Your Guide to Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment only happens once a year. This is your opportunity to review and make changes to your benefit elections.

Because everyone's needs are different - and those needs can change overtime - review available benefit plans every year to see where you can make changes.

As you make plans for the year ahead, remember that your benefit offerings are designed to support you and your journey towards a happy and healthy lifestyle. By taking advantage of all available benefits and resources, you can invest in the wellbeing of yourself and your loved ones.

What is Open Enrollment?

Open enrollment is a specific window, typically two to four weeks, where employers allow employees to make changes to their elected benefits.

When does Open Enrollment take place?

Your company will determine when their open enrollment window takes place. For most employers, open enrollment is in the fall with coverage beginning on January 1st.

Is my employer required to have an Open Enrollment period?

Companies with over 50 full-time employees must offer an annual enrollment period under the ACA. The ACA also requires that employees receive a minimum of 14 days to make benefit elections.

Can I make changes to my benefits outside of Open Enrollment?

No - You are only able to make changes to your benefits during the Open Enrollment period, unless you encounter a Qualifying Life Event (e.g. marriage, divorce, birth/adoption, or loss/gain of other coverage).

Helpful Tips for Open Enrollment

Here are some things to consider while reviewing your coverage elections for 2026:

How you use healthcare. Do you use your plan benefits mostly for preventative care? Do you have a chronic condition that needs ongoing treatment and medication? Will you have a baby or a change in marital status in 2026?

Consider dental and vision coverage. Regular dental and vision check-ups can help catch potential issues early, preventing costly treatments down the line.

Do you need additional life and long-term disability insurance? Life changes, such as getting married, having a child, or buying a home, may impact your need for life insurance coverage. Similarly, disability can happen to anyone at any age. Long-term disability insurance can help protect your income if you become unable to work due to illness or injury.

Make sure your beneficiaries are up to date. Do your beneficiary designations still reflect your wishes? Review your beneficiaries every year and make any applicable changes promptly.

Complete and submit requited forms in a timely manner. You may be asked to provide an EOI (Evidence of Insurability) in order for your life insurance to take effect. You may also need to provide documentation (marriage certificate, SSN, etc.) to add your dependents to your benefit plans.

Tips to Save on Healthcare

As healthcare costs continue to rise, make sure you are saving money where you can while still obtaining the services you need.

Know where to go for care. Spend less on care when you stay within network. Utilize your preventative care visits. For non-emergency services when your primary care office is unavailable, consider using telehealth or a local urgent care center.

Save on Prescriptions. Use generic medication when available for effective care at a lower cost. Mail-order Rx programs can help you save on prescriptions and provide a larger supply of medication.

Consider the tax-savings potential of FSAs or the HSA. Set aside pre-tax dollars for healthcare expenses while lowering your taxable income.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Double check your elections before submitting. Make sure you have selected the correct plans and that all dependents are covered under the plans.

Save your enrollment confirmation statement. You may need this in order to prove enrollment if a system error occurs.

Check your first paystub of the year. You are responsible for flagging any errors in premium deduction and ensuring you are enrolled in the correct plans.