Alight Inc, a leading cloud-based human capital and technology-enabled services provider, has officially published results from a survey, which entertained responses from more than 10 million individuals who used the Alight Worklife® platform during its recently concluded annual healthcare open enrollment period.
Going by the available details, the whole exercise would go on to reveal significant shifts in employee preferences during annual enrollment, highlighting increasing reliance on digital tools to complete their enrollment, rising contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and growing interest in voluntary benefits.
Talk about the published results on a slightly deeper level, we begin from how digital engagement was found to be a dominating trend, as an estimated 96% of users reportedly enrolled in benefits through digital channels, with mobile app usage also increasing by 69%, compared to 2023.
Next up, Alight’s survey unveiled a steady enrollment in employer-sponsored plans. This translates to how almost 74% of users selected coverage in an employer-sponsored plan. Out of that lion share, preferred provider organizations (PPOs) led the proceedings at 40%, followed by high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) at 36%.
Moving on, the research also discovered a rise in HSA contributions, with 72% of eligible users enrolled in HSAs. To put things into context, back in 2023, no more than 60% of employees chose to contribute to their HAS. Not just that, a vast majority also benefited from employer contributions.
Another major finding to emerge from this study was rising interest in voluntary benefits. You see, enrollment in supplemental health coverage increased to 33%, up from 31% in 2023, whereas Spouse Whole Life coverage also saw a notable five-point increase compared to 2023.
“This year’s open enrollment results exemplify the powerful benefits of combining a technology-driven enrollment experience with personalized support,” said Karen Frost, Vice President, Go-to-Market Strategy for Health at Alight. “With today’s workforce becoming increasingly diverse, it’s evident that employers must move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. Additionally, open enrollment should be the start of many ongoing touchpoints throughout the year, helping employers implement effective strategies and better support their employees’ overall wellbeing.”
Beyond that, Alight also came up with some key considerations that employers can deploy to meet the diverse needs of today’s workforce. These considerations, for instance, include bringing in tools that can boost employee’s confidence. You see, at the moment, fewer than two-thirds of employees reported feeling confident in their 2023 health plan elections, according to Alight’s 2024 International Workforce and Wellbeing Mindset Study. Here, tools like health savings calculators and plan comparisons, paired with expert guidance, can significantly improve decision-making confidence.
Next up, Alight preaches flexible benefits for a diverse workforce. Basically, by offering diverse voluntary benefits, employers can address the unique needs of an evolving workforce, and therefore, enhance the overall employee experience.
Apart from that, the report in question advised employers to provide guidance for benefits navigation. In essence, while HDHPs and PPOs maintain popularity, employers should continue to provide education for the purpose of ensuring that employees select plans which align with their health and financial needs. Markedly enough, employers can drive even greater adoption through matching of contributions and promoting the financial and tax benefits of HSAs,
Alight’s rise up the ranks stems from helping clients gain a benefits advantage, as well as build a healthy and financially secure workforce by unifying the benefits ecosystem across health, wealth, wellbeing, absence management and navigation. The scale of its operations can also be understood once you consider the company currently has more than 35 million people and dependents.
