When does decision support transition from a ‘nice to have’ to a ‘need to have’? Here are 6 of the most common reasons brokers introduce decision support tools, like PERKY, to their clients:
- You are introducing a new plan or line of coverage. Let’s face it – employees are going to be confused – or at the very least ask more questions. Leading advisors prioritize the employee experience and work to deliver solutions that can mitigate the confusion of new plan information. Decision support tools clearly communicate the benefits employees are eligible for, while effectively showcasing big changes in health plans and/or ancillary coverage options.
- Less than desirable participation or adoption rates – and you are unsure why. Why aren’t more employees leveraging their HSA accounts, employer contributions, or even taking full advantage of a company 401k match? Decision support provides education on these specific benefits to let employees truly understand their value. Leading providers, like PERKY, contain native reporting capabilities that allow advisors and their clients to explore data and understand employee behavior that can drive future benefit plan changes.
- The employer group has multiple plans and several products to choose from. The power of choice can be a great thing – under the right conditions. Traditionally, however, more benefit choices can ultimately lead to greater levels of confusion among employees. This is especially true for ancillary benefits, which are designed to help employees fill gaps in their overall financial situation. Decision support tools are designed to simplify these options and prioritize where each employee should invest their benefit dollars. Through this enhanced, easy to understand experience, employees can feel confident they made educated decisions for their unique needs.
- Clients or employees are concerned about high deductibles and/or rising plan costs. Decision support tools work to alleviate employee concerns by breaking down the math, reducing the use of jargon, and showcasing employer contributions (‘free money’ in the employee’s eyes). Plus, if employers are working to offset rising costs, decision support tools help convey those workplace investments to their employees. As a result, employees feel valued and can confidently enroll in their benefits knowing their selections are completely personalized to their specific financial circumstances.
- Your client’s employees are fully remote or hybrid. If you or your clients are worried about communicating benefits in a virtual setting, decision support is an effective solution. Through personalized, tailored benefit suggestions, employees will feel engaged and supported in new ways throughout the enrollment process. Decision support tools can also work to ensure new hires are aware of their organization’s investment in their benefits package and overall technology experience.
- Your client’s HR team feels pressured to give employees advice. While we know HR managers have the best intentions, it’s essential they follow compliance and liability laws and avoid the trap of offering personalized advice to their employees. While HR managers can certainly explain how each benefit works, the intricacies of how each benefit fits into an employee’s overall financial situation remains a significant gap. Decision support fills the gap with data-driven personalization for each employee, ultimately allowing HR to focus on other demanding aspects of their roles – especially in the midst of open enrollment.
Decision support tools can be an incredible tool for organizations of all sizes. At Selerix, we take pride in providing our clients with access to powerful API integrations with organizations, like PERKY. To learn more about PERKY’s decision support tool, email hello@perkytech.com or visit perkytech.com.
