Open Enrollment 101: What It Is and What to Do, Step by Step

Every year, your job gives you a short window to pick or change your benefits. That window is called open enrollment. If you have ever stared at a benefits website and felt lost, you are not alone. This guide walks you through it one step at a time.

What is open enrollment?

Open enrollment is the time each year when you can sign up for, change, or drop benefits like health, dental, and vision insurance. Many jobs also use this time for things like a flexible spending account (FSA) or a health savings account (HSA).

Your employer sets its own dates. Watch for emails or letters from HR, and write the deadline on your calendar.

If you buy insurance on your own through the government Marketplace (HealthCare.gov), those dates are set nationally. For 2027 coverage, HealthCare.gov says open enrollment starts November 1. Enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1. Open enrollment ends January 15.

What if I miss it?

Outside open enrollment, you usually can't change your plan unless you have a big life change. HealthCare.gov calls this a "qualifying life event." Examples include getting married or divorced, having or adopting a baby, losing other health coverage, or moving.

These windows are short. The U.S. Department of Labor says that to add a new spouse or child to an employer plan under a federal law called HIPAA, you generally must ask within 30 days of the marriage, birth, or adoption. For Marketplace plans, it is generally 60 days. Don't wait.

Step-by-step: what to do

Step 1: Find your deadline and your materials. Look for your enrollment email or portal. Find the last day to make choices.

Step 2: Look back at last year. How often did you see a doctor? Did you fill prescriptions? Did anyone in your family have a big medical bill? Last year is a helpful guide for next year.

Step 3: Think about what is changing. New baby? Getting married? Planning surgery? A child turning 26? (The Department of Labor says that if your employer's plan covers dependent children, your child can stay on your plan until age 26.)

Step 4: Read each plan's "Summary of Benefits and Coverage" (SBC). HealthCare.gov describes the SBC as an easy-to-read summary that lets you compare costs and coverage between plans. You get one when you shop for coverage through your job. Use it to compare the premium, deductible, copays, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximum. (See Health insurance words explained.)

Step 5: Check your doctors and medicines. Make sure your doctors are "in network" for the plan you pick. Check that your prescriptions are covered.

Step 6: Add up the total cost, not just the paycheck cost. The cheapest monthly price is not always the cheapest plan. HealthCare.gov notes that if you need a lot of care, a plan with a slightly higher premium but a lower deductible may save you money.

Made-up example: Maria compares two plans. Plan A costs $40 less per paycheck but has a much higher deductible. Maria has a planned surgery next year. When she adds the premiums and what she'd likely pay for the surgery, Plan B costs her less overall.

Step 7: Decide on HSA or FSA money. These accounts let you set aside money for medical costs with tax savings. Each has its own rules and yearly limits. (See HSA explained, FSA explained, and HSA vs FSA.)

Step 8: Review the "extras." Dental, vision, life insurance, and disability insurance are often chosen at the same time. (See Life and disability insurance at work and Dental and vision coverage.)

Step 9: Check who is covered and your beneficiaries. Add or remove family members as needed. Make sure your life insurance and retirement account beneficiaries are up to date.

Step 10: Submit, then save proof. Take a screenshot or save the confirmation page. After your first paycheck in the new year, check that the right amounts are coming out.

Why it is worth an hour of your time

Health benefits are a big expense. KFF's 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey found that workers paid $7,471 on average in 2026 toward premiums for family coverage through their job. Among workers with a deductible for single coverage, the average deductible was $1,955. Your own costs may be very different, but these numbers show why it pays to choose carefully.

A few honest tips

• Don't just click "keep everything the same" without looking. Plans and prices can change each year.
• If you have a spouse with job-based coverage, compare both employers' options.
• If something is confusing, ask HR. That's what they are there for.