Open Enrollment Tips for Employers in 2026

Open Enrollment 2026: Everything You Need to Know

Did you know that 58% of employees are not confident in understanding how their health plans work? This statistic highlights the importance of making the open enrollment process as simple as possible for employees. The HR team plays a crucial role in this process, as they organize and facilitate open enrollment. Unfortunately, many HR experts find the process to be disorganized and stressful. If the HR team isn’t excited about open enrollment, motivating employees to enroll in benefits can be difficult.

At APS, we support employers nationwide through open enrollment every year. As regulations and workforce needs evolve, we’ve updated this year’s guide with the latest 2026 deadlines, plan changes, and SEP verification rules to help you stay compliant and confident.

What is Open Enrollment for Benefits?

Open enrollment is the time of year when you can enroll in a health insurance plan. Employees can either enroll in a plan offered by their employers or through the health insurance marketplace. Open enrollment typically happens in the fall, with coverage beginning at the start of the new year. 

However, there are circumstances where you can enroll outside of this period if certain life events occur, such as marriage, childbirth, loss of health coverage, etc. It’s not just essential, but empowering to stay informed about these options and take advantage of them when necessary.

How Does Open Enrollment Work?

Open enrollment typically lasts two to four weeks. Employers present eligible benefit options, and employees choose their plans. These options may include:

• Medical
• Vision
• Dental
• Life insurance
• Disability
• Accident and supplemental coverage

What is a High Deductible Health Plan?

A High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) features lower monthly premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs. Employees can pair an HDHP with a Health Savings Account (HSA) to pay for qualified medical expenses using pre-tax dollars.

Using an HDHP and HSA together remains popular in 2026, especially for employees who prefer to manage their care expenses while maximizing tax savings.

What Happens if Employees Miss Open Enrollment?

If an employee misses open enrollment, they must wait until the next cycle unless they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). Specific life events trigger SEPs, such as:

• Involuntary loss of coverage
• Marriage or divorce
• Gaining or becoming a dependent
• A permanent move
• Becoming eligible for a QSEHRA or Individual Coverage HRA

Due to a final rule, HealthCare.gov will now require verification of SEP eligibility for at least 75% of new applications. Employers should prepare to provide documentation (e.g., proof of marriage or loss of coverage), not just attest to their life events. 

Some states allow plan changes when a spouse or dependent passes away, and Medicare enrollment may trigger a plan switch during SEP.

Types of Plans Offered During Open Enrollment

In addition to health insurance, employers may offer the following types of plans during open enrollment:

• Vision Insurance: A health benefit partially covering vision care like eye exams and glasses.
• Dental Insurance: This covers the cost of essential or preventative dental procedures such as x-rays, cleanings, and fillings.
• Life Insurance: A plan that guarantees payment to an insured’s beneficiaries upon the insured’s death in exchange for a premium.
• Short and Long Term Disability: Provides income to the insured if they become disabled and can no longer work.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA): This account is an arrangement through an employer that allows an employee to pay for many out-of-pocket medical expenses using tax-free dollars.
• Health Savings Account (HSA): This type of savings account allows employees to set money aside for medical expenses using pre-tax dollars.

What is a High Deductible Health Plan?

A high-deductible health plan (HDHP) typically has a lower monthly premium but higher health costs for the insured before the employer pays its share. Employees can enroll in a tax-free HSA and use the money set aside to pay for certain medical expenses that can arise with an HDHP. 

Why is There an Open Enrollment Period?

It can be frustrating to wait for open enrollment to sign up for health insurance, but ensuring that insurance providers can maintain a balanced risk pool is critical. Enrolling healthy and ill individuals during the same period minimizes the risk of having only sick individuals sign up. 

This process helps to keep premiums affordable for everyone. So, if you have to wait for open enrollment, rest assured that it is necessary to ensure the stability of the health insurance market.

What is Open Enrollment In 2025?

For most states, the ACA open enrollment period runs from November 1, 2025, to January 15, 2026.

• If employees enroll by December 15, coverage starts January 1.
• If they enroll between December 16 and January 15, coverage begins February 1, 2026.
  (Some state exchanges may follow slightly different deadlines.)

However, state-based exchanges must end enrollment by December 31 (per new HHS guidance). Employers should confirm state-specific deadlines with their brokers or benefits administrators. Remember, plan names and coverage tiers may look different—review carrier updates early.

Source

What Happens if Employees Miss Open Enrollment?

Employees must keep track of their open enrollment period and make any necessary changes or selections. New in 2026, most ACA marketplaces now require applicants to submit documentation for SEP eligibility rather than self-attesting. For example, if an employee loses employer coverage, they must provide proof of coverage termination to qualify for special enrollment.

Employees who miss the open enrollment period may have to wait until the following year to make changes. They may also qualify for year-round enrollment through Medicaid or CHIP, or a short-term health plan to cover gaps, though these do not offer the full protections of ACA-compliant plans.

Suppose an employee experiences a qualifying life event. In that case, they can change their health insurance outside open enrollment. However, making selections during the open enrollment is still essential to ensure appropriate coverage throughout the year.

