Open Enrollment and Beyond: Why Benefits Should Be Accessible to Employees, Dependents, Candidates, and Retirees

Open Enrollment and Beyond: Why Benefits Should Be Accessible to Employees, Dependents, Candidates, and Retirees

Understanding your benefits shouldn’t feel like decoding a secret language. Yet for millions of Americans, that’s exactly what it feels like. And the problem reaches far beyond just the primary employee.

Open enrollment is the one time each year when most people actively engage with their benefits. But even during this critical window, confusion reigns. Health insurance terms are unclear. Benefit details are scattered across PDFs, portals, and outdated intranet pages. For anyone who isn’t the primary employee, like a dependent, candidate, or retiree, it’s even harder to find the right information, understand coverage, or know how to take action.

The Reality: Most People Don’t Understand Their Benefits

The numbers speak for themselves:

• Only 4% of Americans can define deductible, copay, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximum¹
  
  
• 57% of employees say they’re more confused about benefits now than before the pandemic²
  
  
• Confusion leads to missed care, poor decisions, and higher costs for individuals and employers alike³

If it’s difficult for employees to understand their own coverage, imagine being a spouse, dependent, or job candidate trying to figure it out without support.

And during open enrollment, this confusion only compounds. Retirees may miss deadlines. Candidates might walk away from offers they don’t fully understand. Families could delay needed care simply because they can’t find the right information.

A Quick Scenario: “Mom, Do I Have Vision Insurance?”

I need new glasses. I search my inbox and find a 57-page PDF labeled “2024 Benefits Guide.” I can’t tell if vision is included. The provider asks for a group ID, but I don’t have it.

So I do what every 22-year-old dreads: I text my mom.

“Do I have vision coverage?”

She replies: “I think so? Check that link from last year.”

Benefits shouldn’t be this hard to understand, especially during open enrollment when people are expected to make important choices that affect their health and finances for the year ahead.

The Fix: Make Benefits Clear, Centralized, and Accessible

The solution isn’t just better technology. It’s better access. When benefits information is centralized, easy to navigate, and available to everyone who needs it, everything improves: utilization goes up, confusion goes down, and people make better decisions about their care.

During open enrollment, this clarity is even more important. Employees, dependents, and candidates need to feel confident about their choices. That only happens when the information they rely on is clear, trustworthy, and easy to find.

That’s where SwellSpace comes in.

We help companies:

• Centralize benefits in one, always-on site
  
  
• Organize content by audience, plan year, and eligibility
  
  
• Simplify the experience with plain language, helpful AI, and certified documents everyone can trust

Whether it’s a retiree, a job candidate, or a kid texting mom about vision insurance, SwellSpace helps them get answers quickly and confidently.

Benefits should never feel like a mystery. During open enrollment and all year long, they should be accessible to everyone who depends on them.

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Sources

1. LIMRA: Only 4% of Americans Can Define Basic Health Insurance Terms (via LIMRA)
2. Voya Financial: One‑Third of Workers Don't Understand Their Benefits (Jan 2021)
3. PSCA/Payroll Integrations: 25% Feel "Not at All" or "A Little" Informed; Informed Employees More Likely to Participate (2024)