Open Enrollment Support, your annual benefits review, handled.
Open enrollment is the one time each year when every benefits decision gets reviewed, and for small businesses without an HR department, it can feel overwhelming.
Open Enrollment Support
Kain Carlson manages the entire open enrollment process for ND and MN businesses: the renewal review in August, employee education and enrollment in October, and year-round support for everything that happens in between.
Carrier Review
August: comparing your current plans against alternatives before the renewal deadline, before rates are locked and options narrow.
Learn More →02, Employee EnrollmentEmployee Enrollment
October: walking your team through their options, answering questions, and collecting elections so every employee is properly covered before the new plan year.
Learn More →03, Year-RoundYear-Round Support
New hire enrollment, life events, claims questions, handled between enrollment periods so you're not on your own when something comes up in March.
Learn More →The Open Enrollment Timeline
Open enrollment follows an annual cycle tied to your plan's start date. The predictable annual cycle. Kain Carlson starts the process early enough to give you real options, not a rushed renewal acceptance in the final days before the deadline.
Open enrollment questions for North Dakota and Minnesota businesses
For businesses using the individual/small group market or the SHOP marketplace, the standard open enrollment window is November 1 through January 15. For employer-sponsored group plans with anniversary dates other than January 1, your open enrollment window is typically 30–60 days before your plan renewal date.
Employees who miss open enrollment can generally only enroll during a Special Enrollment Period triggered by a qualifying life event, marriage, birth of a child, loss of other coverage, or a change in employment status. Outside of these events, they must wait until the next open enrollment period.
Yes. Federal law requires that employees receive a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) for each plan option at least 60 days before any material plan change takes effect. Your benefits specialist handles these notices as part of the annual enrollment process.
Yes, and open enrollment is one of the most common times businesses switch. A new broker can typically take over service mid-year or at renewal without disrupting coverage. If you're unhappy with your current service, open enrollment is the natural time to make a change.
From the renewal review to final elections, plan on several weeks; the exact length depends on the group and the plan's start date. The paperwork is handled for you, and employee elections can be done in one group meeting or in individual sessions over a day or two.