I spent several years advocating for health literacy at UnitedHealth Group. Nearly all pieces I wrote there were internal facing, and I no longer have access to them. I created the below piece to replicate many of the concepts I frequently shared with healthcare communicators. As it’s a blend of persuasive and informative, I’ve included links (in bold text) to statistics mentioned.

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The U.S. healthcare system can be confusing and intimidating. It can be difficult for people to navigate to the correct healthcare facility in a time of crisis (“Is this hospital in network or out of network?”), not to mention understand the many health insurance terms required to make informed choices, many of which sound nearly identical (“Coinsurance? Copayment?”).

That’s why understanding health literacy is so critical.

Health literacy at its core is a person’s ability to find, understand and use health information to make appropriate healthcare choices. It’s also a product of the healthcare system and its complexities, which is important to note as the burden doesn’t fall solely on consumers.

Only 9% of Americans know what the important health insurance terms “premium,” “deductible,” “out-of-pocket maximum” and “coinsurance” are. Healthcare plans are built upon these core concepts, and employers and individuals choose their plans each year—choices that can have life-changing consequences—based upon what plans provide in these areas. Along with that, healthcare communications are on average written at a 10th-grade reading level, yet only 12% of Americans have the reading skills required to use the U.S. healthcare system, according to a National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) survey.

It’s up to healthcare communications professionals to bridge the gap by writing communications in plain language and creating department- and organization-wide health literacy plans. These actions will help consumers understand their plans better, which in turn will save the health system money: a win-win from both a financial and a human perspective.

Low health literacy directly costs the U.S. up to $286 billion a year (indirectly, $3 trillion) according to a health policy report, an expenditure not only affecting consumers but also the healthcare system. Increasing consumers’ health literacy has been proven to cut down on healthcare costs by decreasing emergency department visits, decreasing hospital readmissions, increasing preventative screenings and reducing medication-taking errors. Research also suggests that hospitals with more satisfied patients make more money.

More importantly, it’s the right thing to do. By creating more health literate communications, we’ll help reduce the effect of race and sex for several health outcomes. We’ll also help our patients make better choices when it comes to their healthcare: they’ll better understand when to go to urgent care instead of the emergency room and how to take their medicine without needing to call their pharmacist multiple times. More health literate communications will generate stronger rapport between patients and providers, leading to better adherence to doctors’ advice and better health outcomes. And we’ll transition faster to a system that promotes health instead of a system that treats sickness.

If you’re ready to incorporate health literacy best practices into your organization, check out the CDC’s guide to health literacy for ideas on how to start.