It may feel early to think about open enrollment, but getting started now can help ensure a smoother, more organized process. Early preparation gives HR teams time to review benefits offerings, communicate with vendors, and update internal systems and materials before employee communications begin. Here are key steps HR professionals can take to prepare:
Review Current Benefits Offerings
Evaluate how your current plans are performing. Consider employee feedback, claims experience, utilization rates, and any plan changes from carriers. Now is a good time to meet with your benefits broker or consultant to discuss potential changes, enhancements, or cost-saving opportunities.
Confirm Carrier and Vendor Deadlines
Reach out to your benefits providers to confirm open enrollment timelines, plan renewal dates, and deadlines for submitting plan changes. This ensures that your internal schedule aligns with vendor requirements and helps avoid last-minute surprises.
Update Internal Materials and Systems
Review and revise enrollment guides, intranet pages, benefit summaries, FAQs, and other internal documentation. Confirm that your enrollment system or platform is ready to support upcoming changes. If you use a third-party system like MyEnroll360, provide information about new plan options or rules for early programming, testing and support.
Prepare Employee Communication Strategy
Begin outlining how you will communicate benefits information to employees. Consider the format (emails, webinars, printed guides, office hours), timeline, and key messages. If changes are anticipated, plan how you will clearly explain them and emphasize any required actions.
Coordinate with Payroll and IT
If new plans or payroll deductions are being introduced, make sure Payroll and IT teams are involved early. Aligning systems and ensuring deduction codes and eligibility rules are set up properly will reduce errors and improve employee experience.
Schedule Key Dates and Training
Block off time for enrollment meetings, deadlines for employee elections, and any system testing. If managers or HR staff need training to support open enrollment, get those sessions scheduled before the fall rush.
Review Compliance and Notices
Confirm that all required notices, such as the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC), CHIPRA notice, and Medicare Part D creditable coverage notices, are up to date and scheduled for distribution. Summer is also a good time to review your ACA compliance processes to ensure 1095 reporting is accurate and on track.
By preparing in early fall, you’ll be in a stronger position to deliver a successful and stress-free open enrollment. Early planning allows for better communication, fewer errors, and a more positive experience for your employees.
Benefit Allocation Systems (BAS) provides best-in-class, online solutions for: Employee Benefits Enrollment; COBRA; Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs); Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs); Leave of Absence Premium Billing (LOA); Affordable Care Act Record Keeping, Compliance & IRS Reporting (ACA); Group Insurance Premium Billing; Property & Casualty Premium Billing; and Payroll Integration.
MyEnroll360 can Integrate with any insurance carrier for enrollment eligibility management (e.g., Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Aetna, United Health Care, Kaiser, CIGNA and many others), and integrate with any payroll system for enrollment deduction management (e.g., Workday, ADP, Paylocity, PayCor, UKG, and many others).
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal, tax, or benefits advice. Readers should not rely on this information for taking (or not taking) any action relating to employment, compliance, or benefits. Always consult with a qualified professional before making decisions based on this content.
