Wellness program not performing? Try a strategic communications boost

By Charity Gourley

 

For many multiemployer health plans, wellness programs have become an important part of their overall benefit offering. They help fill in benefit gaps, reduce healthcare costs, and improve participant wellbeing and health outcomes.

It can be exciting to announce a new benefit to participants, and many plans launch a new wellness initiative or program with high hopes…only to be disappointed by low engagement.

Why aren’t people using the new program? Is the vendor to blame? Was the program not needed?

Before deciding to scrap a wellness program altogether, or seek a new vendor, plans may want to ask: what if it’s a communications problem?

A program may be slow to gain traction for a number of reasons, but the first thing to look into is how the benefit is being communicated (or not) to participants. What communications are going out and what might be missing? A thoughtful communications plan could lead to higher awareness and better participation.

Why some wellness programs seem to fall flat

Wellness programs can fail to take off or fall flat for many reasons. Here are the top issues we run across that tend to hinder successful adoption and use of a promising wellness program:

  • Lack of awareness – The number one barrier to program adoption is participants not knowing about it! Without adequate and consistent outreach to educate participants, even the best-designed programs will struggle.
  • Communications that look like spam – Many vendors have communications built into their program contracts, which is great! But these standard communications may not always resonate with participants or be appropriate for multiemployer populations. Personalizing the content and co-branding the communications so that participants know it is coming from a trusted source can make a huge difference.
  • Unclear program benefits – Participants may know that a program exists but still not understand exactly what it is about and how it might be a benefit to them. They may not realize that the program is part of their plan benefits or that it’s offered to them at low or no cost.
  • Complicated program access – Is signing up for a program a simple or confusing process? How a participant enrolls in a program or accesses services (unclear phone trees, overly complex enrollment, requiring a special code) can be another barrier to engagement.
  • Lack of support – It may take participants some time and thought before they decide to participate in a wellness program. Whether it is quitting tobacco or seeking out mental health support, people come to a program when they feel ready—but they may feel cautious or have questions. Making sure participants have an easy way (that isn’t just calling the union hall or administrator) to find out more can encourage them to take the leap.
  • One-size-fits-all communications – Plan participants can span generations and work in different types of environments—with some working at a desk, and others in the field. Understanding how your participants want to receive information (mail, text, email, websites, handouts on the job or in the union hall …) and communicating using a variety of channels is crucial.

The secret to a successful wellness program

While there are many reasons why a program might falter or fail, a strategic, multi-channel communications plan can help give it a fighting chance! Consistent, targeted, easy to understand and eye-catching communications can build awareness, reinforce key messages, and promote engagement.

Successful communications:

  • Make the most out of vendors’ tried and true messaging and materials
  • Reach participants where they are—on the job, at home, and online
  • Make benefits feel personal and relevant
  • Expose participants multiple times with useful information
  • Build trust in the program and show the value of the offering to participants

A well-rounded wellness program communications plan might include:

  • A benefits website to serve as a trusted hub for reliable benefit, wellness and contact information
  • Emails or text messages reminding people about wellness programs
  • Work site flyers posted in common areas with program information and QR codes
  • In-home mailings such as colorful postcards, brochures or newsletters highlighting program benefits and how to sign up

So, before you decide to cancel a program or look for a new vendor, keep in mind that any wellness program could struggle without strong communications. You don’t need an extensive communications plan to make an impact, just a strategic one!

 

If you need help evaluating your current program offering and outreach, we can help! We build custom communications plans for multiemployer plans based on your unique needs, population and programs. Contact us to get started.

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