Benefits Blog

If you’re an employer or benefits administrator, part of your job during open enrollment is to equip employees with the information they need to make the best decision about their healthcare benefits. This year is no exception.

Overwhelmed by a dizzying string of options and acronyms, some Americans are overlooking their best options for health coverage simply because they’re confused by the terminology. Especially for Millennials and Gen Z, just graduating and launching careers, the choice for health coverage must be made quickly, often amidst a barrage of employer-supplied documents, with little time to research. Unfortunately, the plans that might help them the most are the easiest to overlook. But regardless of age or experience, many consumers don’t realize that HDHPs can lead to monthly savings, that HSAs are portable and that FSAs can have rollover options that avoid the use-it-or-lose-it penalty associated with the accounts. In fact, many don’t know what these acronyms stand for at all.

As temperatures drop and the fall season comes to an end, stress spikes in HR departments all over the country—that’s because it’s open enrollment season. Open enrollment is a window during which individuals and employees may add or drop their health insurance, or make changes to their coverage. The 2020 open enrollment period runs through Saturday, December 15, 2019, and if your employees don’t act by then, they can’t get 2020 coverage unless they qualify for a special enrollment period. Keep in mind that for employer-sponsored coverage, the open enrollment period is set by the employer, so be sure to clearly communicate these dates to your employees.  To make a better impact on your employees this year and drive engagement to new levels, here are a few suggestions on how to innovate your strategy.

We all know that enrollment can be complicated. But with the following tips, open enrollment communications with your employees can be simple and effective.