How Do I Make Open Enrollment Easier?

Open enrollment can be stressful for both employers and employees. To simplify the process, it is crucial to educate employees by reviewing your benefit offerings before open enrollment starts. Consider conducting an employee survey to identify areas where employees need the most help. Effective communication and planning are key to a successful open enrollment, improving the employee experience and boosting engagement. 

Additionally, it could be helpful to leverage a benefits specialist who can assist employees in understanding the various benefits available to them. A benefits specialist can provide personalized guidance, answer specific questions, and help employees make informed decisions. By providing this support, employees can make more informed decisions, and the organization can receive a more significant tax break as more employees enroll.

Need Help Streamlining Open Enrollment?

Download our FREE Open Enrollment Checklist for Employers Here!

Essential Employer Open Enrollment Tips

Once you understand employer open enrollment requirements, the next step is preparing for open enrollment. Here are some open enrollment tips for employers so you can make it a smooth and efficient process for everyone. 

1) Ditch the Paper Process

You might be used to offering seminars and one-on-one sessions to get documented benefit information into employees’ hands. While this is a beneficial way to communicate information to employees, in-person sessions and paper documents are ideal when your workforce is 100% on-site. An electronic open enrollment process makes it easy for on-site and remote employees to enroll.

• Go Virtual: To navigate open enrollment efficiently this year, consider offering a virtual “benefits cafe.” Invite employees to pour themselves a cup of coffee at home and listen in on a Zoom, Google Meet, Webex, or Webinar meeting. Encourage employees to consider any health or relationship changes during the year before selecting benefits. Use this time to discuss changes and steps needed to make informed elections.
• Go Paperless: If you use HR software or an intranet, offer all benefits package information electronically. Some HR solutions even offer PDF templates for letters, checklists, and guides to make the process more paper-free. Tip: Check the Department of Labor’s safe harbor guidelines for electronic retirement plan communications rules. Depending on employee preferences, you might be required to mail a paper copy of the open enrollment guide to select employees’ homes.

2) Be Concise

Information overload can be confusing for workers. After all, open enrollment has many moving parts, including choosing plans, communicating with employees, and fielding questions. Therefore, managers need to be concise throughout the open enrollment process to avoid confusion and chaos:

Provide Clear Details and Keep It Simple: Send an open enrollment announcement to employees so they know what to expect in the coming weeks. Provide news and insights to help make the decision process easier for your staff. Employees typically want to know four things when it comes to benefits options:

• Why do I need coverage?
• Which features fit my needs?
• What values does the program provide?
• How much is this going to cost me per paycheck?

3) Use Available Resources

If your benefits brokers offer employee-facing resources like handouts and FAQs, make those available to your staff. You can even provide employees with a glossary of benefit terms and acronyms to reference if they have any questions. Then, if they still need help understanding coverage options, make yourself easily accessible.

4) Implement an Open Enrollment Communication Strategy

Did you know that  24% of employees selected a different plan because they want access to more supportive benefits? 

How Do You Engage Employees During Open Enrollment?

So, how can an employer be more active in employee benefits enrollment? First, use a targeted strategy for open enrollment communication with your employees. 

We’ve compiled a list of tips to engage employees actively during open enrollment. Consider layering these ideas into your communication plan: 

• Provide Surveys to Employees: Send out a simple benefit survey to employees. Segment the surveys based on qualifying life events like job descriptions, salary, job location, age, number of dependents, marital status, etc. This approach will give you a better picture of what employees with similar lifestyles need. Then, recommend available plans that fit each lifestyle grouping. For example, a young, single employee will have different benefit needs than someone close to retiring.
• Create a Chat Channel: You can do this with Slack, Skype, and even social media channels. For example, employers using Slack can create a channel dedicated to open enrollment where employees can post benefits questions to HR. The channel is trackable, so other employees can easily search and find all the topics discussed.
• Send Text Message Updates: Sending text messages with links to important information is another effective way to keep your employees in the loop. This communication method is also helpful when sending open enrollment reminders to employees. In addition, some payroll and HR providers offer text message features so managers can schedule messages in bulk.
• Consider FAQ Pages: Consider adding an FAQ page to your company website to quickly answer commonly asked employee questions. This page can also include required information so employees are always in the loop.
• Create Call-to-Actions: Create messaging with a call to action notifying employees of their next steps in the open enrollment process. Ensure the actions are bold and bright so employees can notice them when looking through available plans.

