As an employer, we want you to have the resources to communicate and educate your employees about their ICHRA experience!
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 the following communications to help educate and communicate with your employees about 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, the best practice is at least 90 days before the start of Open Enrollment.
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 2025 benefits.
We are excited to provide a more personalized medical insurance solution this year! 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:
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Our company will provide you with a monthly tax-free allowance that you can spend on your monthly health insurance premium.
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You will shop online for insurance in the healthcare marketplace by working with our partners from benefitbay. To learn more about benefitbay, please click here.
- Since you will choose your policy, your shopping decision can be focused on the doctors, prescriptions, and other important healthcare factors that meet your needs.
- We would like to encourage you to fill all your prescriptions at the end of December. If possible, it is best practice to schedule doctor's appointments for late in January or February.
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 notify you about individual health insurance coverage. More information will be sent to you before Open Enrollment.
If you have any questions, please contact <Name> from Human Resources.
Attachment: “Individual Coverage HRA Model Notice”
Click here to download a copy of the "Announcement of ICHRA" email template in Spanish.
Open Enrollment 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 before the first day of enrollment.
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 about benefitbay, our Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) partner. However, you may still be wondering exactly what ICHRA is. Here is what you need to know:
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Our upcoming Open Enrollment dates are <enrollment period dates>. Enrollment must be completed during this time.
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We are providing a monthly contribution to be utilized for your monthly premium amount. These funds will be available via the pre-funded checking account (ARC Account) already established to pay your carrier directly for your premiums. If you would like to learn more about this bank account, please click here.
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YOU now have the power to choose which insurance carrier AND plan is best for your family.
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This will be YOUR personal plan owned by YOU!
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When it's time to start, benefitbay will send you an email to get logged in to start the enrollment.
We know that changing to ICHRA can bring a lot of questions but you will be provided with tools and resources along the way to help you with this transition. Here is a resource center provided by benefitbay to help you understand what ICHRA is and how you can get the most out of your medical benefits. As we continue this journey, more information and tools will be provided.
If you have any questions, please contact <Name> from Human Resources.
Click here to download a copy of the "Open Enrollment Starting in Five Days" email template in Spanish.
Open Enrollment 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 our Open Enrollment begins! Here are some last-minute reminders:
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Tomorrow, you will receive an email from benefitbay to log in to start the enrollment for medical coverage
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If you don't receive the email, please check your spam/junk folder
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Watch this quick video to learn more about the enrollment process
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This knowledge base 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.
Click here to download a copy of "Open Enrollment Starting Tomorrow" email template in Spanish.
After Open Enrollment Has Ended
Who should you send the email to? Every employee who participated in Open Enrollment.
When is the email sent? The email should be sent after Open Enrollment has ended.
What is the context of the email?
"Subject: Open Enrollment - Congratulations, We Made It!
Team,
Let's celebrate! We have completed our Open Enrollment!
A couple of quick items to keep in mind in the upcoming year.
- If you need to change coverage or select coverage due to a qualifying life event (QLE), please get in touch with the Human Resources Department.
- Here is an article with examples of life events that would qualify for a change in your coverage.
- Remember, these insurance policies are individual and personally owned by you. If you receive any mail, email, or phone calls from your carrier, please contact the benefitbay support team (support@benefitbay.com). If the benefitbay team contacts you, please be sure to work with them promptly to ensure your insurance has no lapse in coverage.
- Click here for more tips and tricks on managing your individual insurance policy.
We are excited to have successfully made the change to ICHRA and are proud to offer you the power of personal choice. We appreciate your patience and participation during this Open Enrollment.
Click here to download a copy of "After Open Enrollment Has Ended" email template in Spanish.
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 in any way you need. 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 content of the emails?
Answer: You are free to edit the content of these emails. The provided templates are available as a resource to help set employees up well for their Open Enrollment. We understand your company may offer other benefits besides medical and you may want to add additional information to the body of the emails.
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.