From coast to coast, passions are running high over the healthcare reform debate. Is some of the public heat orchestrated for political purposes? No doubt, but by now many Americans are genuinely worried about the future of healthcare. For employers, that makes this a good time to speak to employees about their company-sponsored group health insurance.

This is both a necessity and an opportunity. It is a necessity because an agitated work force is not nearly as productive as a happy one. Calming concerns about healthcare enable them to re-focus on the job at hand. It is an opportunity because sometimes group health insurance is an employee benefit that is taken for granted. Now that people are worried that something might happen to their group health plans, they are more likely to stop and appreciate those plans.

Which Employees Are Likely to Be Concerned

First of all, why are employees concerned? Probably because employer-sponsored group health insurance is an integral part of the U.S. healthcare system. Among employers with 50 or more employees, some 97 percent provide healthcare coverage. Notably, while employees have to contribute to the cost of these plans, on average employers pay the lions share of the premiums.

The significant numbers of people on either side of the healthcare debate also gives an indication of why it is such a front-burner issue. A significant percentage of the population feels that something needs to be done. On the other hand, a significant percentage is satisfied enough with the current system to feel they have something to lose if that system changes.

Most likely, employees in their 40s and 50s will be most concerned about the future of healthcare. This group is old enough to recognize the need for healthcare, yet too young to qualify for Medicare. This age group may be worthy of special attention in any communication efforts on the subject.

A Teachable Moment: A Friendly Reminder About the Group Health Plan Benefit

All the debate about healthcare reform creates the proverbial teachable moment on the subject. The first step is to calm employee fears. For all the horror stories, there are really two major initiatives being discussed. One is to bring down the cost of healthcare, which has been rising faster than the general rate of inflation for years. Both employers and employees see those cost increases in the form of rising insurance premiums, so anything that slows the runaway rate of healthcare inflation would benefit employers and employees alike.

The second--and most controversial--initiative is the creation of a public option for health care. However, this is being proposed as an option alongside employer-sponsored group health plans, not as a universal replacement for those plans. There are legitimate concerns about how such a plan would be administered, but group health insurance as it now exists would still be available should the public option prove unpalatable.

In the meantime, employee fears that their group health plan might be taken away create a good opportunity to remind them that this is a benefit their employer provides for their welfare. People are always less likely to take something for granted when they are in danger of losing it.

Source

Families USA (PDF)