Need help with Open Enrollment? Start with these 6 tips

Each fall, businesses provide a limited window for employees to review and select their health benefits during open enrollment.

While this opportunity only comes once a year, the decisions you make can significantly impact your family’s health and finances. To make informed choices, it’s important to understand your available options and how they will affect your access to care in the year ahead.

Not sure where to start with Open Enrollment? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! These simple tips will help you better understand your options and make wise, confident choices:
 

  1. Ask questions. Talk to your Human Resources representative and find out when your open enrollment deadline is. Ask what changes have been made to your options in the past year, including benefit updates for health care plans, and if there are increased or decreased costs to you.

  2. Compare plans to find your best fit. Look at the plan choices you are offered and compare the out-of-pocket costs, the deductibles, the coverage, and the in-network physicians.

  3. Prioritize. Determine what is most important to you. Your priority may be keeping your doctor, having access to a certain hospital, or keeping your cost low. Once you know your priorities, making your choices will be easier.

  4. Plan ahead. Many people choose a health insurance plan for their current life situation. However, it is important to plan ahead and try to anticipate what your family’s medical needs may be in the coming year. Elective surgeries, pregnancies, vision, or dental needs can all affect your health care choices. These considerations can affect which plan you choose (such as selecting a PPO or HMO), and how much money you need to set aside in a flexible spending account (FSA), if that is an option for you. Also, if you take any prescription drugs, check to see if they are covered by the plan you are selecting.

  5. Consider life changes. A lot can happen in 12 months, so consider what will be happening in your life in the coming year before you make your health care choices. Are you getting married? Having a baby? Changing careers? Is your child moving out of your house and onto his or her own insurance coverage? All of these life changes can have a significant impact on what type of health insurance you need. 

  6. Clarity is key. It can be overwhelming to figure out co-pays, deductibles, and premiums, and can feel like a different language. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the terminology so that you can compare your choices appropriately. Time spent now can save you money down the road and ensure that the coverage you need is available to you.

Important Enrollment Dates

CalPERS Members

  • Opens: September 15, 2025
  • Closes: October 10, 2025
  • Coverage Begins: January 1, 2026

Covered California

  • Opens: November 1, 2025
  • Closes: January 31, 2026
  • Coverage Begins: January 1, 2026
    (if enrolled by December 15, 2025)

Medicare Advantage

  • Opens: October 15, 2025
  • Closes: December 7, 2025
  • Coverage Begins: January 1, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

If you have insurance through your employer, your enrollment period usually takes place in the fall. Check with your HR department for details.

 

Additional resources

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*Benefits among health plans and employers vary. Please refer to your health insurance information for details and descriptions of your benefits coverage.

Dignity Health is not a health insurance company. Dignity Health is a provider network of more than 60,000 caregivers and staff who deliver excellent care to diverse communities in hospitals, physician offices, and other types of care centers in 21 states. Headquartered in San Francisco, Dignity Health is the fifth largest health system in the nation and the largest hospital provider in California.

Open Enrollment is here. Select your doctor today:

Frequently asked questions

Open enrollment is a time of year when you can sign up for health insurance. The dates depend on your employer but are generally offered in the fall. Additionally, you may qualify to enroll if you have a qualifying life event, like losing coverage through your employer.

Finding a plan can be a complex process, so we want to make it easy for you to become part of the Dignity Health family. If you still feel lost and are not sure where to start, check out:

Helpful Tips

Dignity Health is not a health insurance company. Dignity Health is a provider network of more than 60,000 caregivers and staff who deliver excellent care to diverse communities in hospitals, physician offices and other types of care centers in 21 states. Headquartered in San Francisco, Dignity Health is the fifth largest health system in the nation and the largest hospital provider in California.

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A primary care physician (PCP) helps you manage your health. Common services include regular physical exams, prescribing medications, treating minor illness and injuries, managing chronic conditions, and screening for common health problems.

Should you need specialized care, your primary care physician can expertly guide your next steps and connect you to the right specialist. There are different types of primary care physicians: family medicine doctors for the whole family; internal medicine-pediatric doctors for preventing and treating diseases; pediatricians who specialize in children; and internal medicine doctors who care for adults.

Choosing and building a relationship with one of these doctors can help you live a healthy lifestyle based on your individual needs.

Find a Doctor

It's a good idea to confirm your doctor and your hospital of choice are covered by your new insurance for the upcoming year by checking the insurance website or calling your insurance carrier directly. Do not assume your physician is covered without checking first. Doctors and hospitals may periodically change the insurance they accept.

One type of health insurance is not better than the other, but there are differences. With an HMO plan you will choose a Primary Care Provider (PCP), who will coordinate the care you need for any specialists. Services are all provided through physicians and facilities in the health plan's HMO network. With a PPO you may also choose a PCP, but you will not need a referral to see another physician. It will usually cost less to see in-network physicians than an out-of-network physician. Whether you are considering an HMO or a PPO, you can check which doctors, medical groups, hospitals, etc. are in the network before you enroll.

A health insurance broker or agent is a person who can help you apply for help to pay for your health insurance and enroll in a health plan. They can make specific recommendations about which plan to enroll in based on your health care needs. They are licensed and regulated by states and typically get payments, or commissions, from health insurers, and therefore, consumers do not pay for their services.