Open enrollment season is here, and the deadlines are unforgiving.
Most employer plans close between November 1 and December 15, with some closing earlier.
Miss the window and you're locked into whatever you had last year—even if your needs or your doctor's network changed.
Health insurance premiums for employer plans are projected to rise roughly 5% to 7% in 2025, according to benefits consultants.
That means doing nothing isn't neutral—it's often expensive.
Start with your doctors, not your premiums.
Before you compare costs, verify that your current physicians, specialists, and hospitals are still in-network for the plan you're considering.
Provider directories go stale, so call the office and ask directly.
Switching plans to save $30 a month means little if your cardiologist drops out of network.
Add up last year's actual spending: premiums, copays, coinsurance, prescriptions, and any procedures.
Compare that total against each plan's full cost picture, not just the monthly premium.
A low-premium, high-deductible plan can win if you're healthy—and lose badly if you're managing a chronic condition.
Formularies change every year, and a drug that cost $30 in 2024 might jump tiers in 2025.
Look up each medication on the plan's drug list and confirm the tier and any prior authorization rules.
For expensive brand-name drugs, ask about manufacturer copay assistance programs—they can cut out-of-pocket costs significantly.
Don't forget the accounts that pair with your plan.
A flexible spending account (FSA) lets you set aside pre-tax money for medical costs, but the funds typically don't roll over, so estimate carefully.
A health savings account (HSA), available only with high-deductible plans, rolls over year to year and can be invested—making it one of the most tax-advantaged accounts available.
Disability insurance, life insurance, dental, and vision are often cheaper through an employer than on the open market.
If you have a partner or dependents, compare the cost of adding them to your plan versus their own employer coverage.
And if you're married, run both scenarios—splitting coverage sometimes beats consolidating it.
Many employers require you to actively re-enroll or your elections may default.
Set a reminder at least a week before the deadline so you're not scrambling on the last day. **Our take:** Open enrollment rewards the people who do 45 minutes of homework.
The workers who treat it as a checkbox usually overpay all year—and only find out when the bills arrive in January.
Final Thoughts
Run the checklist, verify your network, and treat the deadline like the hard cutoff it is.