Open Enrollment Essentials

If you’re an employee of a school district in Arizona, open enrollment is close at hand! Your employer is making final benefit vendor selections and rate decisions right now, laying the critical groundwork to roll out benefits to employees for the 2019-2020 plan year.  

Districts and government agencies designate a specific period for you to choose your benefits package for the next plan year. For many public sector employers, that period coincides with the fiscal year, which runs from July 1 through June 30.

Typically held in the spring, open enrollment is available for elections, questions and changes for two to four weeks depending on the employer. These meetings can be one-on-one time with benefits counselors, webinars, group presentations, and/or benefit fairs where employees can speak to the benefit vendors. Sometimes more than one educational opportunity is offered and most employers will allow employees to bring spouses to the meetings so they are hearing the same message and can ask questions.

The two to four week open enrollment period is your benefits education opportunity and ensures that you are choosing the right coverage for you, your family and your budget.

If you are eligible for benefits, this is a crucial time. If you don’t enroll during this open enrollment period, you won’t have a chance to elect or make changes until next year’s open enrollment, unless you experience a qualifying event.

Don’t miss this opportunity! Watch for announcements about enrollment meetings and deadlines from your employer.

Valley Schools offers our members onsite support for open enrollment, as well as custom benefit education videos. We’re here to help members with this complicated process. Contact us today!