For once, we weren't trying to innovate, iterate or invest in something new. We simply wanted to successfully launch a consumer-driven health plan. We thought it would be easy, since many employers had already delved into these issues before us.
We were wrong.
However, what we learned through this experience ended up providing valuable insight into launching any new benefits program. Here is your six-step program:
1. Got strategy?
Make sure that the program you are launching inextricably ties in with your overall benefits strategy. Don't forget to factor in both short- and long-term strategic plans and the overall business strategy.
Determine if there is a specific issue you want to address through this program and the consequences of both success and failure. You should be able to create a business case to justify any program.
2. Metrics required
Define your success measures in advance. Will you use enrollment, participation, outcomes, investments, behaviors, or employee noise? Research your targeted outcomes to ensure that they are based on solid data points.
3. Design the program well
Program design matters more than you think. Take the time to talk with other employers, carriers and brokers. Read case studies to find out what has worked well, what hasn't and any key lessons learned. Then design the program based not only on what you've learned, but also your unique culture and demographics.
4. Messaging matters
The messaging used to launch your program should be crystal clear and tell participants why you have launched this initiative. Make sure that you understand what messaging vehicles are most effective in your culture. If you're unsure whether your message is clear, ask your employees. Don't be afraid to use focus groups to find out what messages would resonate with them.
5. Make it personal
Show employees how the program relates to them. It all boils down to the what's-in-it-for-me principle. Create "People Like Me" scenarios and have employee champions create testimonials. Send all messages out from a real person instead of an email alias.
6. Automate, automate, automate.
Use technology to ensure that any processes involved in the program use as little manual work as possible. Consider automated forms, macros, or full system file feeds. Don't spend time on manual processes, but more on meaningful strategic matters.
Once the program has been launched, it's crucial to take a step back and reflect on it using actual data points to determine if it was successful. No, you can't just rely on how noisy or quiet your employees were about the launch.
Senior management tends to prefer facts and figures. Follow up with a survey, look at participation levels, track the number of inquiries about the program and the common themes of those inquiries, and look at the number of unique visitors to any Internet pages. If available, have a comparison point for all data measures.
In reflecting on our launch, we learned three important lessons:
1. PPO, HMO, WTF?
Employees didn't understand the basics about how medical plans work. Questions ranged from "What is a deductible?" to "What is the difference between an HMO and a PPO?" We were happy that they at least asked the questions before enrolling.
However, in retrospect, we should have provided more opportunities to explain the basics or held concurrent sessions to cover basics and more advanced topics associated with CDHPs.
2. What's the catch?
We designed our CDHP with the lowest deductibles allowed ($1,200 for single coverage, $2,400 for family coverage) and generously funded the health savings accounts so that the net effect was that the majority of employees would pocket money if they enrolled.
The employee response was pure skepticism, and they questioned our motives. We thought that our messaging was clear - we were wrong!
3. "I couldn't find information on ..."
Information design and layout is an essential, but often overlooked skill for benefits professionals. There is no such thing as too much information but the organization of the information matters. It should be easy to navigate, make it easy to find the key takeaways and use the principles of data visualizations to emphasize the point.
Contributing Editor Shana Sweeney - a self-proclaimed geek and political junkie - is a benefits professional at Google. She is an SPHR with degrees in politics and human resources. She has more than a decade of experience working in various industries, including high-tech, utilities, manufacturing, and health insurance. Follow EBN on:
