Tweaking employee benefits offerings? Consider these insights
Employees are feeling fairly positive about their benefits but there's still room for improvement, an HSA Bank survey shows.
Nine in 10 consumers agree that their health insurance plan helps them receive the medical services they need during the pandemic while managing costs. At the same time, the use of telehealth is reaching unprecedented levels, with more than half of consumers accessing remote health care during the past year.
These are two of the key findings of the latest HSA Bank Health & Wealth Index. The annual report surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults about their health plan enrollment status, health practices, ability to pay for health care and confidence in their own health and wealth.
HSA Bank has been conducting this survey annually for the past four years, giving these insights context and depth.
“This was an unprecedented year for employers and employees alike,” said Chad Wilkins, president of HSA Bank. “We’re encouraged to see that employees stayed positive with their health and wealth engagement, but we also see opportunities for employers to update their health-care offerings.”
The survey also found:
Future financial preparedness for older Americans is a concern. Thirty percent of respondents 55 and older never save for future medical expenses.
Employers should focus on education surrounding health-care costs. The survey showed that Generation Z continues to be the least educated about their plan costs, followed by millennials, Generation X and baby boomers.
The pandemic led to a renewed interest in lifestyle changes. Eighty-two percent of respondents, including 80 percent of those 65 and older, agreed that they made lifestyle changes to improve their health in the past year.
Americans are still wary of in-person appointments. The percentage of those receiving preventive health services and screenings decreased dramatically.
The gap between women and men’s health and wealth engagement widened. Women were disproportionately affected by job losses during the pandemic, which may have contributed to their health and wealth scores dropping.
Marriage influences health and wealth scores. Married consumers have a notably higher overall engagement score than those who are single. The potential for two incomes offers more stability, especially in the current environment.
Opinions vary by plan type. High-deductible health plan consumers are the most engaged for the fourth year in a row. Consumers with HDHPs have more incentive to plan for future medical expenses with tax-advantaged accounts. Higher engagement prepares them to be ready for medical expenses, now and in retirement.
What do these results mean for employers managing benefits?
“Just like many employees are making positive improvements to their health, this may be the year for employers to make updates to their health-care offerings,” the report said. “Reviewing and adjusting plan benefits is a good place to start. Wellness incentives may be just what employees need to keep up with the healthy habits they started in 2020. Encouraging a return to preventive care is also a way to improve health and wealth engagement in 2021.”
According to researchers, employers may want to consider:
- Telehealth. Employees can easily fit appointments into their busy schedule and won’t have to risk getting others sick when they’re seeking care. Especially for rural consumers and those with children, telehealth can be far more convenient than traditional appointments.
- Wellness incentives. Don’t forget about incentives for mental well-being. Even if employees weren’t directly affected by COVID-19, it likely influenced their mental health. Encouraging employees to use a meditation app or a sleep improvement app may help boost their mental health.
“The 2021 HSA Bank Health & Wealth Index finds that while there’s still work needed to improve education, engagement and preparedness of consumers as they work toward a healthy future, those with health insurance fared quite well during COVID-19,” the report concluded.
“Employers can improve engagement across their employee population by implementing tools such as calculators, health accounts and educational resources to increase health plan literacy and behaviors related to health and wealth.”
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