Driving up HSA enrollment for a population already reliant on HDHP plans

Industry: Customer Service and Technology |
Employees: 2,000+

Our client had been offering High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) options for several years. While its employees were buying into the plan, only a small percentage of them were taking advantage of the plan’s full benefits.

Challenge

The company has been offering High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) options for several years. It is strategically focused on the consumer-driven model, however has been challenged by the mechanics of bridging employees to the consumer-driven components. That’s a fancy way of saying that while enrollment in the company’s Health Savings Account (HSA)-centric Plan was on the rise, employee enrollment in the actual HSA benefit was exceptionally low. Thus, this employer reasoned that employees were merely electing the HSA Medical Plan because it offered the lowest cost to employees on a per pay basis.

Solution

A multi-pronged approach was taken that focused on expanding the benefits communications experience while simplifying it. In order to better educate employees with respect to the value of the HSA Plan and the role the HSA benefit plays in managing plan expenses, we:

– Launched ALEX Benefits Counselor to provide an engaging new way for employees to make their plan selection. This fun, online experience also made it easy for employees to understand what the actual HSA is and how it works in managing HDHP expenses.

– Reengineered the online enrollment process. Rather than simply follow the HDHP plan election with the HSA benefit enrollment option, the system recognized the medical tier selected by the employee and then ushered forth information about annual out-of-pocket expenses the employee may anticipate by being enrolled in this plan. Armed with this “did you know?” information, the employee was then asked if they would like to contribute to the HSA benefit.

Results

During the most recent annual enrollment period, enrollment in the HSA Plan increased by 81%. Even better yet, enrollment in the HSA benefit increased by a whopping 286%.