Workers Prefer ‘Human Touch’ During Open Enrollment Process

With many health insurance open enrollment windows set to begin on November 1, time is ticking for employers to strategize about how to help their employees make the best benefits decisions for 2026.

Benefits-eligible employees will have approximately two weeks to make decisions about their health coverage for 2026. But are they prepared to do so?

The Human Touch

According to New York Life’s annual open enrollment survey conducted by its group benefit solutions group, human guidance remains “central in benefits support,” despite an age of digital advancement. Among employee respondents, 62% indicated a strong preference for human interaction when discussing sensitive life events such as bereavement, caregiving and childcare, in the context of benefits support.

The human touch again ranked first among employees enrolling in new benefits: 37% of respondents reported favoring only human support, and 31% preferred what Orla Nixon, head of claims in New York Life’s group benefit solutions department, calls a “balanced approach”: some combination of artificial intelligence, digital tools and human support. Fewer than 10% were interested in AI-only support to address their various benefits-related questions.

Emphasizing the desire for human interaction, 80% of respondents to Equitable’s most recent Consumer Finance Survey said it is important to have a financial adviser when selecting and managing benefits—yet only 20% reported consulting one during open enrollment. 

Meanwhile, younger generations are more likely to use digital tools for their enrollment needs. Among Generation Z respondents, 37% reported using social media platforms to help them make decisions during open enrollment, compared with 23% of all respondents. Of Millennials, 30% said they used AI tools for benefits guidance, 10 percentage points higher than the average for all employees.

The Knowledge Gap 

Equitable’s survey also indicated that employee benefits knowledge is lacking. Fewer than half of employees (43%) reported knowing how to enroll in benefits through their employers, and only about one-third (36%) felt extremely knowledgeable about which benefits they need to enroll in to cover their needs. 

Similarly, Equitable’s survey found nearly 40% of employees lack confidence in their understanding of voluntary benefits. Yet, once informed, more than 80% said they consider them highly valuable.

According to a Voya study published in June, in September and October 2024, 65% of employed, benefits-eligible Americans reported feeling confident in selecting the right benefits to meet their needs, down five percentage points from those who said the same in June 2023.

Among respondents to the Voya survey, 49% reported spending fewer than 20 minutes reviewing workplace benefits, a 7% increase from those who said the same one year prior. Meanwhile, the Voya Financial Consumer Insights & Research Survey, fielded in August, found that 77% of employees questioned said they are likely to spend more time reviewing their benefit elections during open enrollment this year due to the state of the economy, up from 69% who said the same last year.

Greater “intentionality” about selecting benefits, coupled with “a little bit of anxiety and fear of the [economic] unknown” have fueled participant desires to spend more time on their benefit elections this year, according to Christin Kuretich, vice president of supplemental products at Voya.

What Can Humans Do?

Voya’s research also found “personalization is paramount,” as 40% of respondents reported that tailored benefit recommendations would increase their confidence in making benefit decisions, and 39% reported that interactive calculators and individualized support from human resources would increase their confidence as well.

Employees are “craving” more guidance and support from their employers, says Kuretich, who says “financial coaching” can help employees identify their benefits needs. Such coaches, sponsored by an employer or independent, can help connect the benefits employees choose today and the impact of those choices on employees’ long-term financial goals.

But there should not be a “fire drill” right before open enrollment, says New York Life’s Nixon. Employers should aim for less “moment-in-time” education and more of an “ongoing dialogue throughout the year.”

In addition to employers and advisers doing their parts to educate employees, and employees leaning into their preferred education pipeline, Kuretich suggests providers market their benefits “clearly and concisely.”

Most respondents to Equitable’s survey said their ideal benefits experience would be easy to navigate (65%), with clear, plain-language explanations (55%).

“Is there too much legal jargon in this piece?” Kuretich suggests providers ask themselves. Or, maybe, does a document contain “confusing language that doesn’t translate to everyday language?”

The Voya Financial Consumer Insights & Research Survey was conducted August 5 and 6 among U.S. adults working full time or part time.

Responses from the Equitable Consumer Finance Survey were collected from August 28 through September 4 from 1,000 U.S. adults.

New York Life Group Benefit Solutions’ annual open enrollment survey was fielded online from August 23 through August 25 among 858 adults who receive health insurance either on their own or through their spouse’s employer or union.