While debate and controversy on many topics in the realm of employee benefits are rampant, there is one thing we can all agree on: costs are astronomical and growing, and employers and employees are struggling. The industry is bombarded with point solutions, competing carriers and alternatives to traditional approaches from ICHRAs and direct primary care to health shares. All have their pros and cons; none is a silver bullet.
The good news is that there is one strategy that will have a positive impact, moving the needle at least a bit on higher enrollment and lower costs, regardless of plan structure or benefits package: strategic, thoughtful and effective multilingual education. If we engage more employees, participation (and thus revenue) will go up, and unnecessary claims will go down. And, in the big picture, strain on social systems and public resources will be alleviated. It seems so obvious and yet industry norms on this have always been inconsistent at best.
