HR teams dread writing that open enrollment email to employees. But it’s a vital piece of communication and it’s important to get it right. We’re here to help you simplify the process.
Open enrollment can be confusing and exhausting for everyone on your team. HR managers and internal communicators not only need to have a solid understanding of the topic but also have to be able to explain it to others.
The challenge is made more difficult by the time-sensitive nature of the open enrollment period.
If you’re in charge of open enrollment communications, we’re here to help. Below, we give a crash course in open enrollment and provide ready-made open enrollment sample emails that you can use instantly.
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What is Open Enrollment?
Open enrollment is a specified period of time when employees can sign up for a new health insurance plan or make changes to their existing coverage. Typically, this period takes place once a year, although some insurance plans may have a different open enrollment period.
Open enrollment is often the only time when employees can make changes to their health insurance coverage. That’s why it’s vital that your workforce is aware of relevant dates and deadlines for open enrollment.
If employees miss the open enrollment period, they may have to wait until the next open enrollment period to make changes to their coverage.
Why Send an Open Enrollment Email to Employees?
An open enrollment email helps to ensure that employees are aware of the open enrollment period and the changes that they can make to their coverage during this time.
Let’s take a closer look at the main reasons for sending an open enrollment email to employees:
- To inform employees about the open enrollment period and deadlines: Open enrollment is often the only time when employees can make changes to their health insurance coverage, so it’s important that they are aware of the dates and deadlines for open enrollment.
- To provide information about available health insurance plans: An open enrollment email can provide employees with information about the different health insurance plans that are available to them, including any changes or updates to the plans from the previous year.
- To encourage employees to review their current coverage: Open enrollment communications encourage employees to review their current health insurance coverage and consider whether it is still the best fit for their needs.
- To communicate any changes to the employer’s benefits program: An open enrollment email can be used to communicate any changes that have been made to the employer’s benefits program. These include changes to the available health insurance plans or changes to the employer’s contributions towards the cost of coverage.
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When Should You Send an Open Enrollment Email to Employees?
It’s a good idea to send several open enrollment reminders to employees at different intervals before and during the open enrollment period. This ensures that employees have multiple opportunities to learn about open enrollment deadlines and make changes in time.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Send the first open enrollment email weeks before the enrollment period begins. Employees get time to review their options and make any necessary changes to their coverage before the open enrollment period ends.
- Send reminders to employees throughout the open enrollment period, particularly as the deadline for making changes approaches.
- Consider the specific needs and schedules of your employees when deciding when to send open enrollment reminders. An email tracking system like ContactMonkey will let you see when employees are most engaged on their email and help you automate your messages accordingly.
- Take into consideration the communications channels employees use. If you’re trying to engage frontline employees who don’t have access to email, for example, internal SMS might be the best communications channel. With ContactMonkey’s email add-in, you can even send email and SMS from the same platform whether you’re using Gmail or Outlook for business.
See how ContactMonkey helps you create and automate open enrollment emails!
Best Practices for Engaging Open Enrollment Emails
Email remains the top channel for announcing open enrollment with 79% of companies choosing this channel. But in the midst of a busy, bustling workday, it can be hard to get employees to read open enrollment communications. Here are some best practices for crafting an effective open enrollment email and getting your employees’ attention:
- Use a clear subject line: The email subject line of your open enrollment email should clearly convey the purpose of the email and grab the attention of your employees. Consider using a subject line like “Important: Open Enrollment Begins Next Week” or “Don’t Miss Your Chance to Review Insurance Coverage.”
- Provide a clear overview of the open enrollment process: In the body of your email, provide a clear overview of the open enrollment process, including the dates and deadlines for making changes to coverage. Be sure to highlight any important changes or updates to the available health insurance plans or to the employer’s benefits program.
- Encourage employees to review their current coverage: Remind employees to review their existing health insurance coverage and consider whether it is still the best fit for their needs. Encourage them to make any necessary changes to their coverage during the open enrollment period.
- Provide resources for employees to learn more: Consider providing links to additional resources that can help employees better understand their options and make an informed decision about their health insurance coverage. This might include links to websites with more detailed information about the available health insurance plans or to the employer’s benefits portal.
- Set expectations for follow-up: Let employees know what to expect in terms of follow-up or support during the open enrollment period. Will you be available to answer questions or provide assistance? Will you be sending additional reminders or updates? Setting clear expectations can help to ensure that employees feel supported during the open enrollment process.
