Results from the 2012 Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey suggest that opportunities exist for benefits plan sponsors to better educate and engage plan members, according to a member of the survey team.
Speaking at an event in Toronto this morning to mark the release of the 2012 survey report, Chris Bonnett, president of H3 Consulting and a member of the survey advisory board, noted that 97% of plan sponsor respondents said they have a solid understanding of their health benefits. But, at the same time, just 13% indicate they understand their plan extremely well, down from 19% who said the same in 2005.
“The news overall is good,” commented Bonnett. “But as we parse it into smaller bits, we’re starting to see some signs of opportunity where employers can be doing more to engage plan members.”
Bonnett said that while the survey results don’t indicate reasons for that lower level of understanding, increasing diversity of cultures and languages in the workforce and low literacy levels might be factors.
The results also suggest that a significant number of plan members are not aware of how drug claims reimbursement works, with 41% saying they’re unsure. Exactly half of plan members surveyed responded that their employer pays premiums to an insurance company that covers the entire cost of member claims. Only 9% indicated an awareness that their employer is billed by the insurer for claims incurred plus an administration services fee, despite the fact that administrative services only plans are growing in popularity in Canada.
The 2012 survey also suggests that employers need to better communicate with plan members nearing retirement about the level of coverage they can expect following their departure from the workforce. Of plan members polled, 51% expect they will continue to have access to their healthcare benefits after retirement—which is not the case with all plans. Further, when employers were asked which parts of their plan they are considering making cuts to in an effort to control costs, 17% said retiree benefits were being looked at.
“Right now, employees are not factoring healthcare costs into their retirement planning,” commented Pierre Marion of Medavie Blue Cross, a survey advisory board member. “Many will be in for a surprise when they realize that extended benefits may not be available,” he said, adding that plan sponsors should play a role in educating members about how to plan for healthcare costs in retirement.
View complete results of the 2012 Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey at sanofi.ca.