Open Enrollment is one of the most important benefits communication periods of the year.
It is also one of the easiest to underestimate.
Employers may begin with a single announcement email, but employees usually need much more than a start date and a link to the enrollment system. They need clear plan information, deadlines, instructions, comparison tools, reminders, and answers to the questions that naturally come up as they review their options.
Strong Open Enrollment communication is not about sending more information for the sake of it. It is about organizing the right information so employees can understand what is changing, know what action they need to take, and make decisions with greater confidence.
Start With the Key Dates
Every Open Enrollment communication plan should begin with a clear timeline.
Employees need to know:
- When Open Enrollment begins
- When elections are due
- Whether enrollment is active or passive
- When new coverage takes effect
- When supporting documents will be available
- Who to contact with questions
These dates should appear consistently across emails, benefit guides, presentations, intranet pages, enrollment instructions, and reminder messages.
Avoid making employees search through several documents to find the deadline. The most important dates should be easy to identify at a glance.
Explain What Is Changing
Employees often assume their benefits will remain the same unless they are told otherwise.
If premiums, deductibles, copays, provider networks, prescription coverage, employer contributions, or plan options are changing, those updates should be communicated clearly.
A useful change summary should explain:
- What is changing
- What is staying the same
- When the change takes effect
- How the change may affect employees
- Where employees can find more details
This does not mean every communication needs to include every plan detail. A short overview can direct employees to a benefit guide, comparison chart, or plan document for additional information.
The goal is to make important changes visible without overwhelming the reader.
Prepare a Clear Plan Summary
Plan summaries help employees understand what each option offers.
Depending on the benefits available, summaries may include:
- Monthly employee contributions
- Deductibles
- Copays and coinsurance
- Out-of-pocket maximums
- Provider network information
- Prescription coverage
- Employer HSA or HRA contributions
- Dental and vision benefits
- Life and disability coverage
- Voluntary benefit options
Whenever possible, present plan information in a consistent format. Employees should be able to compare similar details across each option without searching through several documents.
A plan comparison chart can be especially useful when employees are choosing between multiple medical plans.
Create a Benefits Comparison Tool
Employees often struggle to compare plans because they focus on one number, such as the monthly premium or deductible.
A practical comparison tool can help them review the complete picture.
Consider including:
- Payroll deduction per pay period
- Annual premium contribution
- Deductible
- Copays for common services
- Coinsurance
- Out-of-pocket maximum
- Prescription costs
- HSA eligibility
- Employer contributions
- Network type
- Referral requirements
Employees should be reminded that the lowest monthly premium is not always the lowest-cost option overall. Expected medical use, prescriptions, provider preferences, and family coverage can all affect which plan is the better fit.
Employers do not need to recommend a specific plan. They can provide tools that help employees evaluate the options based on their own needs.
Build an Open Enrollment FAQ
A frequently asked questions document can reduce confusion and make it easier for HR teams to respond consistently.
Common questions may include:
- Do I need to enroll if I want to keep my current coverage?
- What happens if I miss the deadline?
- Can I change my elections after Open Enrollment?
- How do I add or remove a dependent?
- What documents are required for dependent enrollment?
- When will new ID cards arrive?
- How do I find an in-network provider?
- What is the difference between an HSA and an FSA?
- Where can I find prescription coverage information?
- Who should I contact if I need help?
Review questions from previous enrollment periods when building the FAQ. The questions employees asked last year are often the best starting point for this year’s communication plan.
Give Employees Step-by-Step Instructions
Even a well-designed enrollment system can be confusing if employees only use it once a year.
Provide simple instructions that explain:
- How to access the enrollment platform
- How to reset a password
- How to review current elections
- How to select or waive benefits
- How to add dependents
- How to upload required documents
- How to name beneficiaries
- How to confirm elections
- How to save or print a confirmation
Screenshots may be helpful, especially when the platform includes several steps or menus.
Employees should also know how to confirm that their enrollment was successfully submitted. A reminder to save the confirmation page or email can help resolve questions later.
Gather the Supporting Documents
Open Enrollment communication often directs employees to several documents. These should be reviewed, updated, and organized before enrollment begins.
