment season is here, and workers face big decisions about their healthcare. Despite the importance, many don’t ask the right questions or feel comfortable seeking help. Paul Fronstin, director of health benefits research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute, notes a lingering fear of job discrimination based on health status. This concern can arise when employees need care for genetic conditions, mental health, or family planning.
Those worries can sprout when an employee needs to access care — be it for genetic conditions, mental health reasons or even trying to have a baby. People may “fear employers are going to discriminate against people who use healthcare,” he said.
How HR can encourage questions
Human resources teams can play a key role in helping workers handle open enrollment. Haydeé Acebo, an HR expert and author, suggests meeting employees where they are. Instead of large company-wide sessions, HR can offer smaller group meetings, which feel more comfortable and encourage questions. “Who wants to ask a question to the CEO in front of 500 people?” Acebo said.
Companies can also set up anonymous email inboxes or chat systems to address worker concerns. Sharing these questions and answers widely can benefit everyone. Additionally, offering office hours where HR is available to answer questions directly can help ease employee worries.
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Tools and services to support workers
Sometimes, employees prefer asking questions through a third-party service rather than directly to their employer. Fronstin suggests using concierge or navigation services that provide answers without sharing identifiable information with the employer. While employers don’t receive individual details, they can access statistics on call volume, average call length, and the types of benefits employees inquire about, such as mental health or infertility coverage.
This data can help companies tailor their benefits packages to meet employee needs. For example, if workers frequently ask about benefits not currently offered, employers may consider adding them. AI tools, whether built internally or provided by vendors, can also assist employees in sorting through plan options and matching them to their anticipated healthcare needs for the year.
Supporting workers year-round
Open enrollment may happen once a year, but healthcare decisions are ongoing. Fronstin emphasizes that employers should maintain constant communication with workers to help them understand their options and find the best prices for treatments. “We’re at a point where the data and technology is there to get people information about cost and quality” of just about everything healthcare related, including doctors, medication, imaging and elective services, he said. “This is the kind of stuff we never had before, and it could change the way we use healthcare.” Employers should encourage workers to use services that can help them look for the best prices and services where applicable. “An emergency room visit is not a shoppable service, but imaging is a shoppable service…even things like colonoscopies and endoscopies and hernia repairs,” he said.
