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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 H E A LT H Y B U S I N E S S to them as you navigate options and make decisions." Indeed, Bruce Elliott, manager of compensation and benefi ts for the Society of Human Resource Management, agreed to survey employees on the benefi ts they use. HR directors are sometimes surprised by what the most popular benefi ts are, and what nobody is using. "You could save a little bit of money so you don't have to make signifi cant cuts or changes to the medical plan," he says. " at way your decisions are much more informed." For Marshall, though only about half of her staff uses the coverage — the others are covered by insur- ance through spouses or parents — avoiding big price hikes was criti- cal for the sake of employee retention. Since the fi rm is based in Augusta, with its state workers and an abun- dance of companies, it faces a com- petitive market for staffi ng. "Having the best people is really important to the quality of the service that we provide," she says. "So having competitive benefi ts, like health insur- ance and 401K, is really important. e state off ers [employees] a lot of benefi ts that we just can't aff ord and we have to do as much as we can to be competitive." J V A , a w r i t e r b a s e d i n Ya r m o u t h , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t @ . Plastic Surgery Center 195 Fore River Parkway, Suite 140 | Portland, ME 04101 phone: 207.775.1933 | toll free: 800.688.9133 | www.DrVerne.com services: Rhinoplasty | Tummy Tuck Breast Augmentation Facial Rejuvenation | Spa Services e possibilities are endless... Imagine... Redefine. Tips for making the switch Bruce Elliott of the Society of Human Resource Management offered these tips for employers as they consider switching health insurance plans or carri- ers in the year ahead. 1. Start early If you're considering making a change in the next calendar year, start sur- veying your workers and exploring your options in the late summer and early fall, so that you have plenty of time to shop around and communi- cate with employees before any changes would take effect. 2. Consider the demographics of your staff Tailor your communications about the change to the demographics of your workforce. Employees of different ages tend to take in information in different ways, says Elliot. Millennials, who tend to be very socially engaged, will use social media and consult friends, parents, and cowork- ers as they're making their decisions, so a social media app might be more appropriate to reach that demographic. Baby boomers might be more receptive to emails, FAQs and group meetings. 3. Run real-world comparisons If you are changing plans, or offering multiple plans, compare the cost of dif- ferent health care expenses across the different plans. Showing the cost of, say, repairing a torn ACL, under the different plans, will help workers make more educated decisions about which plans will work best for them. "That way, employees can make reasoned decisions based on data, instead of just saying 'I've always been on this plan, this is what I've always chosen,'" Elliot says. Again, target your message to meet the needs of your work- force. For an older workforce, an example of heart disease or diabetes might be the most relevant example. A younger staff might be more inter- ested in the cost of repairing a sports injury. Younger workers might also benefi t from a review of the costs of prenatal care, labor and delivery. 4. Show how you line up to industry peers Gather data about average health insurance for companies of your similar size, in your industry, in your local market, and across the nation. Show how the cost of the benefi ts that you're providing stacks up to those averages, says Elliott. Groups like the Kaiser Family Foundation offer lots of information that can help employees get some perspective, especially if your rates are going up. Seeing that other companies in the same industry, or of similar size or in the region are facing the small chal- lenges, will help them digest any price increases.

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