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Tips for Improving Open Enrollment
If you’ve noticed your open enrollment communications being ignored, it’s time to take action. Here are a few ideas for how you can improve the open enrollment process for your employees and boost employee engagement:
- Provide clear and concise information: Make sure that your employees have access to clear, concise information about the open enrollment process and the available health insurance plans. This can help to ensure that employees feel informed and empowered to make the best decisions for their needs.
- Offer resources and support: Consider providing resources or support to help employees navigate the open enrollment process. This might include offering one-on-one consultations with a benefits specialist, hosting informational sessions or webinars, or providing access to decision-making tools or comparison websites.
- Communicate early and often: Start communicating about open enrollment well in advance, and continue to provide updates and reminders throughout the process. This can help to ensure that employees are aware of the open enrollment period and the changes that they can make to their coverage.
- Personalize open enrollment emails: Direct and personal emails that address employees by name are more effective at grabbing attention. With ContactMonkey’s email personalization tool, you can add individual names to email subject lines and body copy. Even if you’re sending the email to hundreds of staff!
- Encourage employee engagement: Encourage employees to be actively involved in the open enrollment process by providing opportunities for them to ask questions, learn more about their options, and provide feedback. Involving employees in processes that affect them is a good way to adhere to your employee engagement model.
- Make the process as convenient as possible: Consider ways to make the open enrollment process as convenient as possible for your employees. This might include offering multiple ways to enroll (such as online or in person), providing flexible enrollment periods, or making it easy for employees to access and review their coverage options.
Best Open Enrollment Email to Employees Templates
The best way to ensure open enrollment runs smoothly? Automate the process. Below, we share ready-made open enrollment email templates that you can instantly download and use.
Already a ContactMonkey customer? You can customize any of our open enrollment email templates as well as schedule and track email campaigns to optimize engagement.
Initial open enrollment announcement
Subject: Important: Open Enrollment Begins Next Week
Hi [employee name],
It’s that time of year! Open enrollment for our health insurance plans begins next week. This is the time when you can make changes to your current coverage or sign up for a new plan.
Here are some important dates to keep in mind:
- Open enrollment begins: Monday, January 1
- Open enrollment ends: Friday, January 31
During open enrollment, you can:
- Review and compare the different health insurance plans that are available to you.
- Make changes to your current coverage, such as switching to a different plan or adding or dropping dependents.
- Enroll in a new plan if you are not currently covered.
Please note that if you do not make any changes to your coverage during open enrollment, your current coverage will automatically be renewed for the coming year.
To review your options and make any necessary changes to your coverage, please visit our benefits portal at [URL]. If you have any questions or need assistance, our benefits team is here to help. You can reach them by responding to this email or by phone at [phone number].
Thank you for your attention and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!
Best regards,
The [Company Name] team
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One month before open enrollment deadline email
Subject: Open Enrollment Reminder
Hi team,
This is just a quick reminder that open enrollment for our company’s health insurance plans ends on [day], [date] at [time]. If you have not already made any changes to your coverage or enrolled in a new plan, now is the time to do so.
If you do not make any changes to your coverage during the open enrollment period, your current coverage will automatically be renewed for the coming year. This means that you will not have the opportunity to make changes to your coverage until the next open enrollment period.
To review your options and make any necessary changes to your coverage, please visit our benefits portal at [URL]. If you have any questions or need assistance, our benefits team is here to help. Reach them by responding to this email or by phone at [phone number].
Don’t miss your chance to review your health insurance options and make any necessary changes.
Best regards,
[Company Name] Team
[Anonymous survey option]
Is our open enrollment process clear and straightforward? [thumbs up/down + comment box]
Two weeks before open enrollment deadline email
Subject: Reminder: Open Enrollment Ends [Date]
Hi team,
There are two weeks left until our open enrollment deadline. Enrollment for our company’s health insurance plans ends on [day], [date] at [time].
If you have not already made any changes to your coverage or enrolled in a new plan, now is the time to do so.
Remember, if you do not make any changes to your coverage during open enrollment, your current coverage will automatically be renewed for the coming year. You will not have the opportunity to make changes to your coverage until the next open enrollment period.
To review your options and make any necessary changes to your coverage, please visit our benefits portal at [URL].
If you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions by responding to this email or contacting us by phone at [phone number]
We strongly encourage you to take a few minutes to review your options before the open enrollment period ends.
Best regards,
[Your name]
[Anonymous survey option]
How can we improve our open enrollment process? [anonymous comment]
One week before open enrollment deadline
Subject: Reminder: One week until open enrollment deadline!
Hello team,
This is a reminder that open enrollment for our company’s health insurance plans ends tomorrow, [day], [date] at [time]. Now is the time to make any desired changes to your coverage.
