Supporting your team for a successful open enrollment this year.

Open enrollment can be an overwhelming time for employees. With countless plan options and complex healthcare terms, it’s easy for them to feel lost. In fact, 85% of employees admit they don't fully understand their healthcare benefits or the plans their company offers. As an employer, you can make this confusing time easier and more engaging by taking a proactive approach to benefit education and communication. 

When you offer the right tools, resources, and support, you ensure that employees make informed decisions that benefit both their health and your company’s bottom line. One of the most powerful ways to achieve this is through care navigation. Below are four key strategies employers can use to prepare their workforce for a successful open enrollment—and how care navigation plays a vital role in each.

Break down benefits with clear, targeted education.

To help employees make the best choices, start with straightforward, easy-to-understand educational resources. Don’t overwhelm them with dense information packets or complicated terminology. Instead, use simple comparison charts, short videos, or infographics that explain key aspects like premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs in a clear and concise way.

Care navigation takes on the education burden from benefits teams to help save time. Rightway healthcare navigators know the ins and outs of your company’s plans and help employees evaluate options based on their medical history, prescription needs, or chronic conditions. Rightway’s personalized guidance goes beyond just comparing plans—they help employees evaluate options based on medical history, prescription needs, or chronic condition management, ensuring the employees select the right plan for themselves and their families. 

Offer personalized one-on-one support.

Even with educational materials in place, some employees will need personalized help navigating their healthcare options. Hosting virtual or in-person one-on-one sessions can give them the tailored advice they need to make the right choices, especially if they have unique healthcare needs like chronic conditions or family care considerations.

Not every benefits team has the bandwidth to provide personalized support to each employee. Rightway’s health guides get to know each employee’s unique situation, whether it’s managing a high-risk condition, expecting a baby, or juggling family healthcare needs. With this deeper understanding, Rightway helps employees evaluate their options and choose the right plan that fits their health, lifestyle, and financial goals. Rightway ensures no one-size-fits-all advice, but a personalized, hands-on approach to navigating benefits.

Use digital tools to enhance accessibility.

Your employees expect easy access to benefits information. Digital access to detailed plan comparisons, cost calculators, and real-time communication can greatly improve the enrollment experience. Digital tools allow employees to engage with the information when and where it’s convenient for them.

Rightway’s mobile platform allows employees to access benefits information on the go. Through the app, employees can get immediate assistance from a dedicated health guide to compare healthcare plans, look up covered providers, understand their deductibles, and more. The seamless digital experience ensures that employees have all the tools they need to make informed decisions during open enrollment without hassle.

Provide proactive, timely communication.

Open enrollment shouldn’t catch employees off guard. Proactive communication—starting with early announcements and followed by regular updates—helps reduce last-minute decision-making and unnecessary stress. Use multiple channels like emails, webinars, and Q&A sessions year round to keep employees engaged.

Rightway care navigators take proactive engagement to the next level. They send personalized reminders to employees based on their health needs throughout the year, flagging overdue checkups or prescription updates and recommending plans that cover those services. This ensures that employees not only meet enrollment deadlines but also select plans that align with their long-term health goals.

Open enrollment doesn’t have to be a stressful or chaotic scramble for your team. By providing clear education, personalized support, and user-friendly digital tools, employers can turn this crucial period into a smooth, empowering experience for employees. 

Care Navigation is an essential part of this process, offering one-on-one guidance, personalized recommendations, and a seamless digital experience that ensures employees feel confident in their decisions. When employees feel informed and supported, they’re more likely to make the right healthcare choices—resulting in better health outcomes for them and cost savings for your company.