Group plan members who were confident in their decision not to buy optional benefits, such as critical illness insurance and short-term disability coverage, often reconsider their decision once they have received more information, a LIMRA focus group study has found.

Employees often consider such options to be part of their group plan health benefits. However, if such coverage is positioned as separate from their plan benefits – and as a way to generate financial resources in the event of unexpected health issues – the employee will often change their mind and purchase the coverage, explains the report.

Personalize the message

The key to connecting with employees is personalizing the message, advises LIMRA. Segmenting the audience to help them identify themselves in the message will help them see that the coverage isn’t really optional, but rather something they need.

Employees can be reached through many channels, not just their workplace, such as various social media platforms, billboard advertisements, and in-person discussions with brokers, says the study.

LIMRA members can read the full report, Reworking Your Strategy: How to Persuade More Employees to Purchase Optional STD and CI Benefits