Do you feel bombarded with repetitive queries during benefits open enrollment?
Are you tired of the unending paperwork when updating employees’ benefit plans?
If so, you’re not alone. Most HR staff find the benefits open enrollment season stressful and overwhelming.
According to GuideSpark, 82% of HR leaders think that open enrollment is the “least wonderful time of the year.”
But what if there’s a way to:
Thankfully, those are all possible with the help of employee benefits open enrollment software.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know what open enrollment software is, how it can help you streamline your processes, and what factors to look for when picking the perfect software for your company.
Benefits open enrollment software is a computer program that helps companies streamline their enrollment processes.
Think of it like an online shopping platform, but instead of buying products, employees select their health insurance. Open enrollment software:
Using benefits open enrollment software means companies will have less paperwork, fewer mistakes, and an easier time keeping track of employees’ chosen plans.
By giving your employees the tool to self-navigate almost all of their queries, your HRs will save time answering repetitive and basic questions. This means your team can focus on solving more nuanced concerns.
Some benefits open enrollment software allow you to create a reminder system to automatically notify your employees of plan updates and enrollment deadlines.
When you’re using benefits open enrollment software, it is also faster to pull employee data from your records. Because you no longer need to manually dig through files to retrieve an employee’s information.
According to Flimp’s research, complexity is the #1 problem employees face during open enrollment. This is where benefits open enrollment software shines. These tools simplify open enrollment for employees with:
They provide clear, accessible information to help employees self-navigate their plans. And as a result, employees feel more confident about their benefit choices.
Unlike humans, who may easily overlook details, software, if it’s built and maintained correctly, will be much less likely to make such errors. This comes in handy when dealing with sensitive information like benefits eligibility. Since the system operates on predefined rules, it prevents employees from selecting options they don’t qualify for.
Also, benefits open enrollment software can centralize your data in one place. This makes it easier to correct errors in employee entries. A single source of truth prevents discrepancies. All of the above gives your team confidence in the integrity and value of your open enrollment communications.
One of the main selling points of benefits open enrollment software is it “future-proofs” your company. This software can manage enrollments for hundreds or thousands of employees without needing more HR staff.
The best part? Your employees get the same smooth enrollment process whether you’re onboarding 10 or 1,000 people.
Now that you know how open enrollment software makes your open enrollment more effective, you’re probably thinking of integrating one.
Smart move. Let’s walk through the key features and factors to consider when finding the right fit for your company.
The whole point of this software is to make enrollment easier. So, if it’s not user-friendly, you might end up with bigger headaches.
Think about it: if the software is too complex, your employees won’t use it. Worse, you’ll spend more time explaining how to use the system than it’s worth.
So here are a few tips to asses if a system is user-friendly:
Every great open enrollment software must have some kind of benefits chatbot. This is non-negotiable because it dramatically reduces the volume of repetitive questions your team needs to answer. Its 24/7 availability is also a huge plus. Employees can get instant support, even outside office hours.
But here’s the thing…not all chatbots are created equal. Some can give out wrong plan info or make iffy recommendations.
That’s why we at Healthee developed Zoe, our AI virtual health assistant. Zoe’s special because she learns about each employee’s specific situation. This means her recommendations are spot-on and personalized. But Zoe’s not just an enrollment sidekick. She’s also there year-round to suggest treatments covered by the employee’s plan.
The right software should save you money in the long run. So it’s important to know that the software aligns with your business goals.
Start by asking yourself these questions:
Pro tip: Before you commit, get quotes from multiple vendors. It’ll give you a good idea of what’s out there and what your needs might cost.
Our mission is to connect employees with the best plan for them. However, with all those choices, many employees fall into analysis paralysis. That’s where a good comparison tool comes in. It helps employees understand the true value of each option and, therefore, pick the one that fits their situation and needs. And for your HR team, that means reduced time spent explaining plan differences.
Healthee has a smart, intuitive benefits plan comparison tool. Employees can look at two plans at once. They can see all the details, pricing, and terms of the particular plans for which they qualify.
Look for enrollment software with a clear dashboard system.
It’ll help you spot issues and trends quickly. Plus, it simplifies your reporting to upper management.
Healthee’s dashboard is specifically designed to give the HR team all of the information they need to make data-driven decisions. It gives you real-time data for quick action when enrollment metrics aren’t up to par (like when participation is low).
The dashboard also analyzes patterns to show you which plans are popular.
Your employees trust you with their sensitive info. So your software needs to be bank-vault-level secure. It must stop potential breaches and unauthorized access.
Also, different stages have different laws about handling personal data. Your software needs to follow these rules, especially HIPAA guidelines, before you integrate it into your systems.
Benefits open enrollment software is a must-have for HR teams today. It can make enrollment easy for both employees and your HR staff.
With the right software, you can turn your enrollment period from a headache into a breeze. If you’re curious to see how Healthee can streamline your open enrollment process, click here.
It's that time of the year again, open enrollment. And now is the time to send an open enrollment email to employees to ensure they are aware of their benefits and actively engage in the open enrollment process.
HR teams constantly spend time handling employee benefits inquiries – learn how HR automation can eliminate the busy work.
Learn how self-funded health plans benefit employers and how Healthee helps TPAs deliver flexible, cost-effective solutions.
