One of our Core Values at benefitbay® is adaptability. We believe it is important for you as an employer to have all the resources to ensure your company's implementation of the Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) for medical is successful. We know change can be difficult for some and we strive to continue to improve our platform and processes to make it easy for you AND your employees!
As part of that adaptability, we've provided you with communications below to help educate and communicate with your employees on the upcoming ICHRA enrollment.
Announcement of ICHRA
Who should you send the email to? Every employee who is eligible to participate in the upcoming enrollment.
When is the email sent? The email should be sent as soon as the company decides to offer ICHRA; for compliance, at least 90 days prior to the start of open enrollment is the best practice.
What is the context of the email?
"Subject: Open Enrollment - Individual Health Insurance Coverage
Team,
We will once again offer an Open Enrollment period for each one of you to select your 2024 benefits.
This year, we are excited to provide you with a more personalized medical insurance solution! You can now buy insurance from a larger number of carriers who can offer a wider variety of plans from which to choose. Your purchase can be based on your individual needs. Here are a few of the basics:
Our company will provide you with a monthly tax-free allowance that you can spend on your monthly health insurance premium.
You will shop online for insurance in the healthcare marketplace by working with our partners from benefitbay®. To learn more about benefitbay®, please watch this video.
Since you will choose your own policy, your shopping decision can be focused on the doctors, prescriptions, and other important healthcare factors that meet your needs.
Because this is a new type of medical insurance benefit, attached is a document entitled “Individual Coverage HRA Model Notice”. The purpose of this document is to educate you about individual health insurance coverage. More information will be sent to you prior to Open Enrollment.
If you have any questions, please contact <Name> from Human Resources.
Attachment: “Individual Coverage HRA Model Notice”
Open Enrollment is Starting in Five Days
Who should you send the email to? Every employee who is eligible to participate in the upcoming enrollment.
When is the email sent? The email should be sent five days prior to the day the enrollment is scheduled to start.
What is the context of the email?
"Subject: Open Enrollment - Count Down Has Begun
Team,
Open enrollment will be here in five short days! We want to help you prepare for success! In the last email, you had a chance to learn who our Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) partner is with benefitbay®. However, you may still be wondering exactly what ICHRA is. Here is what you need to know:
Our upcoming open enrollment dates are <enrollment period dates>. Enrollment must be completed during this time.
We are providing a monthly contribution to be utilized for the monthly premium amount.
YOU now have the power to choose which Insurance Carrier AND plan is best for your family.
This will be YOUR personal plan owned by YOU!
When it's time to start, benefitbay® will send you an email to get logged in to start the enrollment.
As we know this is a change, and tools and resources will be provided along the way to help you with this transition. Here is an article on what ICHRA is if you would like to learn more about this new way of gaining medical insurance coverage. As we continue this journey, more information and tools will be provided.
If you have any questions, please contact <Name> from Human Resources.
Open Enrollment is Starting Tomorrow
Who should you send the email to? Every employee who is eligible to participate in the upcoming enrollment.
When is the email sent? The email should be sent the day before enrollment is scheduled to start.
What is the context of the email?
"Subject: Open Enrollment - The Time is ALMOST Here!
Team,
We only have one more day before this year's Open Enrollment begins! Here are some last-minute reminders:
Tomorrow, you will receive an email from benefitbay® to log in to start the enrollment for medical coverage
If you don't receive the email, please check your spam/junk folder
Watch this quick video to learn more about the enrollment process
This article will provide instructions on each step of the enrollment
If you need assistance at any time during the enrollment journey, please connect with benefitbay® utilizing the chat icon (located in the bottom right corner) or send an email to support@benefitbay.com.
FAQs
What is the value of sending all this information to our company's employees?
Answer: While working with employer groups in the past, the common feedback has been that employees were not prepared for the change. As an employer who may also be new to ICHRA, we want to equip you with quick tools to make the transition easy.
What if our company wants to send some of the emails, but not all of them?
Answer: As an employer, we trust that you know your employees best! This is a tool and resource that you can use to help you. If you think an email is not necessary, feel free to skip it. If you choose this option, just be sure to edit the next communication if needed.
What if I want to edit the context of the emails?
Answer: You are free to edit the context of the emails. The provided templates are available as a resource to add ease to the task of overseeing Open Enrollment for your company. We understand your company may offer other benefits besides medical as well in which you need to provide information.
Will I be informed of changes made to the context of the emails?
Answer: You will not receive a "formal" notification of any changes made. Changes can occur due to changes in our platform or processes at any time. However, you can refer to this article for any updates.
Can benefitbay® send the emails to employees instead of our Human Resources?
Answer: We always welcome your feedback for future enhancements, but we are sorry, this option is not available at this time due to system limitations.