Purge your files of communication from plan years past

Benefits Renewal Starts with a Purge

First, that old hyperlink to your provider finder must go.

Next, your prior year summary for vision, dental, and health benefits doesn’t just need to be updated. The old version must be deleted.

Last, using Decision Analysis tools?  Trash the old links.  You don’t want decisions based on old plan details.

A Case in Point for Purging

Given these points, here is a true story.  We took on a new client and started preparing for the upcoming plan renewal.  This particular client used a Payroll and HR Technology vendor that we really like.

In digging through the plan communications, we found plan summaries that hadn’t applied to the employee in two to three years.  And, we found provider links that directed employees to the completely wrong insurance company.  Similarly, they were linking to an incorrect dental network of providers.

Surprisingly, no one had taken the time to review this at the company.

And even worse, employees used the technology.  Significantly, they were trained to distrust it based on bad information.

Certainly, this all could have been avoided with a Purge.

What to Purge and Hide

In order that your company can avoid these pitfalls, eliminate clutter and old plan information.  Now is a great time since we are ending a plan year.

Sure, you need a comparison of current plan to upcoming plan.  But, stop there.  Last two years only.  Earlier plans can disappear.

1. Provider links must be updated and TESTED.
2. Decision Tools must be reprogrammed with the new benefits.
3. Hide off-cycle information from top-level enrollment communication.
4. If you use paper packets, make sure you have the current enrollment forms.
5. Update your payroll deduction information.  Have someone else proof or test your math. $.01 errors cause silly problems.

In closing, keeping the clutter to a minimum will maximize your efforts for your current renewal and subsequent enrollment.