First ever open enrollment

DB

The City will be having it's first ever open enrollment this June. Until July of 2004 employees could make any coverage changes they needed at any time. Since July we have had a medical plan with the typical restrictions on making mid-year changes.

I'm looking for suggestions on how to best educate employees and get forms completed during open enrollment. We have about 140 covered employees - about half work day-shift but the rest are police and EMS personnel who work varied shifts to cover the City 24/7.

Does anyone require all employees to sign off on something like "I understand this is my one time per year to make changes unless a qualifying event occurs."?

What I can see happening - no matter how many posters, payroll stuffers or emails I send out - is Employee Joe coming to me in September saying I never knew anything about this and then - as a small City - I have a public relations issue.

Any ideas or suggested wording will be appreciated. Thanks for reading this long post.

Kiwi

When we did our first open enrollment a few years ago, we had group meetings to explain the benefits and the new-to-them changes restrictions. We made them sign in when they went into the meeting so we could compare with our eligibles roster and chase down people who missed for an individual meeting. The qualifying event rules were explained verbally and in writing. We had the same 2 people conduct every meeting (group and individual) so we were sure the message given out was consistant. Do your upmost to convey the rules to them. Having them sign an acknowledgement of the rules is a good idea. Some will still come back later and say they didn't understand, though. Good luck.

lnelson

Changing benefits is always difficult.
We usually do the same as Kiwi by setting up meetings with the insurance co reps and our ees. This ensures to the best of our ability that the ees have a chance to ask questions and also be informed of the changes.
Signing an acknowledgement is also good I would do both at the same time this is to show they were at the meeting.

stilldazed

Does your reference to first open enrollment also mean your first application of Sec 125 cafeteria plan applied in this manner? which would restrict mid-year plan changes for some benefits.

If I misunderstand your reference, my response is probably off base. But, if my inference is correct about the Sec 125 part, you really should get each employee's sign off that the plan was offered and accepted/declined by the employee. I definitely understand that getting that may not be an option with every employee. We run into the same issue with night-shifters or folks on benefits-protected LOA, send notice by certified mail that clearly explains their need to elect/decline in writing, or try some mandatory meetings and present a statement to that effect, or try running the dissenters down individually if time permits. We've done some of all of the above. It can be time consuming but helpful after the fact if the employee comes back requesting a midyear change that includes enrollment when he/she passed on enrollment during open enrollment.

Don D

I agree with Kiwi and lnelson. Have an enrollment meeting, scheduled so that every single person attends, circulate a sign in sheet and attach it to your agenda or slide presentation. This is really the only reason to have a 'sign in sheet' for training and we do that every time we meet and we meet a hundred or so times a year it seems. A copy of the sign in roster goes in each ee's file. Paper-intensive, but it saves your bacon when someone says they never heard of it.

ritaanz

Bacon? Did someone say bacon? x:D

I hold open enrollment meetings every year. The groups are typically 12 to 15 people. Since we have Section 125, accept/decline forms are passed out and signed.

I ALWAYS tell them that their selection is for one year and also explain what a qualifing event is. Yes, you will get one or two people coming in to your office with a change request. But that's human nature.