Open Enrollment Season Starts With Early Planning
For many employers, open enrollment falls in the last few months of the year, which makes early fall an important time to start preparing. Getting an early start can help avoid a last-minute scramble and give employees more time to make informed decisions about their benefits, rather than feeling rushed into choices that affect their coverage for an entire year.
Review Current Plan Performance
Before making any changes, take a look at how your current group benefits plans have performed over the past year. Consider claims experience, employee participation rates, and feedback you may have received throughout the year. This information can help guide conversations with your broker or insurance carrier about whether adjustments make sense, including whether current plan networks still include the providers your employees rely on.
Confirm Compliance Requirements
Open enrollment is also a good time to confirm that your business is meeting current compliance requirements, such as required employee notices and reporting deadlines. Regulations affecting group benefits can change, so checking in with your insurance agent or benefits advisor can help you stay on top of anything new that applies to your business.
Testing Your Enrollment Technology
If your business uses an online enrollment platform, take time before open enrollment begins to test it, confirm employee data has loaded correctly, and walk through the employee experience yourself. Technical issues discovered in the middle of a short enrollment window can create unnecessary stress for both HR staff and employees trying to make their elections on time.
Gather Updated Employee Census Information
Carriers and brokers typically need an updated employee census, including details like ages, dependents, and salary information, to prepare accurate renewal quotes and plan comparisons. Gathering this information early, rather than scrambling for it once quotes are due, can help keep your renewal timeline on track.
Communicate Changes Clearly to Employees
If you’re introducing new benefits, adjusting contribution amounts, or changing carriers, clear communication is essential. Consider hosting an informational meeting, distributing easy-to-understand materials, or offering one-on-one sessions for employees who have questions. Employees are more likely to make informed choices when they understand what’s changing and why.
Consider a Dependent Eligibility Review
Some employers use open enrollment as an opportunity to conduct a dependent eligibility review, confirming that dependents listed on the plan, such as spouses or children, still meet the plan’s eligibility rules. While this isn’t necessary for every business every year, it can help control costs for employers who haven’t reviewed this in some time.
Plan for Questions After Enrollment Closes
Even with clear communication, some employees will have questions after the enrollment window closes, particularly if they’re unsure whether their elections were submitted correctly. Designating a point of contact, whether that’s someone in HR or your insurance broker, to field these questions can help avoid confusion once the new plan year begins.
Benchmarking Against Similar Employers
It can also be useful to see how your benefits offerings compare with other employers of similar size in your industry. Your broker often has access to broader market data and can help you understand whether your plan design, contribution levels, and overall offerings remain competitive as you head into another plan year.
Set a Realistic Timeline and Loop in Your Agent Early
Build a timeline that includes when you’ll finalize plan decisions, when materials will be distributed to employees, the enrollment window itself, and when new elections take effect. Building in buffer time can help address unexpected questions or technical issues with your enrollment platform. Your insurance agent or broker can be a valuable resource throughout this process, and the earlier you start these conversations, the more time you’ll have to make thoughtful decisions rather than rushed ones.
Hank Ellis Insurance Agency can help your business prepare for open enrollment and explore group benefits options that fit your team. Contact us at (304) 472-8103 or request a quote today.