Key Takeaways
Open Enrollment Overview
Critical Period: Requires strategic planning and effective communication to ensure employees understand their coverage options and deadlines.
Timing: Annual opportunity to enroll in or change health insurance plans, with variations based on specific plans and state regulations.
Effective Communication
Importance: Prevents coverage lapses, informs about benefits details, increases participation, and reduces HR burdens.
Methods: Use a mix of emails and text messages to remind employees of key dates and provide necessary information.
Text Campaign Strategy
Opt-in Employees to Receive SMS: Ensure employees have opted-in to receive text messages; highlight the benefits of opting in, such as receiving HR reminders and notifications. Dialog Health clients see opt-in rates in the 90%, indicating how much employees would like to receive text updates from their employer.
Outline Workflow: Build your Open Enrollment texting campaign and work flow for ease of automation, trigger dates and clear communication to increase engagement in your other channels of communication such as company portals / websites, emails, etc.
Content: Include Open Enrollment start and end dates, benefits overview links, step-by-step instructions, and other key dates.
Email Campaign Strategy
Email Timing: Initial announcement, kickoff reminder, midway check-in, and final reminders to guide employees through the process.
Content: Include benefits overview, changes, step-by-step instructions, and critical dates.
Best Practices
Personalization: Address employees by name and use straightforward language.
Visual Aids: Utilize infographics and links to additional resources.
Enhancing Enrollment Participation
Education: Offer webinars, personal consultations, and comprehensive guides.
Accessibility: Use mobile-friendly, centralized portals and target follow-ups for non-responsive employees.
Feedback: Gather employee feedback to refine communication strategies.
Open Enrollment Basics
For companies and HR departments, open enrollment is a critical period requiring strategic planning and effective communication.
Ensuring employees understand their coverage options and key deadlines for the next open enrollment period is vital for seamless plan management and employee satisfaction.
What is Open Enrollment?
Open enrollment is a specified period when employees can enroll in or make changes to health insurance plans. This period typically occurs once a year, although the timing can vary depending on the insurance plan and state regulations.
During this time, employees have the opportunity to sign up for a new plan or make adjustments to their current plan.
If the period is missed, employees generally have to wait until the next open enrollment unless they experience a qualifying life event, such as marriage, birth, or loss of other coverage.
Why Open Enrollment Communication to Employees Matters
An effective open enrollment communication strategy is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it ensures that employees are aware of the open enrollment period, deadlines, and their options, helping to avoid lapses in coverage.
Proper communication helps inform employees about the often complex details of their employee benefits, enabling them to make informed decisions.
This clarity increases participation and engagement, which in turn reduces administrative burdens for HR departments.
Good communication supports employees in choosing the best benefits for their needs, directly impacting their overall job satisfaction. It also addresses common challenges such as confusing jargon, lack of awareness, and the engagement of remote workers.
Effective employee benefits communication helps employees navigate the enrollment process smoothly, provides them with all the necessary information, and ensures they feel supported throughout the process.
Planning Your Open Enrollment Campaign
For HR departments, planning an open enrollment campaign is vital to ensure employees don't miss their chance to enroll in or update their health insurance plans.
By strategically timing your communication and channels of communication, you can give employees the necessary information and reminders to complete their enrollment on time, ensuring a smooth and efficient process for everyone involved.
When Should You Send Open Enrollment Communication?
Timing is key to an effective open enrollment campaign. Here are the crucial points for sending out open enrollment communication to employees:
Initial Text Message: Two weeks before the open enrollment period begins. This SMS will inform opted-in employees about the upcoming dates and what to expect.
Other Channels (Email and Company Website): Have website live two weeks before the open enrollment period begins. Also, send an email to inform employees about the upcoming dates and what to expect.
Open enrollment kickoff SMS: On the first day of open enrollment, send an SMS reminder to let employees know that they can now start the enrollment process.
Midway text reminder: Halfway through the open enrollment period, send another SMS reminder to ensure employees who haven't yet enrolled are aware of the ongoing period. Send any necessary links and other critical information.
Deadline text reminder: A few days before the open enrollment deadline, send out a text reminder emphasizing the urgency and providing final steps for enrollment.
Final text reminder: One day before the enrollment deadline, send a last text message reminder to make sure everyone has taken the necessary steps to enroll.
Information to Include in Open Enrollment Communication
When communicating about open enrollment, it's essential to provide clear and comprehensive information. Here’s what to include at different stages:
Detailed Information (2 weeks before):
Announce the open enrollment period.
Highlight key dates and deadlines.
