Healthcare Open Enrollment Trends Point to Integration of AI Tools and Increased Digital Engagement

Alight, Inc. a leading cloud-based human capital and technology services provider, released an analysis from its recently concluded annual healthcare fall open enrollment period highlighting key trends across participants it serves including an uptick in digital engagement for participant enrollment, increased (Health Savings Account) contributions, the addition of voluntary benefits, and the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to help participants enroll.

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During the 2023 open enrollment period, Alight successfully enrolled over 9 million users through its Alight Worklife ^® platform. Based on this subset of participants, Alight identified key trends and shifts in this year’s annual enrollment, including:

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• Users prefer digital engagement: Over 95% of enrollees used digital platforms for the enrollment process, including a 200% increase in the use of the Alight mobile app.
• AI-supported enrollment is becoming the norm: 95% of employers served by Alight offered AI tools and features, such as Alight’s AI-powered virtual assistant, Ask Lisa, to guide their employees through the enrollment process, to facilitate more informed decisions and help them find the benefits to best fit their needs. Ask Lisa streamlines the annual enrollment experience for employees allowing them to easily re-enroll into their current benefit programs and contributions automatically. Ask Lisa can also respond to employee inquiries with specific, personalized information such as spending account claim decisions to debit card status and even benefit payment information for inactive employees.
• Health plan enrollment remains steady: Approximately 73% of employees elected coverage in an employer-sponsored plan.
• HSA contributions are increasing: More than 60% of employees chose to contribute to their Health Savings Account (HSA), with a majority also benefiting from employer contributions.
• More employers are offering voluntary benefits: Employers demonstrated a growing trend in adding voluntary benefit plans, particularly in the Health Supplement and Whole Life with Long-Term Care coverage space.

“The results from our open enrollment season demonstrate an increased appetite from both employers and employees to streamline and optimize the enrollment experience with the help of AI and other digital tools,” said Karen Frost, vice president of health strategy at Alight. “We are excited to see the increasing use of digital and mobile channels through the Alight Worklife platform as high levels of engagement both during enrollment and throughout the year are how we help clients successfully execute their health care strategies.”

John Compton, senior director of health at Alight, added “Artificial Intelligence, including our Ask Lisa feature, continues to play a vital role in the employee experience. Employees are using these tools to find the benefits that best align with their unique needs.”

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The comprehensive results of this year’s open enrollment season and an in-depth analysis into the evolving landscape of employee benefits and the impact of technology on the open enrollment experience will be published in Alight’s 2024 Benefits and Enrollment Trends Report, scheduled for release in early 2024.

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