Edited by Thorpe Benefits from original article in Canadian HR Reporter, October 2004

Members of employer-sponsored health benefits plans are a satisfied bunch. This year's BENEFITS CANADA Pulse on Plan Members survey found that 84% of the 1,200 people questioned reported being very or somewhat satisfied with their benefits plan. An impressive 9 out of 10 rated their understanding of their plans as good.

Recommendations for Plan Sponsors:

Provide information to younger employees to improve their understanding of their benefits plans. If plan members are disinclined to seek information, it may be necessary to provide more detailed information when an employee is initially hired and to continue to push it at them using appropriate forms of communication. Offer this younger group plans that provide great flexibility and increase employer involvement in health promotion.

For middle-aged employees, increase the flexibility offered in their benefits plans to alleviate concerns about rising costs and to increase satisfaction.

In response to older respondents' desire for more employer involvement in the maintenance of their health, build more preventative health-care options into benefits plans.

Provide employees from small companies with more information about their plans and increase the flex options that are available within their benefits plans. This group is less likely to seek information, but better understanding can make them feel they have more control of their plans.

Help non-union members feel more confident their plan will meet their needs by increasing the amount of control and flexibility they have over their plans.

For union members, alleviate concerns that plans will change if costs of maintaining the plan increase and improve understanding among union members using union sources.

Increase the amount of flexibility that is offered with plans. HR departments can use a strong benefits plan to entice potential employees. It is also important to provide sufficient understanding so employees feel they have some control over their plans.

Health Benefits Plans

Importance of plans: Almost half of respondents said that employee health benefits plans were an important factor in influencing them to join their current employers. Most would be unlikely to take a job with a company that does not have such a plan and 49% said that if another company offered them the same salary and a better employee health benefits plan, they would consider leaving their current company.

The majority of respondents consider their health benefits part of their total income and a firm majority of respondents (93%) view their health benefits as insurance for themselves and their families.

Flexibility and options: 86% of respondents indicated they wanted choice around health benefits- 40% of Canadians report being able to choose which health benefits they are covered for.

One out of five Canadians say they are offered additional credits/dollars that they can use to pay for benefits that are not covered under their plans. Of those people, 87% are pleased with it. Of those without this option, 62% think it would be a good idea. However, the same number (62%) feel there is enough flexibility in the benefit options that they can choose from and 80% say their plan is flexible enough to meet their needs.

Use of information sources: Most employees with employer-sponsored health benefits plans use brochures (80%) or benefits statements (64%) to improve their understanding of their plans. More than half (57%) also use human resource departments and 31% use union/associations as sources of information. Only 26% reported using the Internet as a source of information about their health benefits plans.

Program usage: Programs that Canadians are most likely to make use of if covered by their health benefits plans include: fitness facility (80%), stress management workshop (68%), cholesterol/blood pressure assessment (67%), and healthy meal options (67%). Programs they would not make use of include: smoking cessation (62%), weight loss program (52%) and motivational speaker (52%).

Attitudes to plans: 81% feel that they quality of health and benefits-related information provided by their employer is sufficient. Although a large majority, (84%) feel that employers have an obligation to help keep their employees healthy, 51% would rather tend to their health without their employer's help. Almost all respondents (92%) would voluntarily participate in their company's employee health benefits plan.

When asked about this country's public health-care system, 61% of Canadians said they were very or somewhat confident in the system.

Attitudes to employers: Plan members are more flexible when it comes to health benefits. Seventy-four percent of respondents said they would help control costs by using generic drugs, 48% would pay pharmacy dispensing fees and 48% would pay a deductible.

On the whole, plan members generally rate their satisfaction and understanding levels as quite high. On a deeper level there is room for improvement.