Understanding What Millennials Want from Your Healthcare Plan
Between 1980 and 2000 some 80 million babies were born. This generation is known as the millennials. Born in the information age, millennials are far more skeptical than their counterparts, and require far more information to make concrete decisions.
For employers, this means that their benefits packages must be fully transparent and capable of handling the influx of millennials now hitting the job market. The question is, what is it that millennials are looking for? How do these needs translate into employer-based healthcare? And how can employers create a healthcare plan to meet these unique demands?
What Millennials Value
First, let’s examine the values that Millennials hold and how they guide their decision making.
Independence & Cost Control
Millennials want to shop for the best value. They are cognizant of how limiting their options can cause increased costs, and they want to pay the least amount possible for goods and services. Purchasing independence is important to them. Transparency is critical if you expect them to make a purchase.
What this means for employer-based healthcare plans:
To attract top-tier millennial talent, provide options for healthcare coverage. Plans that allow employees to adjust their costs and coverage are highly sought after.
Technology
Millennials grew up in an age where the internet emerged. They understand the value it can have and how convenient it can make their lives. 24/7 access to information that directly relates to their decisions is a must-have. Tablets, smartphones and laptops are like accessories to a millennial.
What this means for employers:
Apps, online portals, and individual profiles that provide direct access to employee benefits are non-negotiable when dealing with millennials. Setting up a system that provides quick and convenient access to these resources is essential.
Trust
When surveyed regarding what they value the most in an insurance company, millennials responded that ‘trust’ was the most important factor. Second to that was reasonable copays and premiums.
What this means for individual healthcare plans:
More important for individual insurance companies, this means that branding and image play a pivotal role in gaining the interest of millennials in their healthcare plan.
Understanding what millennials value is only half the battle. You also need to understand the healthcare plan benefits they prefer.
Top Healthcare Benefits Millennials Want
Millennials are the ‘on-demand’ generation. They know precisely what they want and aren’t afraid to ask for it.
• Employer-provided wellness programs (stress management, yoga, gamification, dietary consultations etc.)
• Cafeteria planning (employees get to pick and choose their own benefits with the money employers set aside for them)
• Vision, dental and ‘extra’ health benefits (not only do they want their general checkups included in their insurance plan, they also expect benefit rich options like vision and dental)
• Short-term and long-term disability benefits (53 percent of millennials say they are interested in disability benefits especially with an employer-based health insurance plan.)
• Convenient access to their plan (online statements, apps, and clear communication are a must-have).
Meeting Millennial’s Demands
While there are already tens of millions of millennials already in the job market, there are millions more who are about to enter it. If your company is unprepared for the increase in this younger generation, then now is the time to plan.
Employer-based healthcare is a driving factor in attracting key talent to your business. Understanding how to craft an individual healthcare plan that has the benefits they want isn’t quite so easy. However, the Affordable Healthcare Act has made it easier to appeal to millennials through your healthcare plan.
By setting a dollar amount for employee benefits, they can shop for the benefits they want. The addition of HAS and FSA can add to the shop-ability of your benefits all while providing technology and financial control for employees. This in turn keeps health care costs affordable for your business.
How We Can Help
Millennials represent only one change we’ve had to maneuver through. To create a plan that appeals to this latest worker generation, to keep your healthcare costs low, and to maintain a strong relationship with your networks, contact our team. We’ll walk you through the options available and how to make a smart choice that benefits all sides.
EN 
ES