Overview of Benefits Open Enrollment

The benefits open enrollment process comprises three phases: preparation, the enrollment period, and post enrollment activities. This chapter provides a sample timeline, checklists, and instructions to guide you through the phases of open enrollment.

Open Enrollment Period Opportunities

The open enrollment period is an opportunity for eligible participants to:

Enroll in a plan if not currently enrolled
Change coverage from one plan to another
Change enrollment status of eligible family members
Decline coverages

Open enrollment is also an opportunity for your organization to:

Modify plan configuration
Update rates
End benefits offerings
Start new benefits offerings

Sample Open Enrollment Timeline

This sample timeline and the instructions in this chapter assume the following dates and rules:

Open enrollment elections are effective on the event date, January 1.
Coverages and rates start on the event date, January 1.
Previous year coverages and rates end one day before the event date.

You must thoroughly test the open enrollment procedures using your configuration if either of the following conditions is true:

Your organization's open enrollment is effective on any other date within the year.
You apply different coverage and rate start and end date rules to meet your business requirements.

The following timeline outlines suggested activities before, during, and after an open enrollment period that lasts throughout the month of November.

Month	Details
September and October	Update plan configuration Run a trial open enrollment: Test performance Test self-service enrollment
November 1	Run the open event processing: Evaluate Scheduled Event Participation Enroll in Default Benefits
Throughout November	Elect benefits: Participants enter elections using the self-service guided process. Benefits administrators enter elections in the Benefits Service Center page.
December 2 -- 15	Benefits administrators can still enter elections as necessary by setting a session effective date within the enrollment period of November.
December 15	Run the Close Enrollment process to close all elections.

Phase One Checklist: Before the Open Enrollment Period Starts

Follow these steps to prepare for the open enrollment period:

Task	Work Area
Check payroll calendars.	Contact payroll administrator
Check plan year periods.	Plan Configuration
Assess and update eligibility profiles and derived factors.	Plan Configuration
Prepare program and plan configurations: End existing plans no longer offered. Add new plans. Add new options to existing plans.	Plan Configuration
Add the open scheduled life event to the program or plan not in program.	Plan Configuration
Manage standard and variable rates: Add rates to new benefits objects. Modify rates on existing benefits objects. Modify elements on existing rates. Modify flex credit offerings.	Plan Configuration
Start new coverage for flexible spending accounts (FSA)	Plan Configuration
Configure enrollment and rate display.	Plan Configuration
Identify and resolve in-progress life events: Identify conflicting and incomplete life events Identify and finalize open action items and suspensions Evaluate and resolve temporal event participation	Evaluation and Reporting Enrollment
Process trial open enrollment.	Evaluation and Reporting
Test trial open enrollment.	Enrollment Me - Benefits (Self-Service)
Analyze and tune performance.	Evaluation and Reporting

Phase Two Checklist: During the Open Enrollment Period

Follow these steps to administer the open enrollment period:

Task	Work Area
Generate the Participant Enrollment Results report.	Reports and Analytics
Manage the open enrollment period. Run the Evaluate Scheduled Event Participation and Enroll in Default Benefits processes.	Evaluation and Reporting
Monitor processes and resolve errors.	Evaluation and Reporting
Enter enrollments.	Me - Benefits (Self-Service) Enrollment
Process life events that occur during the open enrollment period.	Enrollment
Manage and close the open enrollment window.	Evaluation and Reporting
Generate the Participant Enrollment Results report.	Reports and Analytics

Phase Three Checklist: After the Open Enrollment Period Ends

Follow these steps to complete the open enrollment activities:

Task	Work Area
Verify enrollment.	Enrollment
Investigate incorrect enrollments.	Enrollment
Close action items and certifications.	Enrollment
Enter overrides.	Enrollment
Inactivate plans that are no longer offered.	Plan Configuration
Process life events that occur after open enrollment.	Enrollment