Nearly half of U.S. adults are worried about their ability to afford health care in 2026. Chances are that a similar percentage of your workforce is facing the same concerns, especially if your business had to raise employee-paid portions of its benefits plan this year.
While you can’t control the broader healthcare market, you can take steps to reduce confusion and improve access. Here’s what you need to do:
Learn Why Employees Are Anxious
Before you start offering solutions, ask your employees why they are stressed. While much of their anxiety is likely related to premiums, they may also be uncertain about:
- What services are covered
- How deductibles and coinsurance actually work
- Where to go for affordable care
- Which benefits they are underutilizing
When benefits are confusing or feel out of reach, employees are more likely to put off treatment and skip preventive services. They may even assume they can’t afford treatment.
Offer a Variety of Plan Options
One of the best ways to reduce cost anxiety is to give your team members a choice. Offer a few different plans, such as high-deductible health plans paired with HSAs alongside more traditional options.
However, you’ve also got to explain the options to staff so they don’t feel overwhelmed. This means:
- Explaining the tradeoffs between plans
- Using real-world examples to illustrate costs
- Avoiding jargon as much as possible
Decision-support tools and benefit comparison guides can go a long way in helping staff members feel confident during open enrollment.
Educate Employees on How to Actually Use Their Benefits
Many workers don’t fully understand what their benefits include or how to access them. This can lead to avoidable out-of-pocket spending. Ongoing benefits education can help your team members:
- Seek preventive care
- Determine when they should use telehealth or virtual appointments
- Access mental health and employee assistance programs
- Make informed decisions with prescriptions
Approach benefits education much like you would employee training. Offer a variety of content delivery options so you can reach more team members. Options include FAQs, short videos, and lunch-and-learn sessions.
Promote Virtual Care and Cost-Effective Services
Virtual care is one of the most underused tools for managing healthcare costs. Many plans now include low-cost or no-cost virtual visits for primary care, behavioral health, and urgent needs. However, many employees may not realize virtual visits are an option.
Encourage your staff members to use these options by:
- Providing tips for using remote vs. in-person options
- Explaining how the costs of in-person visits compare to telehealth
- Making access easy
Virtual care is an affordable, convenient alternative that can help reduce employees’ out-of-pocket costs.
Provide HSA and Financial Wellness Education
Health savings accounts allow your team members to save for big healthcare expenses throughout the year, which can reduce the sticker shock associated with costly out-of-pocket services. However, many employees don’t know how to effectively use HSAs. Here’s what you can do to empower them:
- Explain how HSAs work and what expenses are eligible
- Break down tax advantages
- Educate staff on budgeting for healthcare expenses throughout the year
Pairing benefits education with flexible tools like HSAs will strengthen trust between HR and your workforce.
Create a Culture of Transparency and Support
Finally, reducing cost anxiety requires open communication. Your team members should feel comfortable asking questions about benefits without fear of getting the run-around. Your human resources department can support this by:
- Sharing updates and reminders about benefits throughout the year
- Encouraging employees to provide feedback on plans
- Partnering with trusted advisors from your health insurance provider
A transparent approach signals that your organization cares about truly helping employees meet their health needs.
Put These Tips Into Action With AssetHR
While your human resources team can’t do much about the costs of healthcare and other benefits this year, it can ease employees’ anxiety with the right approach. Not sure how to personalize these tips to suit your organization? AssetHR and our experienced consulting team are here to help you face these challenges head-on. When employees understand their options, they can effectively use the benefits you offer while overcoming cost concerns. Get in touch with us today, and let’s chat about ways to protect your staff from cost anxiety.