3 factors that contribute to next-level benefit experiences
Modern benefit experiences blend simplicity, personalization and transparency — helping employees make confident decisions and employers manage cost.
- Member experience is now a strategic lever: 90% of consumers say it directly influences how they evaluate health care.3
- Simplicity improves engagement by making benefits easier to understand and access, helping reduce confusion and missed care.
- Personalization — powered by AI and flexible benefit design — helps meet diverse workforce needs at scale.
- Transparency empowers smarter decisions by giving employees visibility into cost, quality and care paths.
- Together, simplicity, personalization and transparency can improve engagement, enhance satisfaction and help manage costs.
Employer-sponsored health plans have not just become an expected part of employment; they’ve become an essential component when organizations recruit employees. In fact, 70% of employers say that their health benefits are critical to attracting and retaining the best talent.1
On top of that, a recent study found that employee satisfaction with their health plan can influence an employer’s benefits strategy: One-fifth of surveyed employers cited low employee satisfaction as a top reason for switching plans.2
Experience plays a large part in that satisfaction: 90% of U.S. consumers say that experience is either very or extremely important when evaluating health care.3
That experience starts with employees understanding their benefits. More than half of insured adults don’t fully understand what their health plan covers.4 When benefits are misunderstood or difficult to access, engagement may falter, driving missed care opportunities, unnecessary costs and lower productivity.5
These gaps can defeat the main purpose of employer-sponsored health plans: keeping employees and their families healthy.
Providing a positive health care experience could increase employee health plan engagement. That’s why it’s important for employers and their advisors to evaluate the experience a carrier delivers and how well it aligns with today’s workforce expectations. This includes assessing it through the lens of simplicity, personalization and transparency.
“Experience and affordability do not have to be at odds. They can work in concert when tools are designed to drive both engagement and better decision-making.”
1. Simplicity
Today’s employees expect their health care experience to mirror other consumer experiences — intuitive and easy to understand and navigate. This means using clear, plain language and removing health care jargon from communications and the tools they use to manage their benefits.
Members also want fewer places to go when accessing and managing their benefits. With a single website or app and a universal login, UnitedHealthcare members can view documents and ID cards, search for and schedule care, track prior authorizations and claims, pay for services and explore additional offerings that can complement their employer-sponsored benefits.
That intuitive navigation can ultimately increase overall plan engagement, which has proven to drive smarter health care decisions and lower costs. In fact, activation scores and optimal decision-making increased by 4.6% among members who had at least 3 UnitedHealthcare digital experiences, compared to those with no visits based on UnitedHealthcare’s proprietary Health Activation Index® (HAI®) scoring system.7
“Through continued enhancements to our digital experience, we are making it easier for members to better understand and use their benefits through one point of entry.”
2. Personalization
Employers often design health plans that are intended to meet the needs of a diverse workforce where multiple generations and genders work side-by-side — each with their own unique health needs and preferences. A one-size-fits-all shirt wouldn’t actually fit every person, so why would health benefits?
While many employers recognize the importance of tailoring offerings to their unique employee population, doing so in a scalable and cost-efficient way can prove difficult. That’s where working with a carrier that is relentlessly focused on advancing its personalization capabilities can make a meaningful difference.
UnitedHealthcare is doing this by leaning into artificial intelligence (AI) to help members make sense of their benefits. AI can help prioritize care options based on quality, cost, coverage and personal fit, and connect them to appropriate resources and support, including UnitedHealthcare Advocates who can assist with more complex or sensitive situations.
“UnitedHealthcare is at this point in time where we’re not just listening to some of the issues that are happening, we’re solving them,” says Jennifer Zmuda, chief information officer for UnitedHealthcare. “Across the health care ecosystem, AI is incredibly exciting in terms of personalization, how quickly we automate and how quickly we innovate.”
For instance, UnitedHealthcare members can engage Avery as their AI companion directly within the UnitedHealthcare® app and myuhc.com® and receive real-time help, personalized insights and seamless digital support. Avery is also transforming the experience for UnitedHealthcare Advocates, brokers, consultants and employers — helping Advocates anticipate member needs, streamlining administrative tasks and enabling plan sponsors and administrators to more easily manage employer plans.
“AI is the great simplifier of health care, helping people understand what they have, what it costs and what they can do next,” explains Jordan. “Our goal is that AI can become a true companion for everyone in health care, from clinicians to our members, Advocates, employers, brokers and consultants.”
Personalization is also making the case for more flexible funding options and giving employees more choice and purchasing power based on what they deem most relevant to their life and health and wellness. In fact, 76% of surveyed employers have said they plan to expand their employees’ benefit choices within the next 3 years.9
That’s what led UnitedHealthcare to launch UHC Store, which is an exclusive digital shop accessible via myuhc.com® and the UnitedHealthcare® app that allows UnitedHealthcare commercial members to purchase health, wellness and lifestyle offerings — most available at a discount — that they find valuable as a complement to their other employer offerings.
Employers can take this a step further by investing in an integrated lifestyle spending account (LSA). This option helps offset employee costs while providing a cost-efficient way to scale diverse programs. It works exclusively with UHC Store, giving employees post-tax dollars to use towards eligible purchases.
“Providing choice allows employers to manage costs while still meeting the diverse needs of their population — it’s the best of both worlds,” says Jordan.
These strategies, combined with tailored communications that aim to meet employees where they are in their journey, can all contribute to more personal experiences that leave workforces feeling more supported and cared for.
3. Transparency
While simplification is key to addressing the fragmented infrastructure health care was originally built upon, and personalization can help meet individual needs and expectations, transparency may give members greater clarity, choice and confidence when navigating the health system.
It starts by putting more information into the hands of members so they can make smarter health care choices. For UnitedHealthcare, that shows up through its search experience where members can compare a list of prioritized care options based on a score determined by quality of care criteria, individual benefits and coverage, and personal preferences. This score, along with cost estimates, provides insights that help reduce confusion about who to see, where to go and what a visit may cost.
Surest members have a similar experience, where they can view their anticipated medical and pharmacy copays upfront and a provider’s Care Rating before seeking care, all within an easy-to-use app.
The goal of both of these experiences is to remove some of the guesswork that has historically paralyzed health care consumers. Plus, it doesn’t just lead to more satisfying experiences, it is an affordability lever as employees tend to make more cost-effective choices when given the information needed to do so.
Pair that with the ability to track the status of prior authorizations, claims, prescriptions and deductible and out-of-pocket spending, and employees can have less confusion and frustration when navigating their benefits.
Additionally, giving providers access to real-time member information and embedding AI into their workflows can lead to greater efficiency, reduced administrative burden and improved experiences. This interoperability supports better care coordination from the start and enables more informed clinical decisions, which may lead to fewer denials and improved health outcomes.
Recognizing that transparency can build trust, UnitedHealthcare is committed to sharing how it’s actively addressing key pain points and correcting any misinformation in the market. This includes the work UnitedHealthcare is leading to streamline prior authorizations and providing greater transparency around its claims approval rates, which stand at nearly 98%.11
Tomorrow’s benefits strategy will be driven by carriers who embrace the newest technologies to deliver smarter, more flexible care options and satisfactory experiences. UnitedHealthcare is working to help ensure every member’s experience is defined by simple navigation, personalization and transparency — enabling healthier, more engaged and satisfied workforces and lower costs overall.
“A simple, personalized and transparent experience helps members understand their benefits, navigate care with confidence and gain greater clarity into their health care costs.”
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