✦ INSIDER INSIGHT
Passive enrollment makes OE look simple, but it hides costly mistakes. A stronger approach gives employees a reason to re-engage with clear education, decision support tools, and at least periodic active elections.
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WHAT GOES WRONG
- Employees stay in plans that no longer fit their needs
- Key plan changes get missed because no one re-reads the details
- Outdated coverages roll forward without checks
- Employees assume they understand their coverage, but often don’t, due to gaps in benefits education
ROOT CAUSE
- Heavy reliance on passive enrollment as the “easy button” for OE
- Limited benefits education or communication on annual plan design changes
- No structured process for employees to review coverage against lifestyle changes
- Lack of early OE planning to accommodate an active enrollment approach
HOW TO FIX IT
- Require active elections at least every 2 years
- Build an annual plan to communicate not only plan changes, but also educate employees on benefits overall
- Use decision support tools to help employees re-engage with their options
- Tie OE education into life events, reminding employees to re-evaluate coverage as needs change
