Facts, Figures & Tips for a Successful Enrollment Process
The following infographic provides an overview of facts, figures and tips for employers to have a successful open enrollment process.
Open Enrollment Checklist – Facts, Figures & Tips for a Successful Enrollment Process
Where Workers Need Benefits Education*
- Choosing a plan (22%).
- Choosing where to get care (22%).
- Researching healthcare costs and why that matters (29%).
- Reviewing an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) and auditing a medical bill for errors (30%)
- How deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximums work and what those costs mean to them (33%)
- Avoiding surprise medical bills (41%)
*2023 Healthcare Literacy Report by Optavise
Employer Approaches to Enrollment
- Passive – Lets employees continue with their previous plans
- Active -Requires employees to review previous plans and make changes as needed
EMPLOYERS SHOULD TAKE THE ACTIVE APPROACH
Benefits of active approach
- Provides a good opportunity to re-evaluate workforce benefits needs
- Promotes higher employee engagement
- Ensures employers have up-to-date employee information
- Builds employee loyalty
- Improves retention by reinforcing the value of the benefits package
- Teaches employees about their healthcare options
- Encourages better voluntary benefit plan participation
- Helps employees identify and opt out of coverages they no longer need
Engaging Employees in the Benefit Election Process
- Launch an effective communications campaign
- Offer one-on-one personal support throughout the enrollment process
- Make it fun with education programs like Captain Contributor
- Track every employee to make sure no one gets left behind
Overcoming Employee Inertia
- Send weekly election deadline reminders
- Send forceful emails that say “No Election = No Benefits”
- Contact all employees to verify whether they plan to participate
- If employees don’t respond, ask manager to intervene
Communicate Effectively and Often
- Give employees information in small, digestible bites
- Make sure the information is relevant to them
- Use short messages to encourage employees to seek out more details
- Ask managers to intervene with employees who don’t respond.
Target Open Enrollment Messages to Different Segments
| AUDIENCE | SOLUTION |
| In-office, tech-savvy employees | Create an open enrollment intranet page with hyperlinks to additional info |
| Satellite office employees | Livestream your benefits presentations to ensure all offices can participate — archive presentations for those who miss the live streams |
| Work from home/remote field employees | Communicate benefits information in easily digestible emails that employees can read anytime, anywhere |
| Employees with young children or family caregiving responsibilities | Host one-on-one office hours to help with complex family issues |
Employee Questions
“What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM) – by Demographic Group
- Stress the value of your employee benefits plan.
- The message should resonate with specific needs of each group.
- The messages should lead employees to their next steps.
Parents with Dependent Children
- Key concern: Taking care of a growing family
- WIIFM messages: Consider a Dependent Care FSA to cover child care expenses
- Preferred communication channels: Email, direct mail, text, social media
Millennials
- Key concern: Setting up a path to financial success
- WIIFM messages: Growing savings in a 401(k) and Health Savings Account
- Preferred communication channels: Text, social media, short videos, intranet
Approaching Retirement
- Key concern: Having enough savings for post-employment healthcare
- WIIFM messages: Final push for retirement and healthcare savings
- Preferred communication channels: Email, direct mail, face-to-face
Are you a benefits administrator? Check out these enrollment season tips.
For 40 years, DataPath has been a pivotal force in the employee benefits, financial services, and insurance industries. The company’s flagship DataPath Summit platform offers an integrated solution for managing CDH, HSA, Well-Being, COBRA, and Billing. Through its partnership with Accelergent Growth Solutions, DataPath also offers expert BPO services, automation, outsourced customer service, and award-winning marketing services.