Help your employees choose smart, affordable care

Healthcare decisions often happen quickly, and costs can add up just as fast. Employers can make a real difference by sharing clear guidance that helps employees choose the right place for care and understand their coverage before they go.

Providing your workforce with simple tools and direction internally can reduce confusion, support better decisions and help avoid unnecessary costs. At Arkansas Blue Cross, we spend a lot of time creating tools and resources to help employers educate their workforce and get the most out of their health plan.

Start with coverage, then choose care

Encourage your employees to review their benefits before selecting a provider or facility. This is especially important for emergency care, where unexpected costs can be highest. In a crisis, knowing whether nearby facilities are in your network can save significant money.

Employees can check coverage and compare options by:

• Calling customer service
• Referring to their summary of benefits and coverage
• Searching online provider directories to confirm in-network options

These steps help employees make informed decisions and reduce the risk of out-of-network bills.

Guide employees to the right type of care

Not all care settings serve the same purpose or carry the same cost. Employees can spend thousands more—10 to 15 times as much—at the emergency room for the same minor illness at telehealth, PCP or urgent care treat. Share with your employees a simple rule of thumb: choose the least intensive setting that meets the medical need.

• Primary care provider (PCP): The best first stop for most needs. PCPs manage routine care, chronic conditions and referrals, often at the lowest cost.
• Virtual care: Offers convenient, around-the-clock access for minor illnesses, prescriptions and next steps without defaulting to the ER or urgent care.
• Nurse advice lines: Available with many plans, these 24-hour services help employees assess symptoms and choose the right level of care, often at little or no cost.
• Urgent care: Appropriate for non-life-threatening issues that still need prompt attention. Costs are higher than primary care but lower than the ER.
• Hospital-based Emergency room (ER): The right choice for severe or life-threatening conditions. It is also the most expensive care setting.

Plan ahead for emergencies

Arkansas Blue Cross networks include all major health systems and about 97% of providers statewide. Still, some unaffiliated emergency facilities may be out of network, even if they’re nearby.

Help employees prepare:

• Know your network. Not all emergency facilities are in network.
• Plan ahead. Use Find Care and Costs to locate in-network hospitals and ERs near home and work.
• Confirm options. Verify preferred locations through customer service or secure messaging.

In an emergency, employees should always seek immediate care. When time allows, knowing where to go can reduce out-of-network costs.

Make it easy for employees to act

The most effective guidance is simple, visible, and consistent. Consider:

• Adding a short “where to go for care” guide to onboarding and open enrollment materials
• Including links to member tools, such as Blueprint Portal, in benefits communications
• Sharing free, downloadable quick-reference guides, flyers, or posters from your plan that employees can access anytime
• Highlighting nurse advice lines and customer service numbers in easy-to-save formats
• Encouraging employees to establish a relationship with a primary care provider

Lower costs support everyone

When your employees understand their options and use available resources, they can choose care that fits their needs and budget. Employers benefit from more predictable health plan costs and a workforce that feels supported navigating the healthcare system.

Arkansas Blue Cross supports these efforts with practical tools and guidance, but the impact starts with clear, consistent communication from employers.

With simple messages and easy access to resources, you can help your team get the right care at the right time and place without adding thousands of dollars in unnecessary medical expense.