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Blue @ Work

Open enrollment resources for employers

Tips to improve the process

This article was last updated on Oct. 13, 2023. 

As a human resource and benefit administrator, you spend the year preparing for open enrollment. Open enrollment is no easy task. It's more than just making everyone aware of their options, you want to make sure each employee feels confident that their choice is right for them and matches their individual needs.

Employees want to know how to choose a health plan

One challenge employers face is the perception that employees have no interest in learning about health insurance. While 51 percent External Site of the U.S. population lacks basic health insurance literacy, a survey from employee benefits company Optavise External Site showed that employees are eager to know more about their benefits and even chose to seek the information online or reach out to friends and family.

But it's also up to employers to educate virtual and onsite employees and answer their biggest health insurance questions, such as how to understand health insurance basics and choose a health plan.

Open enrollment resources for you and your employees

At Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, we want to make sure you have all the tools and resources in place to support your open enrollment efforts and make sure your employees become savvy health care consumers this open enrollment season.

For employers:

Consider the open enrollment ABCs

Assess your employees’ health care needs. Your employees' needs are always evolving, and your benefits package should, too. Listening to your employees is the best place to start in determining if you need to adjust your plan offerings or benefits. Whether you review your plan's claims, hold a “town hall meeting” or take a company-wide survey, always be listening to their feedback and evaluating it to determine what changes to benefits will positively impact your employees.

Be active. Engage your employees when it comes to their benefits. Use an “active” enrollment strategy that requires employees to select the right health care plan and additional benefits they want, rather than making passive selections based on the prior year’s plan.

Some employees may treat their health insurance like car insurance and only engage when it's time to make a decision. But they are accountable for learning about the plan options in order to make the best decision. You can help support their health insurance education year-round through quarterly lunch and learns, regular communications and one-on-one conversations.

Communicate, communicate, communicate. In many cases, there’s no such thing as too much communication. Repetition helps employees retain the message and act on it when it comes to choosing their health insurance benefits.

Employer resources from Wellmark

  1. News from BlueSM. Think of our monthly e-newsletter as your personal health plan assistant that gives you actionable, educational and tangible takeaways delivered straight to your inbox each month. Are you subscribed yet?
  2. Wellmark Marketing Toolkit. Access and order everything you need to create a successful open enrollment campaign by logging in to the Wellmark Marketing Toolkit Secure Site.

  3. Manage your benefits and help your employees with Employer Connection

    Employer Connection is a secure website available to help you manage Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans. When you log in, you can easily view your latest statement, access reports, order new ID cards for your employees, view benefits information, and much more. You'll only see what's relevant to your group, so it's simple to stay informed on what matters most to you.


For employees:

myWellmark® and open enrollment go hand-in-hand

By using myWellmark prior to open enrollment, employees who currently have a Wellmark health insurance plan can determine which network and plan best fit their health care usage and spending.

There are many ways you can deliver the information your employees need to help them be savvy health care consumers — all found on the Wellmark Marketing Toolkit.

Employee resources from Wellmark

  1. BlueSM offers educational and informational articles to help your employees navigate open enrollment and their health insurance Opens in a new window. They can learn how to get more out of their benefits when they visit the Plan Smart section of Blue.
  2. myWellmark. By registering for myWellmark Opens in a new window, they can make informed decisions by viewing past health care expenses and usage to better determine which plan is right for them before enrollment. They can also:
  • Locate in-network providers and facilities.
  • Estimate cost and care for services and procedures.
  • View benefits used.
  • Keep track of claims details, current deductibles, copays, coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximums.

Questions? Contact your authorized Wellmark account representative or email us at blueatwork@wellmark.com Send Email.