Open enrollment: If you build it, will they come?

Commentary: Open enrollment season. Your plans are in check. Your benefits fair is squared away. Your communications strategy is set. It’s game time, right?

With all of the legwork benefits leaders put into open enrollment, there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit that falls through the cracks. But the little things can be game changing. Here’s a list of last minute tips and tricks to help you maximize your Open Enrollment period for your benefits team and for your people.

1. Make it simple. As a benefits leader, you can recite the ins and outs of each plan in your sleep. You know every last detail. And you should. It’s your job.

Also see: Clean a teen’s bathroom or open enrollment: What employees would rather do

But for your people, all that benefits-speak can get lost in translation. Add the jargon to the multitude of health insurance options from different carriers and the process quickly becomes downright confusing and supremely overwhelming. Try this:

• Print and hand out a glossary of health care terms: Just 14% of Americans can correctly define co-pay, co-insurance, deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. A handy cheat sheet will be a welcomed refresher from last year and help them navigate their materials.
• Divide and conquer by age group: Segment your audience and present plans that might work for specific groups. What will matter to a 20-something who is just starting out compared to a 30-year-old with a child on the way, or a 40- or 50-year-old who has kids heading off to college is very, very different. So take a moment to put yourself in their shoes and adjust your presentation style.

2. Keep your partners in check. Managing your broker, carrier and vendor relationships can often lead to last minute stress. Are you on their calendars? Are they sending you people who are well-versed in your plan? Will you get their presentations on time? Get ahead of the last minute scramble. Try this:

• Send presenting partners an email two weeks out: If you haven’t already, make sure you’re on their calendars. This is a busy time for everyone and often times you’ll get presenters who aren’t as familiar with your specific plan when you schedule meetings last minute (the “B” squad, if you will). Ask if they’re preparing a visual presentation, and if so, make sure they send it to you one week in advance so that you have time to review and make edits (remember to look at the content through the eyes of someone who is clueless about benefits).

Also see: 8 tips to share with employees to ensure a successful open enrollment

3. Be mindful of your time. You’re good at your job because you’re good at taking care of people. But your time is so critical during open enrollment that you can’t be at everyone’s beck and call. Set boundaries so that you can appropriately manage expectations (and keep your sanity). Try this:

• Schedule office hours: No matter what you do ahead of time, your people are going to have questions after your meeting. Set aside a specific amount of time twice a week for office hours to take in-person meetings and respond to OE questions via email. Your people will appreciate knowing when the best time is to raise questions and when you’ll get back to them.
• Budget 2-3 extra business days for follow-ups from carriers. Roughly 70% of carrier business renews on 1/1 and most are not staffed to handle the volume. Be prepared for slower response times and make sure you reach out early so that their delays don’t affect your deadlines.

Also see: 14 ways to avoid benefits burnout

4. Ask leadership for support. For many companies, benefits are the second largest expense behind payroll. Engage leadership to secure buy in for your programs and timelines. Try this:

• Have your CEO or founder give a 1-2 minute opener. A few words from the top to kick off your meeting will reinforce the importance of your investment and drive attendance. Make sure you provide your speaker with bullets so that they convey the proper message. 

5. Schedule your January follow-up. The fun doesn’t stop after fall open enrollment. Put time on the calendar for a follow-up OE in January to see how well everyone digested the information. And lastly, try this:

• Hold the wellness program rollout. Holidays fall right after open enrollment and chances are whatever you propose around wellness will go in one ear and out the other. Take advantage of the spirit of resolution after the new year to get people motivated and engaged with your programs during your follow-up OE in January.

Also see: When is the worst time to launch a wellness program

Kristin Baker Spohn is head of client success at Collective Health, a technology firm offering a cloud-based self-insurance platform for employers.