Health Benefit Changes and Increased Costs Call for More Attention from Workers

According to Hewitt Associates, an increasing number of workers seem to understand this as nearly half (45%) of employees actively chose their benefits for 2010 instead of defaulting into the coverage they had in the previous year — the highest number of active enrollees since Hewitt began tracking the data in 2003.  

Employers can help employees by encouraging them to: 

• Assess their needs before selecting a benefit plan or determining how much to put aside in a flexible spending account; 
• Read the plan rules and pay attention to changes; 
• Take advantage of FSAs and wellness programs; and 
• Review quality data of providers. 

In a news release, Hewitt pointed out a few changes will affect workers in the next plan year:  

• Most U.S. workers will be able to cover their adult children up to age 26; 
• Over-the-counter medications, such as aspirin, pain relievers and allergy medications, will no longer be reimbursable from an FSA unless employees have a prescription from a doctor; and 
• For health plans that are new or for existing plans that are not “grandfathered,” preventive care (e.g., immunizations and certain check-ups and recommended screenings) will be 100% covered.