Realize more plan value with effective employee engagement

Investing in top-notch employee benefits is a commitment to your people and your company’s future — enabling better health, satisfaction and productivity for your team members. Offering robust benefits is also one of the best ways you can position yourself as an employer of choice to attract and retain key talent, especially in a tight labor market.

By selecting benefits from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, your employees know you take this commitment seriously, with comprehensive offerings from a preferred and trusted leader¹ focused on access, transparency and stability. In fact, when asked which company they would choose if they could, Minnesotans selected Blue Cross three times more often than the closest competitor,² and nationally, Americans prefer Blue Cross insurance two times more often than the next closest competitor.³

But just carrying a Blue Cross member ID card isn’t enough. To help your employees get the most from their health plan, an effective benefits communication approach is critical. And this engagement matters to you, too, because it can boost your satisfaction and retention results while decreasing total cost of care.  

Learn more about the importance of effective benefits communications — and check out the ways we support you in engaging members to unlock the full value of your offerings.

The link between benefits awareness, utilization and lower costs

Employees who understand their health benefits are significantly more likely to use them, resulting in lower absenteeism and improved employee experience.

For example, 54% of employees say understanding their health benefits contributed to their overall job satisfaction, and 97% of employees who are satisfied with the support they get to understand benefits say they’ll stay with their employer for at least two years.⁴

Conversely, there can be a ripple effect when employees don’t know how to use their benefits, including missed preventive care, lower morale and increased health costs. Employees with a poor to fair understanding of their benefits are twice as likely to delay care or treatment as those with an excellent benefits understanding.⁴

To maximize the effectiveness of your investment and promote employee health, one of the smartest steps you can take is to implement a communication strategy centered on educating, informing and inspiring employees.

Not sure where to start? Blue Cross has multiple levers to help you deliver clear communication, support informed decisions and foster stronger workplace trust — all core tenets of our operating philosophy designed to improve health outcomes for members and lower costs for you.

Meeting employees where they are: Multichannel communication strategies

No two workforces are alike, which means effective communication requires flexibility and a blend of tools.

Our comprehensive approach is rooted in access and transparency, and our resources can help you ensure each employee receives information in the ways that work best.

Boost engagement digitally through Blue Care Advisor^SM

Blue Care Advisor is an all-in-one navigation and care management solution from Blue Cross with the member at the center. Available 24/7 through mobile app or desktop, the platform guides members in understanding, accessing and managing all their healthcare benefits in one place. 

• This includes helping members manage their plan, find providers in network, look up covered medications, estimate the cost of services, review their claims, and chat online with member advocates for real-time answers to questions.  

But where the platform really shines is with personalized care recommendations. Blue Care Advisor offers recommendations and next best actions digitally as well as through Blue Cross Customer Service and Care Management teams to support members across every touchpoint and identify health issues before they become significant and more costly — ultimately closing gaps in care.

Blue Care Advisor also puts powerful communication and reporting capabilities in your hands through the Mission Control tool. As an employer, you can easily create customized communications that target specific employee populations to promote relevant health programs or send care reminders — all without leaving the tool.

Educate employees throughout their journey with targeted emails

Blue Cross supports you through a well-defined, personalized email series that welcomes your employees and onboards them as plan members, including targeted messaging to educate about benefit usage and help them get the most from their plan.

We also use claims and utilization data as a trigger for emails that encourage members to get the care they need and seek support to make confident healthcare decisions. For example, emails can encourage members to schedule an exam with their primary doctor if they haven’t received preventive care in a specific timeframe or educate them about better options for care if they are overutilizing the emergency room for routine treatments.

Reach “unwired” employees through in-office and in-factory materials

For employees who work on the factory floor or are deployed in field roles, digital engagement may not be the most effective medium. 

Direct mail or worksite material can be a critical link in educating these team members about their benefits. Examples include:

• Tailored postcards and mailers
• Posters
• Flyers
• In-person benefit sessions
• Benefit slides looped on a monitor in the breakroom

Each of these mediums can deliver clear, accessible information where it’s most effective and help you reach team members throughout the organization — creating equitable access and reliable support for employees in all roles and locations.

Empower internal champions: The role of employee health benefits liaisons

Consider appointing dedicated employee health benefits ambassadors to serve as a bridge between your associates, HR and your benefits team. Responsibilities can include:

• Answering questions and relaying feedback
• Organizing information sessions
• Providing ongoing communications to associates

The role will naturally complement a transparent communication approach, build trust and help enhance stability in your employees’ experience.

Tap into the strength of Blue Cross to engage your employees

Clear and proactive benefit communications are a win-win for you and your employees, and Blue Cross is your trusted partner in facilitating a healthier workforce. This includes Blue Care Advisor for direct digital engagement, accessible worksite education to support employees in every role, and expertise you can rely on to foster a culture of informed health.

• You’ll empower employees to understand and use their benefits to improve their health and wellbeing for the long term, while increasing satisfaction with the valuable benefits you provide.  
• You’ll realize greater value for your investment in health benefits, including enhanced productivity, stronger retention and improvements in total cost of care.

Take the next step. Contact your Blue Cross representative today.