Tips for Open Enrollment During a Pandemic

When we think about Open Enrollment most envision a company’s employees gathering in one room, listening to a consultant or Human Resource Manager run through the options and costs, and then making a decision for the upcoming year. In 2020, though, that’s likely not happening. Nobody wants their company OE meeting to become the next super-spreader event shared on the local news! So how do you run a successful open enrollment in 2020? Here’s a few tips:

• Share new plan information with employees early so they have plenty of time to make decisions. Don’t wait until just before the plan renews to give your employees their options and costs.
• Give your employees as much information as possible; Plan designs, Summary of Benefits and Coverages, Dental, Vision, Life, etc. documents.
• Do virtual meetings. These tend to have more success with as few people as possible. If possible, schedule a multiple meetings to accommodate employees’ schedule.
• Have your employees contact your consultant directly. KBM Account Representatives are available for all of our client’s employees via phone, email, and virtual meetings.
• If you have online enrollment capabilities, utilize it! Eliminate paper at every opportunity. This allows employees to make their benefit decisions from home and at all times of day.
• Encourage employees to use their current carriers’ online tools to review their current benefits and usage.
• Telemedicine has become very popular during the pandemic. As most plans cover this, remind your employees that it is a covered benefit.

Open Enrollment will definitely be different this year, but benefits are still a very important part of your compensation package. You want your employees to both appreciate and understand what is being offered to them. If you have question regarding your OE process, please reach out to your KBM Representative for answers and suggestions.