The Open Enrollment Playbook

Real plays from real teams. The specific moves that turn open enrollment into the moment people start using their benefits.

Open enrollment isn't the finish line for engagement. It's the first login. Most benefits programs measure success at "enrolled." We measure it at "opened the Member app and came back," because getting employees to download it and return on their own is where most programs stop.

These plays didn't come from an algorithm. They came from real employers who ran them, with Medefy alongside every step. Clients who build engagement into open enrollment see up to 70% active use, well above what most point solutions reach.

THE PLAYS

Three OE plays. Three different challenges.

All from real Medefy clients.

Stop whiffing on your plan information

Play #1: Leverage your home field advantage

The result: 63% increase in registrations.

This client's HR team moved all of their plan information into Medefy and required every employee to complete an Electronic Consent Notice inside the app — which meant, for many employees, that was the first time they'd ever downloaded it and logged in. Every communication went out from the organization's own domain, under their HR leader's name, so it read as coming directly from HR, not an outside vendor.

▶ Watch Video Download the Full Playbook
The takeaway:

Centralize your plan information somewhere employees already trust, send communications under your own name, and build a required step into enrollment that gets people to open the app for the first time.

"The strongest plays don't feel like they came from a vendor — they feel like they came from you."


Nonprofit Organization · Oklahoma · Mid-Size Employer

Member engagement falling flat?

Play #2: Move beyond the login screen

The result: 10–12% adoption lift from the paycheck stuffers alone.

Paycheck stuffers with QR codes, breakroom and office graphics, swag, and materials available in Spanish across every channel — meeting members where they already were, not just in their inbox.

▶ Watch Video Download the Full Playbook
The takeaway:

Email isn't the only channel your workforce pays attention to. Physical touchpoints and materials in the languages your employees actually speak can move adoption further than email alone.

"Reach members where a login screen can't — starting with the breakroom and the paycheck."


Food & Beverage Employer · Southeast U.S. · Multilingual Workforce

Out of pickle (and into momentum)

Play #3: Turn incentives into resounding rewards

The result: ~20% adoption within days of rollout.

A newly launched client built momentum with a high-value incentive tied directly to launch — a series of prize drawings staged over several months, including one at their benefits fair.

▶ Watch Video Download the Full Playbook
The takeaway:

A well-timed incentive can turn "I'll get to it eventually" into "let's do this now." Stage the excitement across the enrollment window instead of spending it all in week one.

"A well-timed incentive beats a big one, every time."


Software Company · Small-to-Midsize Employer

Frequently Asked Questions

Open enrollment is the one moment every year when employees are already paying attention to their benefits. Getting them to download and log into a benefits platform during that window rather than losing them to inertia sets the pattern for whether they turn to it later when they actually need help with a healthcare decision.

Many point solutions see adoption in the single digits to low double digits. Medefy clients who build engagement into open enrollment have seen adoption as high as 70%.

The plays on this page are real examples: centralizing plan information in one place, sending communications under the employer's own name instead of a vendor's, using physical and multilingual materials to reach employees beyond email, and using incentives tied to launch moments.

Medefy is a healthcare and benefits navigation platform that centralizes an employer's benefits information and pairs members with Care Guides for support making healthcare decisions year-round.

Want These Results for Your Open Enrollment?

Talk to our team about bringing The OE Playbook to your workforce this year.

  • Full integration support with your existing benefits consultants
  • Bespoke co-branded campaign assets, digital and print
  • Care Guide launch support on enrollment day