At PES, one of the most important services we provide for employees is benefits education. According to a study by Liazon… only 52% (of employees) really understand their benefits… (and) 86% of workers spend less than two hours reviewing their benefits. Without an understanding of the benefits they have, how they work, and what they cover, employees often struggle to make difficult benefits decisions.
For this reason, PES believes that providing benefits education to employees is critical, giving them an opportunity to be proactive with their health and wellness. Our team of benefit counselors meets one-on-one with each employee, either in-person or over the phone, to explain and review the benefits offered and to help them enroll in their coverage. In the event that the employee gets sick, they know which doctors are in network, can estimate their out-of-pocket costs, and have the appropriate coverage to get treated.
An employee who hasn’t had proper benefits education has no other option than to approach their benefits reactively, often resulting in a delay in treatment. The employee gets sick and they don’t know their next step. Do I have enough coverage to avoid or limit my out-of-pocket costs? Which doctor is in network? What treatments are covered? Being sick or injured is worrying enough, but adding the stress of having to make last-minute, reactive decisions makes the situation much more difficult.
There is a clear advantage for employees that are able to approach their health proactively, and this is often only an option when they have been provided with a one-on-one, tailored benefits education experience.
Making sure employees understand their benefits goes well beyond open enrollment. Are your employees prepared to effectively use their benefits?
