BOSTON, MA — (Marketwire) — 12/18/12 — Traditional approaches to employee education on benefits won-t do in a healthcare-reform world, Patrick J. Haraden, a principal of Longfellow Benefits, a Boston-based consulting firm, writes in the November issue of Benefits Magazine.
Benefits education is an afterthought for most employers, typically only occurring when the employee has a specific issue or problem, he writes. Open-enrollment meetings for existing employees are sparsely attended. New-hire orientations usually provide only a cursory overview of employee benefits instead of an in-depth discussion of benefits or enrollment help.
PPACA should change both employers- benefits education strategy and employee interest. Some employers will now want to separate new-hire orientation into a two or three-part process, with one part solely on employee benefits, Haraden writes.
“Employers should replace -open enrollment- with -employee education,- and make it an integral part of their employee benefits strategy,” he writes. “Similar to what is provided to 401(k) plan participants regarding their investment choices by the employers- retirement plan advisor, with healthcare and other benefits employers should offer individualized employee education. In the end, it should result in a greater appreciation and understanding of the value of the benefits provided, and the rationale for providing them by the employer.”
The full article, “Employee Education in a Health Care Reform World,” can be read at .
Haraden, CEBS, CLU, ChFC, REBC, RHU, MBA, can be reached at 617-351-6054 or .
Serving organizations in New England and nationally, Longfellow Benefits provides consulting services on employee benefits and executive benefits. Longfellow Benefits has been named to Boston Business Journal-s Best Places to Work seven years in a row. For more information, visit or call 617-351-6000.
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