Using participant feedback to guide benefit changes
By Cynthia Peterson
Trustees must be careful and deliberate when making decisions about the health plans they offer participants, knowing their decisions directly impact the health, financial security, and wellbeing of the plan’s participants and their families.
Trustees are tasked with making sometimes difficult decisions about plan changes by carefully evaluating participant needs, financial considerations, regulatory requirements, and long-term sustainability to ensure the plan remains effective and fair for all members. One vital step is often overlooked: getting direct feedback from participants themselves.
Conducting surveys before making health plan changes can provide trustees with valuable information, while also improving participant engagement and plan utilization.
Listening to members strengthens trust, optimizes healthcare spending, and keeps the plan responsive to the workforce it serves.
Here are six reasons to consider conducting a participant survey before making benefit plan changes:
- Understand Diverse Member Needs
Taft-Hartley trusts often cover a broad and diverse population, including active employees, retirees, and dependents. Surveying participants allows trustees to capture the healthcare priorities of each group, whether it’s the ability to choose their provider, a desire for specific carriers or healthcare systems, lower out-of-pocket costs, or prescription coverage. This ensures plan changes meet the real needs of the participants rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all approach.
- Strengthen Member Trust and Engagement
Union members value transparency and participation. By asking for feedback, trustees demonstrate that member input informs decision-making. This transparency fosters confidence in the trust’s stewardship and increases engagement with the healthcare plan, which is especially important when navigating plan design changes or cost-sharing adjustments.
- Make Data-Driven Decisions
Healthcare plans are a significant financial investment for both employers and participants. Surveys provide quantitative and qualitative insights that support fiduciary decision-making. Whether Trustees are considering adding or terminating a new plan, offering mental health or wellness programs, or exploring cost-sharing options, a survey can help them make changes that are both cost-effective and aligned with member priorities.
- Facilitate Smooth Plan Transitions
Healthcare plan changes—such as network modifications, benefit design adjustments, or cost-sharing updates—can create confusion or anxiety among participants. Survey data allows trustees to anticipate questions, address concerns proactively, and communicate changes clearly, minimizing disruption and dissatisfaction.
- Maximize the Value of Healthcare Investments
By understanding which benefits participants value most, Taft-Hartley trusts can prioritize spending effectively. This ensures healthcare resources are allocated to the services that matter most, increasing participant satisfaction while maintaining plan sustainability.
- Support Continuous Improvement
Participant healthcare needs evolve over time. Conducting regular surveys establishes a feedback loop, helping trustees monitor satisfaction, track emerging trends, and ensure the plan remains responsive to the needs of future generations of members.
For multiemployer trusts, participant surveys are more than a best practice—they are a fiduciary tool. They allow trustees to make informed, data-driven decisions that meet the diverse needs of members, improve engagement, and ensure the trust’s long-term sustainability. Rael & Letson can help design and conduct effective participant surveys. Contact us to get started.