BREAK THROUGH QUICK TIPS FOR GIVING YOUR HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS STAYING POWER

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1 BREAK THROUGH QUICK TIPS FOR GIVING YOUR HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS STAYING POWER

2 Looking Ahead Congratulations! The long hours of planning are behind you, and open enrollment season is off to a great start. Take a well-deserved breather for a moment and enjoy the victory! Now, let your mind wander into the new year when employees will start using their new plans and the questions will begin to flow What will my prescription drugs cost How much is my deductible What is my HSA balance Give Your Communications Staying Power As a benefits leader, you work hard to ensure your workforce has the information needed to navigate their healthcare decisions. The problem is, you don t always get heard. On the following pages, you ll find the essential tips and best practices you need to make sure your healthcare communications are getting through and getting remembered empowering your employees to get the most out of their healthcare plans this year and the next. Is it too early to get my free annual physical Sound good GREAT! THEN LET S GET STARTED! Break Through the Noise 1

3 Fast Forward It s January, and phrases like meeting your deductible, out-of-pocket maximums, HSA, covered services, coinsurance, and prior authorization have your employees on edge. Rather than making them feel like they ve been blown over by an unexpectedly cold winter wind, we can help you create the sensation they ve been wrapped in a warm blanket that shields them from health plan surprises. +! +! EMBRACE EMPLOYEE NOISE LISTEN TO YOUR AUDIENCE, THEN CATER TO THEM STRUGGLING TO BE HEARD You re not alone. Only 20 % of employers surveyed believe their communication efforts were very effective at informing employees about their benefits. 1 Each year, when employees start using their new health plans for the first time, confusion abounds. You ve been there. You know it s unavoidable. In the new year, it s as natural in the benefits world as the sun rising in the east. You answered their questions during open enrollment, but not every employee listens to each word you say (What Really!), and details get forgotten. The rubber always meets the road when employees actually start to use their new plans. That s when the questions, suggestions, complaints, comments i.e., employee noise starts to roll your way. Health insurance terms are unfamiliar and complex for those who don t live and breathe benefits. Help your employees out by breaking terms down into straightforward concepts and providing simple, real-life examples. Now s the time to embrace employee noise as an opportunity to enhance your communications. HOW READ ON! Break Through the Noise 2

4 Social media campaigns that generate awareness Short, catchy videos Bolster Your Communications Mobile apps that reach your employees on the go Go Multi-Channel Don t assume one communication method will reach everyone. Try a mix of media. 2 Digital posters displayed on screens throughout the workplace s paired with electronic newsletters, intranet articles, and published testimonials Conduct a survey before the next Open Enrollment Whenever possible, ask your employees, How did you hear about this Track which channels are used most frequently FACT Listen Find out which channels your employees trust for health information. 1 3 Test and Measure Analyze engagement rates to identify the most effective communications mix. Collect page view data from your portal manager Request open and click-through rates from partners who send s to your employees Conduct A/B tests to identify which visuals and messages get the best response rates 75 % One company working with Castlight found it could achieve a 75% registration rate by embedding video links explaining its benefits program Break Through the Noise 3

5 Get Personal Talk about healthcare in a way that resonates with employees. Use employee questions to identify a series of 3-5 common scenarios that your employees experience. Segment your communication messages to reach employees in various demographic slices or life stages. Share multiple scenarios that cater to specific employee segments. Showcase different benefits features and explain how to interact with your benefits portal or total health center. Leverage the scenarios continuously through a variety of channels to maximize impact. It ll make your messages and your company s health benefits feel more personal and engaging, and help workers understand health plan specifics in the familiar context of their day-to-day lives. Make them say: Hey, that s me! I should pay attention. + She didn t realize her prescription is subject to a deductible, and she has to pay the full cost for her medication. Show how to interact with your benefits portal to find the answers. Suzanne is picking up a prescription at the pharmacy for the first time after switching to your company s high-deductible health plan. What should she do Break Through the Noise 4

6 REPEAT AFTER ME: THERE S NO SUCH THING AS OVERCOMMUNICATION Pull out your highlighters, benefit leaders, and take note. If you expect employees to behave like healthcare consumers, you have to communicate with them like consumers. Repetition Is Not Overcommunication We re not suggesting you spoon-feed your employees. Just the opposite. We re saying teach your employees to fish for themselves. 140 Why Is Repetition So Critical % s per day 52 % First, there s the noise factor. In 2014, business users sent and received, on average, 121 s a day. By 2018, this number is expected to grow to Oh and are your messages mobile optimized Of those s, employees opened 52% on a smartphone. 3 And though screens are getting bigger, it s still easy to miss important details since only 24% of s are designed for mobile reading. 4 Show your employees how to self-service in a way that actually sinks in. And then show them again. And again. Repetition is critical! Too often benefits leaders shy away from it. We hear employers say, "Oh, we don't want to over-communicate. We don t want to annoy our employees." But this fear can make employers under-communicate! Identify a messaging cadence that works for your company and stick to it. REMEMBER! 25 % Plus you re vying for limited attention. Another reason to send it again Most employees only read about 25% of company s, so it might take a few times to catch their attention. 5 Also, it s just the way memory works. With your first, second, and even third contact, your message likely won t sink in. In fact, according to marketing expert Dr. Jeffrey Lant, you need to contact your employees SEVEN TIMES over an 18-month period before they ll hear and retain what you re saying. 6 Break Through the Noise 5

7 Bottom Line It s not enough to explain benefits changes during open enrollment or when a benefit is first offered. Keep talking about it. Remember: simple, relevant, and repeated messages are the most successful. SIMPLE RELEVANT REPEATED About Castlight Castlight Health, Inc. (NYSE:CSLT) is a leader in Enterprise Healthcare Management. We believe great healthcare builds great business, and U.S. enterprises can gain control over the 620 billion spent annually on healthcare, transforming a crippling cost into a strategic business advantage. Recognized as a top 2014 software platform by the HR Technology Conference & Exposition, the Castlight Enterprise Healthcare Cloud enables employers to understand and manage their healthcare investments while helping employees make the best possible healthcare decisions. Castlight is a great place to work, honored with a Glassdoor Employees Choice award and recognized by Rock Health for Diversity in Leadership. For more information, visit and connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. At Castlight, we re standing by to help you find the best way to lead your employees through the ever-changing healthcare world. Our integrated platform let s you show employees how to get the most out of their healthcare plan without overwhelming them or sacrificing their time. References 1 SHRM Survey Findings: State of Employee Benefits in the Workplace - Communicating Benefits, January Statistics Report, The Radicati Group, Inc., April Newsweaver customer data, Hussain, Anuon. Hubspot, EMPLOYEEapp s 2014 Employee Communications Satisfaction Survey. 6 Business Insider, Learn more at WP-017-A-BreakThroughNoise