Benefitfocus

Benefits administrators know that open enrollment is about helping employees make informed decisions. From gathering feedback before OE to building a communication cadence and reviewing results afterward, this blog shares three actionable ways to create a more effective enrollment experience.

💊 According to the 2026 State of Employee Benefits Report, pharmacy costs are now the largest driver of benefits spend—and they’re rising fast. ➡️ Pharmacy costs are 29.5% of total benefits spending as of 2025 ➡️ Overall pharmacy costs increased 10.9% per member in 2025 ➡️ 56.9% of prescription spend is for brand drugs, with 35.9% for specialty prescriptions With more high-cost drugs and fewer generic alternatives, traditional cost controls may not be enough. This data presents an opportunity to rethink pharmacy strategies with a focus on utilization, sourcing and data-driven decision making. 📥 Download the full Benefitfocus State of Employee Benefits Report 2026 to learn more.

In case you missed it: Automatic re-enrollment may help reduce administrative lift, but it can also reduce employee attention. For benefits administrators, that creates a hidden risk: employees stay in the same plans, miss key updates, or forget to re-enroll in Flexible Spending Accounts. In this blog, we share five ways to make passive enrollment more purposeful, from building a year-round cadence to using the FSA deadline as your urgency anchor. Take a look if you’re currently planning your open enrollment communications.

When using the Benefitfocus Decision Support tool during annual enrollment, more than half of employees elected critical illness/Specified disease (56%) and accident insurance (55%), compared to just 37% and 36% among employees who did not use Decision Support. Discover how our commitment to people, processes, and technology supports a seamless benefits experience for both our clients and their employees: https://okt.to/JHSz0s

Where are employees enrolling, and where are they opting out? From retail trade challenges to regional gaps, this blog uncovers the 2026 benefits trends brokers should be aware of now.

2026 State of Employee Benefits Report News Flash: Employees are turning to the emergency department for non-emergent issues that can be treated in lower cost settings, such as their primary care office, urgent care or telehealth. Download our newest report to understand why this is happening, and to learn what plan sponsors can do about it to bend the cost curve in 2026 and beyond.

Are your benefits delivering real value? Align your benefit offerings to employee needs. PLANADVISER recently examined the 2026 Benefitfocus State of Employee Benefits Report and found that factors like suboptimal care usage, the cost of chronic conditions, and rising prescription spend are major cost drivers for employers. Read the full article to learn what’s behind these trends, and how organizations can respond.https://okt.to/0KcyZL

Rolling out a new benefit offering takes strategy, timing and support. For benefits administrators, the difference between low awareness and real engagement often comes down to how clearly the value is communicated and how easy it is for employees to act. In this blog, we share strategic ways to launch new programs that could lead to stronger participation and desirable outcomes.

Turn benefits data into measurable outcomes. See how Benefitfocus helps HR teams reduce costs, improve employee engagement, and measure ROI with an AI-powered employer benefits platform.

Open enrollment success starts long before launch day. For benefits administrators, the difference between a smooth OE and a stressful one may come down to three things: planning early, communicating with purpose, and measuring what matters. This blog breaks down a practical 3-step approach to help you align stakeholders, engage employees, and keep your countdown on track.