It's a fact that most people do not understand their health insurance benefits. And an uninformed customer is almost always an unhappy one.

In addition to the complexity of the industry, which discourages understanding, poor customer communications magnifies the issue. A one-size-fits-all mailer with pages of content explaining policies and benefits that may not be relevant to each person should no longer be the status quo.

Carriers and providers alike should be taking steps to do a better job of educating and communicating with them since it is key to providing a positive customer experience. The rise of technology creates new ways for insurers to engage with customers and clearly articulate benefits, while providing personalized communications.

Customers need more accessible information

Despite its complexity, the customer experience in health insurance is still judged against other industries — where it trails considerably. The 2015 American Customer Satisfaction index found health insurance hit an all-time low in satisfaction, citing consumers' many questions about what is and isn't covered as a critical reason for this dissatisfaction.