5) Utilize an HR Provider

Thinking about everything you must do to prepare for open enrollment can be overwhelming. However, there is no need to drown in mounds of paperwork or deal with endless communications streams to carriers. Instead, consider using a payroll and HR provider to streamline your processes and eliminate the paper. Some benefits of utilizing an HR provider include:

• Simplified Enrollment: Online open enrollment provides a more straightforward process for employees to elect and update their benefits selections. Staff can log into an employee self-service site and follow guided prompts that walk them through their plan options and costs. Some HR solutions even offer instructional information during each step to help employees choose. HR software also assists in managing employers’ open enrollment requirements. This automation reduces manual processes for managers so that you can focus more on your workforce and less on paperwork.
• Carrier Connections: Some HR providers offer benefits enrollment through carrier connections, enabling you to submit paperwork to benefit providers electronically. This secure approach to benefits administration eliminates duplicate data entry and the potential for errors. It also improves employee service by eliminating carriers’ paper forms and enrollment reports. Here’s what a typical carrier connection process looks like:
  • An employee completes online open enrollment in employee self service.
  • The HR manager reviews the pending elections to see if any changes are needed.
  • Once approved, those benefit selections update automatically on the employee’s record.
  • The updated information is then synced to the benefits provider and updated in their system.

The great thing about this process is that you can communicate accurately and immediately with carriers. Send employee changes directly to carriers and avoid missing future enrollments. Using an automated process to submit benefits paperwork also ensures you will avoid charges for terminated or ineligible employees, resulting in additional cost savings for your organization.

• COBRA Administration: In its simplest form, COBRA administration requires four essential compliance components:

1. You notify all eligible group healthcare participants of their COBRA rights.
2. You provide employees with timely notices of COBRA eligibility, enrollment forms, coverage duration, and payment terms.
3. You collect premiums, reinstate coverage, and supply appropriate notices if premiums still need to be received.
4. You provide timely notices when COBRA coverage ends and respond to individuals seeking coverage who are not eligible for COBRA.

Fortunately, payroll and HR providers can help. Certain providers offer COBRA administration to help you mitigate compliance risks, track qualifying events, and meet coverage requirements. Some even have teams of experts on their staff. 

With an HR provider, you can automate paperwork and streamline compliance in a single system, saving you time and energy. You can even combine COBRA administration with carrier connection tools and online open enrollment to streamline your entire benefits process. 

• Built-in SEP Documentation Uploads: Many platforms now offer SEP verification workflows, allowing employees to upload required documents and track approval status in compliance with 2026 ACA rules.
• Instant Employee Access: Self-service tools give employees instant access to their benefits information, whether checking their pending elections or accessing current benefits information. Employees can log in, view open enrollment messages, and update personal information regardless of where they work. In addition, employees can view different plans and enroll in the ones available. They can also look into coverage types and manage their dependents.

A streamlined benefits process supports employee initiatives while saving your workforce time. Many HR providers even have desktop and mobile app versions of their self service platforms. This accessibility on the go makes it easy for employees to view their benefits. Mobility is convenient when employees are at a doctor’s appointment or visiting the dentist. 

How Do You Manage Open Enrollment? If your process is manual, consider learning how we can help you today. Learn More!

Start Preparing for Open Enrollment Today

Now is the time to start planning for open enrollment. Following these open enrollment tips for employers that we have provided can improve your employees’ overall experience. With a streamlined communication strategy and paperless process, you’ll quickly and efficiently get information into employees’ hands. Meanwhile, an HR provider can help you gain peace of mind through employee benefit access, accurate data, reduced compliance risks, and carrier connections. 

Disclaimer: This article intends to provide open enrollment tips for employers to have a successful process. It does not offer advice on benefits offerings or legislation. APS does not provide ASO or PEO services. Our platform assists with benefits administration, open enrollment, carrier integrations, and COBRA administration. If you need assistance evaluating benefit offerings and compliance with legislation, please contact your broker or HR consultant.

How APS Can Help

Take your open enrollment a step further with APS. We offer online benefits administration, simplified plan tracking, and COBRA administration in a unified platform. Manage all your benefit plans, including medical, dental, life, disability, and more.

APS’ Carrier Connections allows you to electronically transmit your benefits paperwork directly to providers. This direct transmission avoids dropped benefits and streamlines the entire approval process.

You’ll have access to an in-house team of experts dedicated to mitigating compliance risks and keeping you informed. Employees can even view the costs of different plans and coverage types, enroll in benefit plans, and manage their documents from their preferred electronic devices.

Learn more about how APS can help you make this open enrollment your best yet!

Sources

• EBRI 2024 Workplace Wellness Survey
• Open Enrollment for Health Insurance
• When Can You Get Healthcare Insurance?
• Open Enrollment Help: 7 Things to Consider
• What are the Deadlines for the ACA’s Open Enrollment Period?
• Find Out if You Can Get Health Coverage Now
• Health Benefits Open Enrollment 2026 | ETS
• Qualifying Life Events That Trigger ACA Special Enrollment
• Optavise report finds employers increase employee satisfaction by improving healthcare literacy | Optavise
• A Quick Guide to the Health Insurance Marketplace | Healthcare.gov
• HHS Finalizes ACA Marketplace Rule | Health Affairs
• 2025 Health Benefits Trends to Watch | Fidelity
• Default Electronic Disclosure by Employee Pension Benefit Plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act
• Healthcare.gov Glossary
• Employees Want Help Understanding Benefits Offered by Employers
• Employee Benefits Surveys: What Questions to Ask
• An Employer’s Guide to Group Health Continuation Coverage Under COBRA