In a continuing effort to stem the tide of rising health carecosts over the years, employers have increasingly asked employeesand their families to take a more active role in their health care.With the advent of consumer-directed/high-deductible health plansand their associated accounts -- health savings accounts (HSAs) orhealth reimbursement accounts (HRAs) -- has come a growingexpectation that, as employees are asked to shoulder more of thecost of their care, they will become more thoughtful about how andwhen they use their coverage.

Unfortunately, this expectation has generally not been met.

A PolicyGenius survey of 2,000 consumers revealedthat 96 percent of Americans couldn’t define basic health careterms, including "deductible," "co-insurance," "co-pay,"and "out-of-pocket maximum."

If employees don’t understand these basic concepts -- whichdirectly affect what they will have to pay for their health care --how can we expect them to make smart health decisions? And, if theycan’t understand the basic elements of cost sharing, how can weexpect them to grasp more complex concepts like choosing betweenplan options, setting up an HSA, or the importance of comparingcosts?

Health care is perhaps the one commodity that we tend to buywithout doing adequate research. According to a 2015 Aflac OpenEnrollment Survey, more than half of U.S. workers (56 percent)devote 30 minutes or less to the annual task signing up for healthcare benefits. That’s just one quarter of the time employees spenddeciding what TV to buy – and a tenth of the time they spendplanning their vacation. Worse, that same Aflac survey found that 42 percent of employeesestimate they waste up to $750 each year because of errors theymake with their benefits. These surplus costs don't only impactemployees, but their employers, as well.

Clearly, if an employee isn’t equipped with the information ortools they need to truly behave like a health care consumer,they’re not going to.

Employers must ensure that their employees are educated on theirhealth care options so they can effectively navigate the complexhealth care system and select the best plan and treatments fortheir needs. Providing this needed education, however, can be achallenge, especially for employers whose HR resources are alreadystrapped. Luckily, employers can enlist the help of brokers toguide their employees and ultimately save their organizationunnecessary health care costs.

Equally important is demonstrating to employees the value -- theimpact on their own wallets -- of doing that benefits research.Increasingly, brokers are offering customized engagement, advocacyand transparency services to demonstrate how comparing cost andquality information can save both employers and employees money.Below are best-of-breed services employers and their employeesshould expect from their broker.

Personalized, One-to-One Education

The best way to ensure employees are getting the right coverageis to discuss their needs individually. Discussing the needs ofeach individual employee can be overwhelming for employers tomanage internally, is critical to ensure employees are getting theright coverage. This is where brokers can step in to create a morepersonal and engaging experience.

These one-to-one conversations allow a safe space for employeesto ask “dumb questions.” They also provide an opportunity forbrokers to remind employees that there is no one-size-fits-allplan, and that choosing the most inexpensive plan on paper mightnot be the most inexpensive plan for that employee over time.Brokers can also use this time to discuss the employee’s currentand upcoming family health status and needs (think: surgeries, newbabies, etc.).

This time is not only important to educate employee on the bestplan for them, but also how to use that plan and make smarterhealth care decisions year round, which ultimately save employees-- and employers -- money.

Transparency and Advocacy Services

Employers and brokers also have the opportunity to help setemployees on the right path with transparency tools that steer themtoward preferred options for both planned and unplannedhealth-related needs.

Already, employers are making strategic decisions to invest inproviding advocacy and transparency services for their employees.According to our 2017 Medical Plans and Trends ObservationReport, 51 percent of employers currently offer pricetransparency tools to help employees choose the service or productbest suited for them, and 18 percent plan to add such tools in thenext three years. Not only are these services reducing employers'health care spend, but they are also lowering the out-of-pocketcosts for their employees and their families.

Brokers provide access to knowledgeable and experiencedadvocates who can help employees shop for their health care, answerbenefit questions, locate in-network providers and resolve claimsissues. In one case, a transparency tool revealed a $20,000difference in price for a surgery in the network, in the samegeographic area and with the same surgeon. Transparency serviceshelp employees see the true cost of their care, understand howcosts can vary for the same service, and see that lower costdoesn’t have to mean lower quality. A recent nationwide studyshowed that 59% of Americans who have compared prices choose a lessexpensive doctor, hospital, medical test or treatment – ultimatelysaving both themselves, and their employers, money.

Transparency and advocacy services also reduce the risk ofemployees being overcharged for their care. Estimates of medicalbilling errors vary widely –- from as low as 7 percent to as highas 75-80 percent –- or even higher. Transparency and advocacyservices give employees the opportunity to better understand and,if necessary, challenge their health bills to ensure they’re payingfor what they received – and not a cent more.

Our annual medical trends report shows that employers areseeking more diverse and effective solutions in an effort tocontrol health care costs – but they won’t be successful if theydon’t engage employees on how to maximize these choices viapersonalized education and price transparency.

In a time of uncertainty in the health care space, brokers needto be more engaged than ever to help employers empower theiremployees to control costs. Brokers can be the trusted, informedand consistent adviser to help realistically deliver the resultsorganizations crave.