Open enrollment is a crucial period for employees to make informed decisions regarding their health insurance and benefits. However, the responsibilities of HR and benefits managers extend beyond the close of the enrollment window. To ensure a smooth transition for employees and maintain the effectiveness of your benefits program, we’ve put together several key tips that you should be thinking about after open enrollment concludes.
From administrative follow-ups and effective employee communication, to strategic planning and exploring outsourcing options, this blog post will guide you through essential post-open enrollment tips. By following these recommendations, you can optimize your benefits program, enhance employee satisfaction, and achieve long-term success in managing your company’s benefits.
Administrative follow-ups
Administrative follow-ups are crucial after open enrollment concludes to ensure that everything is in order and employees experience a smooth transition. Here are some key administrative tasks to complete:
Review carrier invoices for errors
Scrutinize the invoices issued by your insurance carriers and other benefits providers to verify their accuracy. Check for times such as discrepancies in the number of enrolled employees, premium rates, and additional fees. Promptly report any errors to the insurance carrier or benefits provider for correction. If you don’t have the capacity to keep up with this on a monthly basis, consider exploring options to automate or outsource this crucial process.
Double-check the first pay cycle for correct deductions
Once the new benefit elections take effect, it’s essential to verify that payroll deductions are accurate. HR should review payroll deductions in the first pay cycle of the plan year to ensure that all employer and employee deductions are being correctly taken. At the same time, employees should carefully examine their first paystub of the new plan year to ensure that the correct amounts are being deducted for their chosen benefits. If any discrepancies are found, they should partner with the HR department or benefits administrator immediately for rectification.
Be on the lookout for new ID cards
New insurance ID cards are typically issued after open enrollment to reflect any changes in coverage. Employees should receive their new ID cards within a specified timeframe, usually a few weeks after the enrollment period ends. It’s important to remind employees to keep their new ID cards readily accessible for accessing healthcare services and prescription medications, and also to ensure that they understand how to access their ID cards electronically for circumstances where they may not have access to their physical ID card.
Employee communication and support
Be sure to communicate with employees after you have completed all administrative follow-ups. This will help ensure that your employees are aware of any changes to their benefits, understand how to use them, and feel supported in making informed decisions.
It is also important to let employees know that you are available to help them understand their benefits. This could include offering one-on-one meetings, hosting informational webinars, or utilizing a dedicated benefits support line. By making yourself, or another dedicated resource, available to employees, you can help them feel confident in their understanding of their benefits and make the most of them.
Finally, it can be helpful to send out an employee survey to collect feedback on the open enrollment process. This feedback can help you identify areas where you can improve the process for the future. It can also help you identify any areas where employees are struggling to understand or use their benefits, so that you can provide additional support.
Healthcare management
Healthcare management is an important part of ensuring a smooth transition for employees after open enrollment is over.
HR can play a key role in healthcare management through things like encouraging employees to schedule their annual exams, or organizing health fairs, which can be a great way to provide information about healthy eating, exercise, and other ways to improve health, while also raising awareness of health issues and providing opportunities for important screenings, such as blood pressure or cholesterol screenings.
Strategic planning and outsourcing
To conclude with our post open enrollment tips, we’ll discuss strategic planning and outsourcing, which are two important things to consider after open enrollment is over. After open enrollment ends, it’s crucial to assess its effectiveness and plan for the next one. Schedule a meeting with your broker to review key metrics such as participation rates, plan selections, and employee satisfaction. Analyze this data to identify trends and areas for improvement. Use these insights to develop a strategic plan for the next open enrollment period, ensuring a smoother and more successful process.
Arguably the most one of the most important post-open enrollment tips is to consider outsourcing…
Outsourcing HR needs, particularly benefits administration, can significantly streamline your processes and reduce administrative burden. By partnering with a reputable benefits administration outsourcing provider, you can leverage their expertise and technology to efficiently manage employee benefits. They can handle tasks such as enrollment, reporting, and employee support, freeing up your internal HR team to focus on strategic initiatives and employee engagement. This strategic move enhances operational efficiency, improves employee satisfaction, and allows you to focus on what matters most: your people.
