Why Your Employees Aren't Using Their Health Benefits, And What to Do About It
You spent months selecting a health plan. You negotiated rates, compared networks, and made sure the coverage was solid. But when open enrollment closed, you noticed something discouraging: employees either rushed through their choices without reading anything, or they froze and just picked whatever they had last year. Sound familiar?
The problem usually isn't the plan. It's that employees don't understand it well enough to use it effectively. And when people don't know how to navigate their benefits, they make costly decisions — for themselves and for your company.
The fix is better education. And the framework that works best is one we call the Triple Aim: getting employees to the right care, at the right time, in the right place.
Right Care: Help Employees Know What They Actually Need
Many employees don't know the difference between a specialist visit and a primary care visit — or why it matters. They don't know which screenings are covered at 100%, or that their plan might include mental health resources, a nurse hotline, or disease management programs.
The result? People skip preventive care, ignore chronic conditions, and only engage with the health system when something is seriously wrong. By then, it's expensive for everyone.
Here are some ideas:
Host a short (30-minute) annual benefits literacy session that goes beyond "here's your deductible." Walk through real scenarios: "If your child has a fever on a Saturday, here's what to do."
Send a one-page benefits cheat sheet that highlights the most underused benefits — telehealth, preventive visits, generic drug programs, mental health coverage.
Partner with your carrier or broker to offer personalized decision-support tools during open enrollment.
When employees understand what their plan actually covers, they make smarter choices — and use the right services instead of defaulting to the ER.
Right Time: Catch People Before Small Problems Become Big Ones
Timing is everything in healthcare. A $200 preventive screening can prevent a $20,000 hospitalization. But most employees don't think about their health benefits until something goes wrong.
The goal is to shift employees from reactive to proactive — and that requires communication year-round, not just during open enrollment.
Here are some ideas:
Build a benefits communication calendar. Send reminders in January about using FSA funds, in spring about preventive checkups, and in fall to prepare for open enrollment.
Highlight seasonal health topics: flu shots in October, mental health awareness in May, diabetes prevention in November.
Use your EAP (Employee Assistance Program) proactively — most employees don't know it exists until they're in crisis. Promote it regularly as a resource for stress, financial concerns, and life challenges.
Consistent, timely communication keeps benefits top-of-mind and encourages employees to act before minor issues escalate.
Right Place: Steer Employees Toward High-Value Care Settings
Where employees seek care matters as much as when. An urgent care visit for a minor infection costs a fraction of an ER visit for the same thing. Telehealth is often free or low-cost — and available in minutes. Yet employees default to whatever is most familiar, not most appropriate.
This isn't about restricting access. It's about making sure employees know their options and what each one costs.
Here are some ideas:
Create a simple guide showing the difference between ER, urgent care, telehealth, and primary care — including typical out-of-pocket costs for each.
Make telehealth easy. Send employees the app download link, registration steps, and a reminder that it works for everything from cold symptoms to mental health counseling.
If your plan has a center of excellence or preferred facility network, explain why using those providers often means better outcomes and lower costs.
When employees have a clear "care navigation" resource, they make better decisions — and your claims costs reflect it.
The Bottom Line
Employee engagement in health benefits doesn't happen by accident. It takes intentional, ongoing education — not a once-a-year email dump during open enrollment.
When you help employees find the right care, seek it at the right time, and access it in the right place, everyone wins. Employees are healthier and less financially stressed. And your plan performs better, which gives you more leverage at renewal.
If you're not sure where to start, that's exactly what we're here for. Reach out and let's talk about building a benefits communication strategy that actually moves the needle.