Human Resource professionals and employers report that open enrollment is a stressful time and the resources are strained during the open enrollment period – from planning to implementing, it’s taxing on HR teams. Likewise, open enrollment is a confusing time for employees, and employers wish they had easier ways to communicate and engage employees during this time every year.

1. Open Enrollments from an
HR/Employer Perspective
INSTRUCTOR: BARBARA TRUMBLY
AUGUST 27, 2019
PRESENTED BY:

2. Program sponsor

3. Housekeeping
Questions Speaker
Today’s
topic

4. How to earn credit
Stay on the webinar,
online for the full 60
minutes
Be watching using your
unique URL
Program codes delivered
by email, to registered
email, approximately 30
days following today’s
session

5. Housekeeping
Questions Speaker
Today’s
topic

6. Today’s Speaker
Barbara is a human resource consultant providing outsourced human
resources services to successful businesses throughout California in
various industries including high tech, insurance agencies, law firms,
medical, marketing, and finance.
Barbara holds a Juris Doctor Degree from Northwestern California
University, is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources
(SPHR/SHRM-SCP) and holds her California Life license and is a
Certified Group Benefits Associate through the Certified Employee
Benefit Specialist program.
BARBARA TRUMBLY

7. Bad Open Enrollment?
 Rising costs for seemingly weaker benefits
 Tough decisions on benefits package to be
offered
 Paper applications for benefits
 ID cards arriving late
 Employees wanting to make changes after
Open Enrollment

8.  The annual open enrollment process starts well before
plans renew
 Find ways to simplify enrollment by using technology
 Survey employees on what they are seeking in terms of
benefit offerings and any improvements they would like
to see
 Customize your offerings to your employee population
 Help people understand their benefits and how they
work
Prepare

9.  Do you have the right benefit consultant?
 Are they working for you or creating more work?
 Are they a resource for you and your
employees?
*If you are looking for a new benefits
broker/consultant, start the process well before OE
– at least 6 months.
Have the Right Partners

10.  What size company do you serve best? Why?
 What sets your firm apart from the competitors?
 What do you see as the trend in premiums for this next year?
 What would you do differently in the benefit package the
company currently offers to:
• enhance the offering
• lower cost
 What services beyond benefits does your firm offer?
• Problem resolution / Employee Assistance?
• Employee Surveys?
Questions For Broker

11. Pre-Renewal
 Schedule a pre-renewal meeting several
months ahead of the expected renewal
 Market Trends and Opportunities
 Include decisionmakers early on
 Assess the business’ financial status and
employee demographics

12. Simplify Enrollment By Using
Technology
 Enroll online
 For on-the-go workers - mobile benefits
management
 Access plan information throughout the year
 Focus on user experience
 Present Webinars
 Interactive tools

13.  Which plans fit my healthcare needs?
 What value does the program provide?
 How much is this going to cost me per
paycheck?
 How much is this going to cost me at time of
service?
Customize Your Offerings To
Your Employee Population

14. Employer premiums have risen, so have
employee contributions
Cost Sharing Strategies:
• Percentage of the premium
• Composite Rate
• Pay for the lowest cost and offer buy-up
• Flat Benefit
Contribution Strategy

15. Communication is Everything
 Distribute a benefits summary package
 Make sure all of the steps you want employees
to take are easy to understand
 Ask for feedback
 Keeping employees engaged with their health
coverage year-long

16. Presenting the
Information
 Will it be best to hold one large meeting, or
smaller breakout sessions?
 How will the message be communicated across
locations or to off-site employees?
 Is attendance mandatory or incentivized?
 Are Spouses and Significant Others included?

17. How are employees supposed
to know what kinds of
insurance to consider and
what benefit levels to select?

18. Key differences between
available plans
= Flexibility
PPO
= Out of pocket costs = Payroll deduction
HMO HSA
 Greatest flexibility
 Moderate costs
 Lowest flexibility
 Lower costs
Greatest flexibility
Higher upfront costs
Unique tax savings

20. Which plan is right for me?
Michael has medical needs that require
regular doctor’s visits.
 Wants flexibility to see specialists without referrals
when needed
 Doesn’t mind paying more for specialized care out-of-
network
PPO
Michael, 37

21. HSA
Which plan is right for me?
Ryan rarely gets sick and does not like going
to the doctor.
 Wants to pay lower monthly premiums
 Is comfortable paying the high deductible for care if
needed
 Wants to be able to save money for future
healthcare costs
Ryan, 26

22. HMO
Erin is a heavy user of medical service and on
maintenance medication.
 Likes having PCP coordinate her care and
referrals
 Wants predictable costs when seeking care
 Doesn’t routinely need services from a
specialist
Erin, 35
Which plan is right for me?

23. What’s my share of medical costs?

24. Health Advocacy Programs
 Most people don’t think about how insurance
and healthcare works until they need it to work
for them.
 Confusion drives up costs.
 Provide a patient concierge or advocacy
service.
 The advocates help with claims, give out-of-
pocket price estimates for procedures, locate
in-network providers and more.

25. Questions to Ask Employees After
Open Enrollment
Ease Of Use
 Do you believe you had the information you
needed to make informed benefit selections?
 Was the information easy to use and
understand?
 Was the enrollment process simple or
complicated?
 Did you feel the enrollment window was long
enough?

26. Questions to Ask Employees After
Open Enrollment
Choice of options
 Are the benefits we offer what you
want/need?
 What is a benefit you wished we offered?
 What are your expected health care needs this
year?

27. Resources
 Which types of communication did you find
most helpful in preparing you to select your
benefits?
 Did you know who to contact with
additional questions/concerns?
 Did you have enough time to make an
informed decision about your benefits?
Questions to Ask Employees After
Open Enrollment

28.  Promote your employee benefits package
 Educate employees on their benefits options so they can
make the best choices
 Review what worked and what didn’t work last OE
 Set clear goals for OE
 Create a multichannel marketing/communication plan
 Start executing on the plan at least 4 months prior to
launch
 Provide information year round
KEY TAKE-AWAYS

29. Barbara Trumbly, J.D
CA license #0H64893
Barbara@TruHRbc.com
TruHRbc.com

30. Questions

31. 31
How Ascentis can help
Payroll
HR &
Benefits
Talent
Management
Recruiting &
Onboarding
Time &
Attendance
› Full end to end benefits
enrollment from the employee to
the insurance carrier
› New Hire Enrollment, Open
Enrollment and life events
› Benefits reporting and billing
reconciliation
› ACA 1095-C publishing, mailing
and filing with the IRS

32. Learn more
Request an assessment of your organization’s Open Enrollment processes!

33. How to earn credit
Stay on the webinar,
online for the full 60
minutes
Be watching using your
unique URL
Program codes delivered
by email, to registered
email, approximately 30
days following today’s
session

34. Share with your colleagues

35. Contact Us
webinars@ascentis.com
www.ascentis.com
800.229.2713