The New Year Brings New Benefits

As a new year unfolds, many companies are changing their insurance plans, which can sometimes bring complications to employees. Being aware of these obstacles is the first step in resolving them.

In speaking with transition coaches from Vandover, who talk about these issues with their participants, the following seem to be the greatest challenges they are faced with.

Numerous employees are unaware of the many details of their benefit packages. Transition Coach Marilen Pitler stated, “we must remind participants that there is always the possibility that benefits could be changing in December for the coming year, and before we provide assistance, they need to be sure if theirs is changing or not.”

Another coach, Kathy Riesmeyer, recommends that “people set aside an hour or two when they first get their insurance information and plow through it with a highlighter. Mark the items they don’t understand, make notes, and then either call the insurance company customer service department with their questions, or ask their HR contact.”

Providing resources for employees and their spouses is important so that they understand their insurance policies to the best of their ability. This can easily be provided with a competent and proactive human resource department.

“I currently have at least one participant who is still in the process of selecting insurance and hasn’t done so because she, the employee, is so busy at work. Consequently, they are operating without insurance or what may be obsolete coverage and have small children. It would have been nice if the HR department could set some time aside for the new employees to help them with the selection of their coverage, giving them permission to take time from a busy work day to address this need,” Trudy Marshall, Transition Coach, said.

According to Megann Blankson, Vandover’s Acclimation Team Lead, sometimes a person’s health insurance may not be popular in the new area, and therefore they will be spending more on office visits. Knowing what insurance is widely accepted in the area is a very important part of choosing a new healthcare plan for individuals you are moving.

In conclusion, communicating the key details about new insurance plans to relocating employees, and making sure employees understand their options, will greatly help them make an informed choice. Finding new healthcare providers can be a major undertaking, and being sure their plan provides the needed amount of coverage can eliminate some of the stress employees feel during a move.

For more information on corporate concerns when switching insurance companies, click here to read an article from Cort T. Malone, an attorney practicing in the New York office of Anderson Kill & Olick PC with a concentration on insurance recovery and corporate/commercial litigation. He lays out five issues that should be considered when changing insurance portfolios.