Important: if you do not make any changes to your coverage during open enrollment, your current coverage will automatically be renewed for the coming year. You will not have the opportunity to make changes until next year.
To review your options and make changes to your coverage, please visit our benefits portal at [URL].
We encourage you to reach out to our team should you have any questions. We are here to help! Contact us by responding to this email or by phone at [phone number].
Don’t miss out! Take a few minutes to review your options before the open enrollment period ends.
Best regards,
[Company Name] Team
[Anonymous survey option]
How can we improve our open enrollment process? [anonymous comments]
One day before open enrollment deadline
Subject: Attention: Last Day to Sign Up for Open Enrollment
Hi [employee name],
Open enrollment for our company’s health insurance plans is ending today. If you have not already done so, today is the last chance to review your options and make any necessary changes to your coverage.
To make the process as convenient as possible, we have made it possible for you to sign up for open enrollment online. Simply visit our benefits portal at [URL] and follow the prompts to review your options and make any necessary changes to your coverage.
If you have any questions or need assistance, our benefits team is here to help. You can reach them by responding to this email or contacting them by phone at [phone number].
Best regards,
[Company Name] Team
[Anonymous survey option]
Is our open enrollment process clear and straightforward? [thumbs up/down + anonymous comment]
Open enrollment confirmation email
Dear [Employee],
Thank you for participating in this year’s open enrollment period! We are pleased to confirm that your coverage selection for the coming year has been processed and is now in effect. [if the plan doesn’t come into effect immediately, let employees know how long it will take to process].
Your benefits package for the [year] plan includes:
- [Benefit 1]
- [Benefit 2]
- [Benefit 3]
Your premium for these benefits will be [premium amount] per pay period.
Please review your enrollment confirmation statement, which is attached to this email [attach any relevant resources/documents], for a summary of your coverage choices.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact our benefits team at [email / phone number].
Sincerely,
[Company Name] Benefits Team
[Anonymous survey option]
Rate our open enrollment process! [star ratings]
Other Sample Emails to Employees
Looking for more sample email templates? Whether you’re launching a new product or sending out an open enrollment announcement, ContactMonkey has a sample email template for every occasion:
- New employee welcome email template
- Employee appreciation sample email
- Sample email requesting feedback
- Sample email about a new process
- Performance review sample email
- Upcoming events email template
- Product launch sample email
- Sample email from CEO
- Sample HR email
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you announce open enrollment?
Email remains the most popular and reliable channel for announcing open enrollment. When creating your open enrollment email, structure your message in an order of importance. Begin by explaining that open enrollment is when employees can make changes to their health insurance coverage. Announce key open enrollment dates and highlight the risks of missing enrollment deadlines. If you have frontline or deskless workers, use employee SMS to reach more workers with your open enrollment reminders.
2. How do you present benefits to employees?
Communicate employee benefits and health insurance coverage details in your open enrollment email using bullet points. Keep things concise and use email-embedded hyperlinks to direct your readers to additional resources.
3. How do you make open enrollment fun?
Make open enrolment fun by using HTML newsletters to feature animated GIFs in your emails, along with memes and other interactive elements. Communications software like ContactMonkey lets you add videos, pulse surveys, and reactions to any open enrollment email. Use video communications to provide employees with open enrollment tutorials and leverage surveys to build dialogue. By creating two-way communication, you can make open enrollment more fun and engaging.
4. How do you inform employees about benefits?
Use an HTML newsletter to inform employees about benefits in a clear and engaging manner. Unlike static emails, HTML newsletters let you add links, buttons, and images to draw attention to employee benefits. ContactMonkey’s email builder lets you drag and drop dynamic text boxes where you can list employee benefits in a way that makes them stand out. Clickable content lets employees learn more about each benefit and connects them with appropriate resources.
5. How often do open enrollment periods usually occur?
Typically, open enrollment takes place once a year, although some insurance plans may have a different open enrollment period. Since employees can only make changes to their health insurance coverage during the designated period, it’s vital that your workforce is aware of relevant dates and deadlines for open enrollment.
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Streamline Open Enrollment with ContactMonkey
Open enrollment can be a hectic process for HR teams and employees alike. But it doesn’t have to be. By automating open enrollment messages and using pre-made templates, you can streamline the open enrollment process and ensure that everyone on your team registers in time.
ContactMonkey takes the hassle out of open enrollment. With professional email templates and automated sending and tracking, ContactMonkey maximizes email engagement for a more efficient open enrollment process.
See how ContactMonkey makes open enrollment simple—book your free demo today!
