Open enrollment: Countdown toolkit
Open enrollment season is right around the corner and we encourage our groups to start preparing as soon as possible. To help get you get started, we’re pleased to provide you with an open enrollment: countdown toolkit. This toolkit walks you through the process of creating your open enrollment, keeping you on track for when and how to complete each step.
Have you submitted an RBI for benefits you want made available during open enrollment?
If you have Request for Benefit Implementation (RBI) changes with an effective date that is the same as your open enrollment effective date, be sure the RBI has been submitted to MESSA at least 15 days before your open enrollment. The RBI must be completed by MESSA before you create the open enrollment for your group (step 3 below). This is important. If you create your open enrollment before the RBI benefit changes are made, the new, changed benefits will not display or be available for your employees when making their open enrollment benefit elections.
Questions about using the Request for Benefit Implementation (RBI) tool on the MESSA business administration center? No worries, our User guide: Request for benefit implementation (RBI) will help you:
- Submit an RBI, with an existing quote
- Submit an RBI, without an existing quote
- Create a new group
- Cancel all benefits for a group or groups
If you have any questions about changing any MESSA benefits, please reach out to your MESSA field representative or contact Field Services directly at 800-292-4910.
Have you let MESSA know when your open enrollment will take place?
Open enrollment is a busy time of year for everyone. To support you and your employees, MESSA is asking that you provide us with the dates you expect to hold your 2022 open enrollment. This information will help us manage our resources in our commitment to providing exceptional customer service.
If you have not yet provided MESSA with this information, click here MGroupServices@messa.org to provide the following:
- Group name
- Applicable eligibility group(s) (teachers, bus drivers, all, etc.)
- First day of your open enrollment period
- Last day of your open enrollment period
- Effective date of the benefit elections
Do the costs of your benefits need to be updated?
If you have costs that need to be updated in the online benefits website, send your MESSA benefit and enrollment processor (BEP) an email at MESSAGroupAdministration@messa.org. Your BEP will reply to let you know exactly what information we need from you in order to complete this task.
Have you created your open enrollment in the online benefits website?
Before annual benefit elections and changes can be made by your employees, use the online benefits website to create an open enrollment for all groups within your company.
Creating your open enrollment is easy when you follow the step-by-step instructions here: User guide: Creating an open enrollment. This guide walks you through:
- Selecting benefit classes
- Selecting benefit plan types
- Selecting effective date rules
- Extending an existing open enrollment period
Additionally, the guide will teach you about:
- Monitoring an existing open enrollment
- Viewing a report of approved open enrollment changes
- Approving changes after the initial approval
Would you like MESSA representatives on-site for your open enrollment meetings?
Contact your MESSA field representative to schedule a date for MESSA representatives to be on-site and available to answer benefit questions and help your employees complete their open enrollment.
Do your employees know it’s open enrollment time?
Notify your employees their annual open enrollment will take place soon. Be sure to remind them this is the perfect opportunity to:
- Update demographic information
- Review/add/edit family information
- Review/elect/change health care benefits, optional life insurance options and supplemental indemnity coverage.
- Review/update beneficiary designations
These easy to follow instructions help employees navigate their open enrollment in the online benefits website:
Online enrollment at a glance
User guide: Open enrollment
MESSA can complete your open enrollment for you!
Sign up for Open Enrollment Administration and our team will complete your open enrollment for you, start to finish. Don’t want to give up complete control? That’s ok. This service is completely customizable to the level of support you’d like. You complete the parts you want, we’ll do the rest. What’s better? This service is free of charge with no cost to you.
Learn more about open enrollment administration. Call 888-888-4167, ext. 5517, at least 30 days prior to the start of your open enrollment.
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Questions about your MESSA benefits? Call MESSA Group Services at 888-888-4167. We’re here to help!