Planning Ahead

get a jump on open enrollment season

Summer might be synonymous with vacations, cookouts, and long weekends, but it’s also the perfect time for HR and benefits teams to get ahead of the annual open enrollment scramble. Waiting until fall can leave you fighting last-minute compliance headaches, rushed decisions, and avoidable cost surprises. A little planning now sets you, your employees, and your budget up for success later.

Here’s how to make the most of the quieter summer months.

Take Stock of What Worked—and What Didn’t

First things first: review last year’s open enrollment. What went smoothly? Where did you see confusion, repeated questions, or unexpected costs? Gathering honest feedback from your HR team, benefits partners, and employees now helps you tackle pain points before they snowball into bigger issues.

This is also a great time to audit your current benefits offerings. Are there plans that employees don’t understand or rarely use? Benefits that could be more competitive? Small tweaks made in advance can pay off big in participation and cost-effectiveness come enrollment time.

Tackle Compliance Early

Regulations don’t take a summer break, unfortunately. Making sure your plan documents, notices, and ACA reporting requirements are current now can save you stress (and penalties) down the road. Summer gives you breathing room to work with your brokers, legal advisors, or benefits consultants to catch any compliance gaps and address them proactively.

Refresh Your Employee Communication Plan

We all know that benefits communication can make or break open enrollment. Too often, plan changes or new offerings get buried in jargon-heavy emails or packets that never get read. Use the summer to build a clear, engaging communication strategy.

Think about multiple touchpoints — a short video overview, FAQs, live or virtual info sessions, and easy-to-digest emails or handouts. When employees understand their options, they’re more likely to make smart choices for themselves and their families — and less likely to flood HR with last-minute questions.

Partner Up and Plan Ahead

Your benefits broker or consulting partner (hi, that’s us!) is a great resource in this prep phase. We can help benchmark your plan designs, explore cost-saving opportunities, and map out any recommended updates before they become a fire drill.

Setting a realistic timeline now — and getting key stakeholders aligned — makes it easier to handle approvals, carrier deadlines, and plan changes without the usual fall chaos.

Small Steps Now, Big Wins Later

Open enrollment doesn’t have to be stressful. By taking a little time this summer to review, update, and communicate proactively, you’ll be ready to offer employees plans they understand and value — without any unpleasant compliance or cost surprises.

Need a hand getting started? We’re here to help you make this your smoothest open enrollment season yet.

Top 5 Series Take — The Power 5

The Power 5: Ways to Get Ahead of Open Enrollment Season

Open enrollment doesn’t have to sneak up on you — or your budget. Here are five smart moves to make now, while summer’s calm, so you’re ready for a smooth, compliant, and cost-effective enrollment season this fall:

1. Review Last Year’s Process: Take time to look at what worked and what caused headaches. Gather feedback from your HR team and employees to pinpoint confusion, low engagement, or unexpected costs.

2. Audit Your Benefits Offerings: Check which plans employees actually use and understand. Summer is the perfect window to adjust offerings or update designs so they stay competitive and cost-effective.

3. Get Compliance in Order Early: Avoid last-minute compliance surprises. Double-check that plan documents, notices, and ACA reporting are up to date. Tackle any gaps now — before they become urgent (or expensive) issues.

4. Plan Your Employee Communications: Good communication is half the battle. Draft clear, engaging messages, FAQs, videos, or info sessions now, so employees understand their choices — and HR spends less time answering repeat questions later.

5. Lean on Your Benefits Partner: Your broker or consultant (that’s us!) can help benchmark plan performance, recommend smart updates, and keep you on track with deadlines and approvals. Bring us in early and avoid the fall scramble.

Takeaway: Summer prep = fall success. Start now, stress less later.

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summary:

Open enrollment season doesn’t have to be a last-minute scramble. Summer is the ideal time for employers to review last year’s process, fine-tune benefits offerings, tackle compliance updates, and plan clear employee communications — all before the busy fall rush. With a little prep now, you can avoid unexpected costs and headaches later, making enrollment smoother for your team and easier for your employees to navigate. intellicents is here to help you get ahead and stay ahead.