The document list may include:
- Benefits guide
- Summary of Benefits and Coverage
- Plan summaries
- Rate sheets
- Prescription formularies
- Provider network links
- HSA, FSA, or HRA information
- Required notices
- Evidence of insurability forms
- Beneficiary forms
- Dependent eligibility requirements
- Carrier contact information
- Enrollment instructions
Check all links before publishing or sending materials. Confirm that documents reference the correct plan year, premiums, dates, and plan names.
An old file with a similar name can easily create confusion if it remains available on an intranet or shared drive.
Plan More Than One Reminder
Employees do not always act after the first announcement.
They may intend to review their benefits later, wait for a spouse’s enrollment information, or simply overlook the first message during a busy week.
A basic reminder schedule might include:
- A preview before Open Enrollment begins
- A launch announcement on the first day
- A mid-period reminder
- A reminder several days before the deadline
- A final-day notice
- A confirmation or next-steps message after enrollment closes
Each reminder does not need to repeat the entire benefits guide. Focus on the action employees need to take and the approaching deadline.
Use More Than One Communication Channel
Email is important, but it should not always be the only channel.
Depending on the workplace, employers may also use:
- Company intranet
- Employee portal
- Text messages
- Printed materials
- Breakroom posters
- Digital displays
- Manager talking points
- Team meetings
- Webinars
- Benefits fairs
- Recorded presentations
- Paycheck inserts
Employees work in different environments and consume information differently. Office employees may regularly check email, while field, manufacturing, hospitality, or shift-based employees may be easier to reach through managers, text messages, posters, or in-person meetings.
A multi-channel approach can improve the likelihood that employees receive and understand the information.
Give Managers the Right Information
Employees often ask their managers benefits questions before contacting HR.
Managers should not be expected to explain plan details or recommend coverage. However, they should know the Open Enrollment dates, whether action is required, where employees can find resources, and who to contact for help.
A short manager toolkit may include:
- Key dates
- A brief summary of what is changing
- Links to enrollment materials
- A list of available meetings
- Benefits contact information
- A reminder not to interpret plan rules or provide personal advice
Providing managers with consistent talking points can reduce mixed messages.
Make Help Easy to Find
Employees should not have to search through several communications to find support.
Every major Open Enrollment message should include:
- HR or benefits contact information
- Available office hours
- Carrier contact information when appropriate
- Enrollment platform support information
- Links to plan materials
- Details about webinars, meetings, or benefits fairs
It can also help to explain which contact handles each type of question.
For example, an employee may contact HR for eligibility questions, the enrollment platform for login problems, and the insurance carrier for provider or claim questions.
Review Everything Before Launch
Before Open Enrollment communication goes live, complete a final content review.
Confirm that:
- Dates and deadlines are correct
- Plan names match the official documents
- Employee contribution amounts are accurate
- Links work
- Contact information is current
- Documents reference the correct plan year
- Required notices are included
- Instructions match the enrollment system
- Messages are clear about whether action is required
- Mobile formatting is readable
Ask someone who was not involved in creating the materials to review them. A fresh reader may identify unclear instructions or missing information that the project team has become too familiar with to notice.
A Practical Open Enrollment Content Checklist
Before fall enrollment begins, employers should prepare:
- Open Enrollment announcement
- Key dates and deadline summary
- Benefits guide
- Plan change summary
- Plan comparison chart
- Employee rate sheet
- Enrollment instructions
- Frequently asked questions
- Provider and prescription resources
- Required forms and notices
- Manager talking points
- Webinar or presentation materials
- Reminder emails and messages
- Contact and support information
- Post-enrollment next steps
Preparing these materials early gives employers time to review the details, resolve inconsistencies, and create a smoother experience for employees.
Clear Communication Supports Better Benefits Decisions
Open Enrollment communication is more than one email because employees are being asked to make decisions that may affect their health care, finances, and families for the coming year.
They need time to understand their options, compare plans, gather information, ask questions, and complete their elections before the deadline.
A thoughtful communication plan helps reduce confusion for employees and repetitive questions for HR teams. It also gives employers a more consistent way to explain changes and guide employees through the enrollment process.
Maddock & Associates helps employers prepare benefits communication that is clear, organized, and practical. From plan summaries and employee guides to reminder campaigns and enrollment resources, thoughtful preparation can help groups approach Open Enrollment with greater confidence.
