This article is the second in a four-part series about effectively crafting benefits programs and communications for Spanish-speaking workers. The first installment appeared in the June 1 EBN, and is available on BenefitNews.com.

When English-speaking employees opt not to enroll in employer-sponsored health insurance plans, it is usually pretty difficult to talk to them to find out why. Such conversations are much more difficult when addressing Spanish-speaking employees, and the language barrier is just one part of a larger issue.

Even if you are able to ask bilingual employees about their thoughts on benefit plans, chances are you won't get the whole story.

This is because Spanish speakers tend to hold negative preconceptions about insurance and may not feel it is appropriate to share these views with employers.

To start, there is no real equivalent to the U.S. health insurance system in most Latin American countries, so immigrants to the United States often will feel overwhelmed by all the different types of insurance they are offered — car, life, home and health, to name only a few.

In addition, Spanish speakers are far more likely to turn to members of their own community with insurance questions rather than employers and managers —and are far more likely to get answers that are not entirely correct.

Therefore, by the time Spanish speakers get to an enrollment meeting or become eligible to participate in a health plan, they generally already are predisposed against health insurance, creating yet another hurdle for employers to overcome. Among the negative myths employers have to dispel:

• The best way to get medical care is to go to the emergency room or a free clinic.
• It is not necessary to pay for health insurance because most medicine can be purchased at the pharmacy.
• Health insurance is a scam.
• Health insurance in the United States is not affordable, so why bother?

Many Spanish speakers do not realize that in the United States, having health insurance is part of basic financial planning and stability.

Sadly, it is common for Spanish speakers to buy homes or cars rather than health insurance without realizing the risk this involves. Already burdened by steep monthly car or mortgage payments, some will forego health insurance, believing premiums are too expensive.

Muting myths

For Spanish speakers to feel secure participating in health insurance plans —even when employers go to great lengths to make premiums affordable — misconceptions must be convincingly addressed.

HR/benefit managers who simply provide an interpreter to explain the specifics of the plan — the deductible, the copay, the directory of the in-network providers — generally will not get the results they are looking for.

Before even describing the health plan options being offered to Spanish speakers, employers need to take several steps backward and provide basic financial education, as elements of the U.S. financial system that native employees take for granted need a lot of clarification among Spanish speakers.

This process requires much more than translation. The most effective, but more expensive, strategy would be to hire a presenter who is much more than a translator — one who can present health insurance and financial information clearly and persuasively and can inspire trust and confidence in a Spanish-speaking audience.

Ask potential presenters about their understanding of Spanish speakers' resistance to health care and finance issues and what strategies they will use to overcome it.

Bringing Spanish speakers on board with an employer-sponsored health insurance plan is certainly a challenge and can require extra time, energy and expense. However, in time HR/benefits managers can reverse the trend of misinformation and make a significant contribution both to the health of your company and the health of your employees. —E.B.N.

Next month: Encouraging retirement plan enrollment.