For Producers: Retain Clients With Robust Dental and Vision Benefits Enrollment Support

Dental and vision are among the most widely used benefits, and they add value to an employee benefits package. But even the richest benefits packages don’t deliver if employees don’t understand what benefits they have and how to use them. Make benefits enrollment count.

Work with a dental and vision carrier that can help you provide a robust enrollment experience for your clients, so employees are more likely to choose and use the benefits your clients offer. And you’re more likely to retain clients.

Here are some things a dental and vision benefits carrier can offer for a successful enrollment:

1. Library of digital brochures and videos on benefits topics

Benefits can be hard to explain and understand. Help educate employees about all aspects of the benefits being offered, for example:
a) how can they obtain procedure cost estimates?
b) how much they can save when visiting a network provider?
c) how do incentive or rewards plans work?
d) what happens when their employer changes benefits carriers?

2. Customized benefits enrollment booklet – print or digital

The booklet is customized with the clients’ name, and outlines details of the plan or plans being offered. If there is more than one plan offered, the booklet includes tips for how to choose a plan based on the employee’s needs.

3. Customized benefits microsite

The site outlines plan details, and offers FAQs and forms to help employees through the enrollment process. Employees can refer to the site year-round for plan details.

If clients maintain and prefer to use their own branded benefits enrollment booklets or websites, the carrier should provide benefits content that fits the client’s needs. This plan content should be concise and easily incorporated into their materials.

4. Customized benefits videos

Videos make it easy for employees to learn about plan details and choices. They can be added to a client’s website, or the links can be sent to employees through email.

Electronic benefits enrollment

Benefits enrollment and administration are easy with API connectivity. Employers expect this convenience, so work with a carrier that can deliver. That carrier should be able to work with the benefits administration platforms that matter most to you and your clients for seamless and secure data connections. And reduce manual work for a faster and more accurate experience.

Support that fits the client’s needs

It’s important to customize enrollment support so it fits your client’s specific needs. For example, if your client has a branded and comprehensive benefits website, they will appreciate you providing dental benefits content that’s tailored to, and can be incorporated into, their existing site. No need to offer a separate dental benefits-specific site.

If clients are not sure what enrollment materials to offer, you can suggest options to help them meet their goals. For example, if they’re hoping to increase dental enrollment and their employee base is broad and in multiple locations, offer to provide a simple video that outlines their dental plan options, and the cost and health advantages of having dental benefits. Provide a link to the video clients can feature on their website or in an employee email newsletter. Look at employee demographics. If the age range is broad, offer to provide benefits information employees can access online or in hardcopy format.

It’s important to research and target your clients’ needs when recommending enrollment support, along with coming up with a strategy. Showcasing everything you and the carrier have to offer can be confusing for the client. And if the materials offered don’t fit employees’ needs, the experience will be confusing for them, too. Dig deeper to find out your client’s specific needs and goals, then propose an enrollment strategy to match.

Ask questions and focus on the clients’ goals

Start by understanding your clients’ benefits and business goals. Are they trying to increase plan enrollment, use of benefits, or use of network providers? Are they switching carriers? Are they trying to increase engagement by offering more robust benefits? Have they decreased benefits in order to maintain their budget?

Once you know their big picture goals, ask some questions to find out what types of enrollment support best fit your clients’ needs.

Does your client:

1. have a website that’s dedicated to employee benefits?
2. promote benefits via an employee website?
3. promote benefits via a consolidated brochure (hardcopy or digital)?
4. email employees about benefits?
5. promote benefits through an employee newsletter (hardcopy or email/online)?
6. perform employee benefits enrollment online or on paper?
7. use online benefit enrollment/administration platforms? Which ones?

These questions will start conversations that help you help your clients accomplish their benefits and business goals. Be your clients’ trusted benefits adviser.