Health care is rarely straightforward for the average consumer, and it is difficult for employees to find the best health insurance for their small businesses in NY. Many individuals need help making sense of their health plan options during open enrollment and receiving health services. In fact, 8 out of 10 people said they faced challenges when receiving care, according to a recent study from Quantum Health.
The study also pointed out that these challenges were worsened by benefits complexity. In other words, confusion about health benefits can take a toll on employees in the workplace.
According to the study, most consumers have reported facing hurdles in the past two years when receiving care. These challenges include understanding coverage levels, locating providers, and navigating the insurance claims process. Issues like these were compounded for individuals with chronic conditions—90% of whom said they faced additional challenges, such as making sense of diagnoses or test results.
Of the majority who experienced health care challenges, 57% of these consumers said they suffered negative impacts from such challenges, including:
Declined mental well-being (19%)
Declined physical well-being (17%)
The majority (60%) of all respondents said they spent work time dealing with health care challenges, averaging 30 minutes per issue.
Fewer than half (45%) of respondents said using their health benefits is easy.
Only 35% of respondents said navigating the health care system is easy.
These findings highlight a critical need for greater health care literacy and benefits 101 education.
Employer Takeaways
Small business owners spend a lot of time tailoring their small group plans to ensure they meet the needs of their employees. But, if only half of those employees can effectively use such coverage options—let alone understand them—employers may need to refocus their efforts.
Education is one of the best ways to help reduce employee confusion and maximize benefits value. This entails promoting health literacy using multichannel resources. These communications might include one-on-one meetings with HR, comprehensive benefits guides, digestible videos, informative posters, or group presentations.
As the study illustrated, it’s not enough to provide world-class benefits; employers must also ensure employees can tap into that value by properly educating their workforces. Doing any less can lead to declined employee well-being, productivity, and morale.
Please contact NY Small Health today at +1 (212)-548-3941 or visit here.
Our team of experts will help you find the best small business health insurance in NY for you and discuss a benefits communication plan with secure health literacy resources for your employees.