Provide resources or links to benefits information.
Open Enrollment Kickoff (First day):
Remind employees that open enrollment has started.
Include step-by-step instructions for the enrollment process.
Reiterate key dates and deadlines.
Midway Reminder:
Remind employees of the ongoing enrollment period.
Highlight available resources and support options.
Encourage those who haven't enrolled yet to take action.
Deadline Reminder:
Emphasize the urgency of the approaching deadline.
Provide final steps for enrollment.
Offer last-minute assistance and support.
Using a comprehensive open enrollment toolkit can aid in providing open enrollment information and ensuring that all employees complete their enrollment effectively.
Successful communication efforts during this period are essential for a smooth and efficient open enrollment process.
Tips for Crafting Effective Open Enrollment Messages
For companies and HR departments, clear and effective communication is crucial during the upcoming open enrollment period.
Open enrollment can sometimes feel overwhelming for employees, but well-crafted messages can simplify the process.
By focusing on clear text messages that point employees to correct information, dates, gates, etc. personalized emails, straightforward language, and visual aids, HR can help employees understand their options and navigate the enrollment smoothly.
Case studies have shown that Texting can be the hero communication channel that ensures the success of all other channels in open enrollment. Clear text messages direct employees to key information, dates, and actions, making everything, including links, readily accessible. You can use SMS to alert employees to check for personalized emails, which often get lost in a sea of messages and have lower open rates. By integrating straightforward language and visual aids, HR can help employees understand their options and navigate enrollment smoothly. Texting serves as the central hub, keeping all essential information at employees' fingertips.
Texting: The Central Hub for Keeping Essential Information at Employees' Fingertips
A clear SMS campaign can increase the success of all other communication channels during open enrollment.
Using Text Messaging for Open Enrollment Communication
Leveraging text messaging for open enrollment communication can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the process.
Text messaging ensures immediate delivery and high engagement rates, allowing employees to receive timely updates and important information quickly.
This method of communication is convenient, providing employees with direct access to resources and updates via their mobile devices, thus improving overall participation and satisfaction.
Benefits of Text Messaging
Using text messaging as one of your communications channels offers several advantages for open enrollment communication. One of the key benefits is the immediate delivery and high open rates.
Text messages boast a 97% open rate, with 95% of messages being read within three minutes of receipt. This ensures that employees receive timely updates and important information quickly.
Additionally, text messaging offers convenience for employees by providing direct access to resources, links, and updates via their mobile devices. This makes it easier for employees to stay informed and take necessary actions related to their benefits.
Crafting Effective Text Messages
When crafting text messages for open enrollment, it's important to keep them brief and to the point. Focus on essential information to avoid overwhelming recipients.
Use clear and actionable language, including direct instructions and important dates, to help employees navigate the process smoothly. Here are a few open enrollment tips to consider:
Keep messages concise.
Highlight key dates and deadlines.
Provide direct links to resources.
Text Messaging Templates
Here are some text messaging templates to help you communicate effectively during the open enrollment period:
Initial announcement text message: Inform employees about the start and key dates of open enrollment.
"Open enrollment starts on [Date]. Check your email for details and visit [URL] to get started."
Reminder text messages: Send reminders two weeks, one week, and one day before deadlines.
Two weeks before: "Two weeks left to make changes to your health insurance! Visit [URL] to review your options."
One week before: "One week remaining! Don't miss out on updating your benefits. Go to [URL] now."
One day before: "Last day to enroll or make changes to your health insurance! Visit [URL] ASAP."
Notification of email text message: Use text messaging to notify employees to check their inboxes for personalized emails, ensuring important information doesn't get overlooked in a crowded email environment.
"Pat, please check your email from September 30th for dependents form to be completed. Please let us know if you have any questions."
Text message important links: Use text messaging to send employees direct links to the company portal or website, making it easy for them to access important information with just a click.
"Ron, please go to your employee portal https://companylink, to directly access your benefit options. Please let us know if you have any questions."
"Ron, please watch the benefit video before making your selections - https://companyvideo. Please let us know if you have any questions."
Confirmation text message: Confirm successful enrollment and provide next steps if necessary.
"Your open enrollment selections have been received. Review your confirmation email for details. We're here to help if you have any questions."
Best Practices for Text Messaging
To ensure your text messaging efforts are effective, follow these best practices:
Obtain employee consent: Always ensure compliance and respect privacy by obtaining consent from employees before sending text messages.
Timing and frequency of messages: Send timely reminders without overwhelming employees. Spread out reminders throughout the open enrollment period.
