By: Christine Murphy & Chad Kunkel

Do employees value their employer’s benefits offering as much as you think they do?   There are multiple forces working against employers regarding perceived value:

• Healthcare literacy: We take for granted that the average Joe understands the basic health plan concepts.  Studies show us otherwise.  We will explore ways to help engage employees so they better understand their health plan
• Multiple generations: For the first time in history we have up to 5 different generations in the workforce.  What has appealed to Baby Boomers doesn’t appeal to Millennials.   We will provide some insight into each generation.
• Disjointed or non-existent communication strategy: Whether you are using traditional hand-outs, payroll stuffers, electronic, face to face educational sessions, are you communicating often enough to make a lasting impression?  Hitting members from varying platforms, often, can help reiterate your message.
• Technology gap: Access to good information is key to helping members understand their benefit offering.  Online enrollment and communication portals can be an effective tool to spreading your message.  We will discuss ways to maximize the impact.
• Lack of consumerism: The health care model in the U.S. has insulated members from true cost of services.  Most think their copay is the actual cost. To compound this, most healthcare professionals do not know the cost of the care they are providing.  We will discuss new tools and strategies to help members better understand the true cost of care.
• Member advocacy:  The old adage is that 20% of members account for 80% of health plan costs holds true today.   What are health plans doing for members during their most vulnerable time – when they or a family member is sick?    We will explore the advantages of dedicated advocacy services to help members during difficult times.

Presentation Objectives:
Employers are spending hundreds of thousands, or millions of dollars each year on health benefits but employees often do not fully appreciate it. We will offer ideas to help HR staff maximize the perceived value.

About the Speaker:
Christine Murphy, Senior Benefits Manager, with Kunkel & Associates has been in the employee benefits industry for 20 years. She is leading consultant in the large group market, specializing in self-funded health plans.

Chad Kunkel, Senior Vice President is part of the executive leadership team and responsible for the development and growth of Kunkel & Associates. Chad cultivates and maintains client relationships and assists his clients in maintaining quality, cost effective plans.