As we approach the early fall you may be entering open enrollment season with new needs and restrictions in place, not to mention heightened anxieties and stress. A major priority this year may be protecting your members’ health and safety while also educating them on the great benefits you offer. Below is a list of helpful tips you can use to make this open enrollment season just as successful as any other.
Tips for a Successful Open Enrollment During COVID-19
1. Partner with your Benefit Plan Administrators to Take Your Benefit Fair Virtual
First, if you don’t already have an online benefit fair, ask your health plan, Rx plan, vision, and dental plans or other benefit plans, if they offer online benefit fairs or virtual webinars for open enrollment. Vision benefit administrator, NVA and prescription drug benefit administrator, Benecard both offer online benefit fairs for their clients for free! See the NVA Online Benefit Fair for yourself by clicking here.
An online benefit fair and webinars are easy, safe and flexible options that reach both work-from-home employees and any of those who are back at your company’s locations. It is a good idea to get your IT department involved when considering these options. You’ll need to consider members’ technological savviness and workstation technological capabilities to ensure everyone can make the most of whatever digital platform you choose.
2. Guide Employees Through the Process
This year members not only have to learn about their benefits, but how to navigate to get to their benefit information. Leading them step by step is key to ensuring your open enrollment is a success. Try online communications such as a short introduction video, online webinar, or email to announce how you will distribute the benefit information. For those who choose a webinar or video conference to help guide employees, recording the session(s) and making them available for review after the fact will allow employees to revisit key tips or catch up if they could not make the session.
3. Communicate Early and Often
Notify members of changes to open enrollment early this year and remind them frequently of when open enrollment will close. For the less tech-savvy employees, having someone available for questions and guidance can also help expedite the process, especially when switching from in-person to digital communications. Reach out to your benefit plans to see if they have communications you can use to promote your benefits. They usually have different mediums available to communicate the benefit, such as videos, e-mail templates, buck slips, social media post templates, and more. NVA has a web page dedicated to member communications that clients can easily download and share with their members.
4. Pay Attention to What Works and What Doesn’t and Give Feedback
No matter how you do it, this is going to be a trial run for us all. Take a moment and assess how this new method works for your members, and what areas may need to be tweaked or changed for next year and communicate that with your benefit plans. You may find that the opportunities going virtual has provided-greater flexibility for members; reduced work for HR/benefit team members; 24/7 access for all-which are unexpected perks you may want to maintain in the long run.
Sources:
https://www.benefitspro.com/2020/07/20/3-ways-to-redefine-benefit-fairs-for-the-new-normal/
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/virtual-benefit-fairs-draw-interest-for-fall-open-enrollment.aspx
https://www.benefitspro.com/2020/07/29/open-enrollment-qa-with-sally-prather-the-stakes-are-high/
https://www.benefitspro.com/2020/07/16/2020-open-enrollment-uncharted-territory/