Integrate text messaging with other communication channels: Combine text messaging with emails, intranet posts, and meetings for comprehensive coverage, making open enrollment more accessible and informative for everyone.
Best Practices for Engaging Open Enrollment Communication:
To maximize the effectiveness of your open enrollment communication plan, consider the following best practices:
Personalization tips:
Address employees by name to make emails feel more personal and engaging.
Use tools to personalize email subject lines and body content, making the messages more relevant to each recipient.
Using clear and concise language:
Avoid jargon and use simple, straightforward language. Clear communication is key to helping employees understand their options and make decisions.
Make the information easily digestible and to the point, ensuring employees can quickly grasp the necessary details.
Incorporating visual aids and resources:
Use visuals like infographics, tables, and charts to illustrate benefits information, making complex details more accessible.
Include links to additional resources such as benefits guides, videos, and FAQs to provide further information.
Embed hyperlinks to detailed documents for employees to learn more, facilitating better communication channels for open enrollment. This approach ensures employees have all the information they need at their fingertips.
Other Communication Channels - Key Elements of an Open Enrollment Email
Make sure to use SMS to alert employees to check for emails, which often get lost and have lower open rates.
Creating effective open enrollment email templates involves including several key elements to ensure employees understand their health insurance options and other benefits. Here's what to focus on:
Benefits overview:
Provide a comprehensive overview of available benefits, covering health, dental, vision, and retirement plans.
Highlight additional benefits like Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Offering clear information on these options helps employees make informed decisions about their plan options.
Changes to benefit plans:
Clearly outline any new additions, changes, or updates to the benefits from the previous year.
Highlight significant changes that employees need to be aware of to avoid confusion and ensure they understand their current benefits.
Step-by-step instructions:
Break down the enrollment process into clear, actionable steps to guide employees through the open enrollment process.
Include instructions on how to access the enrollment portal and complete the enrollment process, ensuring these instructions are easy to follow.
Key dates and deadlines:
Emphasize the start and end dates of the open enrollment period to keep employees informed.
Remind employees of deadlines for making changes to their benefits, and include any critical dates for informational sessions or webinars to ensure they don’t miss important events.
Open Enrollment Email Templates
Having a set of well-crafted email templates that you can customize is essential for effectively communicating during the open enrollment period.
These templates help keep employees informed about important dates, coverage options, and the steps they need to take.
Make sure to use
Initial Announcement
When kicking off the open enrollment process, it’s crucial to start with a clear and informative email. Here’s a sample email template for the initial open enrollment announcement:
Subject: Important: Open Enrollment Begins Next Week
Hi [employee name],
We’re excited to let you know that open enrollment for our health insurance plans starts next week!
Important dates:
Open enrollment begins: [Date]
Open enrollment ends: [Date]
During open enrollment, you can:
Review and compare health insurance plans.
Make changes to your current coverage.
Enroll in a new plan.
Visit our benefits portal at [URL] to get started.
If you need any help, don’t hesitate to reach out to our benefits team at [email/phone number].
Best regards,
[Company Name] Team
Reminder Emails
To ensure employees are aware of the enrollment deadlines and have enough time to make informed decisions, send out several friendly reminder emails throughout the open enrollment period.
One month before open enrollment deadline:
Subject: Open Enrollment Reminder
Hi team,
Just a friendly reminder that open enrollment ends on [date].
Take some time to review and make any necessary changes to your coverage.
You can visit our benefits portal at [URL].
If you have any questions or need assistance, contact us at [email/phone number].
Best,
[Company Name] Team
Two weeks before open enrollment deadline:
Subject: Reminder: Open Enrollment Ends [Date]
Hi team,
Only two weeks left until the open enrollment deadline.
Make sure to review your options and make any changes at [URL].
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at [email/phone number].
Best,
[Your name]
One week before open enrollment deadline:
Subject: Reminder: One Week Until Open Enrollment Deadline!
Hello team,
Just a quick reminder that open enrollment ends on [date].
Be sure to review and make any changes to your coverage at [URL].
If you need help, contact us at [email/phone number].
Best regards,
[Company Name] Team
One day before open enrollment deadline:
Subject: Attention: Last Day to Sign Up for Open Enrollment
Hi [employee name],
Today is the last day for open enrollment.
Please review and make any changes to your coverage at [URL].
If you need any assistance, our benefits team is here to help at [email/phone number].
Best regards,
[Company Name] Team
Confirmation Emails
Once employees have completed their benefits enrollment, send a friendly confirmation email to acknowledge their selections and provide them with the details of their chosen benefits.
