No employer looks forward to telling their employees about an increase in health insurance costs, but in our current climate, the reality is that most employers are going to have to navigate that conversation sooner or later. When it’s your turn to communicate with your employees about rising health costs, there are a few strategies you can use to soften the blow.

First, make sure your employees understand any changes. According to Sentric HR, fewer than 2% of people can correctly define the words premium, deductible, copay, and coinsurance. Most people say they want to save money on their insurance, but don’t know how. The answer to this problem is education. Bring in your broker to answer questions from employees, and make sure employees have a chance to submit written questions they might be too ashamed to ask in person.

Think carefully about what you want your employees to feel and do during open enrollment. Maybe the company had a rough year, and shifting rising insurance costs is the only way to save jobs. Or maybe, during open enrollment, you want to start encouraging people to take advantage of company wellness programs. Finally, maybe your goal is to make your employees understand that increased health insurance costs are inevitable. Whatever the case, make sure you pick just one message, and keep your communications simple. Insurance is complex, and if you want them to retain anything at all, you’ll have to be realistic about how you communicate with your employees about it.