Encouraging Your Employees to Sign Up For Your Group Health Plan:

If your group health plan requires that a specific number of your employees sign up for coverage, you can be left in a bad situation. All of your employees may not be interested in group health insurance, or they may not be able to afford coverage right now. It is important to educate your employees on their options and what will happen if they do not sign up for the plan right away.

It is also important to note that "encouraging" is not the same as "forcing." If you cannot make your quota for a group health plan, you may need to find another plan that will not force you to get a certain number of employees to enroll. It is also a good idea to make sure how many of your employees are interested in the plan before you purchase it. This will make your life a lot easier and your employees happier.

Here are some tips on how to encourage your employees to sign up for your group health plan.

1. Find a plan that will provide the most options for your employees. Health insurance is something that most of us should not do without. However, the rates of the uninsured are skyrocketing and health care costs are going through the roof. It is important when shopping for a group health plan to keep in mind what you and your employees will be able to afford. This may mean asking your employees ahead of time what they feel comfortable paying for their health insurance. This will assist you when you begin shopping for a plan.

2. Add as many options as you can, while keeping costs low. You can use benefit riders and other options from your insurance plan to make the group health plan as attractive as possible for your employees. Benefit riders can usually make a health plan complete and should not be overlooked.

3. Find out about exclusion periods and inform your employees. Many group health plans have an exclusion period for members who do not signup for a group health plan initially. You will need to find out what this exclusion period is and then inform your employees on the risks that they are taking by not signing up during the initial period.

4. Find out about exclusion grace periods. In some cases, a group health insurance provider will offer grace periods, where employees who did not sign up for a group health plan initially, or new hires, may join a group health plan without an exclusion period. You will need to know how many times this will be offered to your employees and inform them ahead of time.

5. Use your group health plan in your advertising for new hires. If you are currently hiring, you will need to mention the availability of a group health plan to employees in your advertising. This can greatly increase the amount of sign-ups for a group health plan.

6. Listen to your employees. If you have several employees that are not signing up for a plan, they may have a good reason. Ask them what they found wrong with the plan and do what you can to either fix the problem with the current company, or find a new group health plan that will offer them what they need.

7. Schedule a meeting with your insurance representative. Your employees may not be signing up for your plan simply because they do not fully understand the benefits they can reap. Try to schedule a meeting for your employees where they can ask questions about health coverage with your representative. If you cannot get your representative to appear, you may need to hold the meeting yourself.

<< Back