Subject: Open Enrollment Confirmation
Dear [Employee],
Thank you for completing your benefits enrollment for the coming year!
Here’s a summary of your benefits package:
[Benefit 1]
[Benefit 2]
[Benefit 3]
Your premium will be [amount] per pay period.
Please review the attached enrollment confirmation statement.
If you have any questions, our benefits team is here to help at [email/phone number].
Sincerely,
[Company Name] Benefits Team
Additional Sample Emails
Here are a couple of additional friendly sample emails to help keep employees informed and engaged during the open enrollment period.
Save-the-date emails:
Subject: Heads Up: Open Enrollment Details Coming Your Way
Hi [Name],
Just a heads up that open enrollment begins on [Date] and ends on [Date].
Get ready to make changes to your benefits.
Best regards,
[Signature]
Sign-up online emails:
Subject: Open Enrollment Made Easy!
Hi [Name],
Good news! Open enrollment is now open and will close on [Date].
Log into the online portal to make changes to your benefits.
Visit [URL] for instructions.
If you have any questions, we’re here to help.
Best regards,
[Signature]
Additional Tips for Improving Open Enrollment
Improving open enrollment involves strategic education and effective communication. Offering open enrollment education, using accessible communication platforms, and making extra efforts to engage all employees are crucial steps.
Additionally, gathering feedback to refine strategies and creating comprehensive educational resources ensure that employees understand their options and can select the best medical plan.
Offer Open Enrollment Education
Providing comprehensive education on benefits decisions and benefits information is essential for a successful open enrollment. Organize seminars and webinars where employees can learn about their options and ask questions.
Personal consultations with benefits specialists can offer tailored advice. Hosting one-on-one meetings with HR representatives can further clarify any doubts.
Repurpose educational materials with minor tweaks each year to save time and resources while ensuring they remain relevant.
Emphasize benefits education to demystify the process, making it easier for employees to participate and make informed choices.
Use an Accessible Platform for Communication
To enhance communication, use a centralized portal like Dialog Health, for example, where HR can disseminate information efficiently. An enrollment portal that's accessible via mobile devices ensures all employees, including non-desk workers, can stay informed.
This platform should support language translation to cater to diverse workforces and be accessible on various devices. By centralizing open enrollment communication, HR can streamline the process, making it easier to manage and track.
Automated enrollment reminders and confirmations can be scheduled through this communications software to keep everyone on track.
Make Extra Effort to Reach Those Who Don’t Open Benefits Messages
It's crucial to focus on employees who don’t engage with initial communications about changes to your coverage. Identify these employees and send targeted follow-ups to ensure they receive the necessary information.
Simplify the process to reduce any intimidation, providing clear, concise information that’s easy to understand. Surveys or direct outreach can help determine why some employees aren’t opening messages, allowing you to adjust your strategies accordingly.
Ensuring that all employees receive and understand the communication is key to effective benefits enrollment.
Gather Feedback and Improve Strategy Accordingly
Gathering feedback on your open enrollment email templates and overall communication plan can significantly improve future efforts. Conduct employee surveys to gauge the clarity and usefulness of the information provided.
Use this feedback to refine your communication strategies and address any gaps. Demonstrating responsiveness to feedback helps employees feel valued and increases their trust and engagement with the process.
An action plan and timeline for implementing these improvements can further enhance the effectiveness of your strategy.
Create Educational Resources and Make Sure Employees Know About Them
Creating a centralized hub for open enrollment resources can simplify the open enrollment process for employees.
This hub, which could be an intranet or a dedicated section on the company website, should include FAQs, detailed guides, video tutorials, and infographics. Ensure that these resources are well-organized and easily accessible, so employees can quickly find the benefits information they need.
Highlighting available benefits and effective benefits options in an easily navigable format can significantly improve the enrollment experience.
Give Everyone the Best Chance to Participate in OE Meetings
To ensure all employees can participate in open enrollment, offer multiple sessions at different times and days. This flexibility accommodates various schedules and increases overall participation.
Provide both virtual and in-person options, making it easier for employees to attend regardless of their location. Record these sessions and make them available on-demand for those who cannot attend live.
Using diverse communications channels to announce these meetings can ensure maximum reach and engagement, making benefits enrollment smoother and more inclusive.
Boost Open Enrollment Communication with Dialog Health
Enhance your open enrollment communication with Dialog Health’s two-way texting solution.
Check out our open enrollment case study for detailed insights and discover how our system directed thousands to a new HR portal, streamlining the process and improving employee engagement.
Book a demo to see how we can help your HR department communicate more effectively.
