How does Service 1st Benefits support my business during open enrollment?

We personally manage the entire open enrollment process — from educating employees to handling enrollment forms and answering plan questions. Our goal is to make open enrollment smooth and stress-free for everyone.

Can employees contact you directly for help?

Yes. Employees can reach out to us anytime for questions about claims, coverage, ID cards, or plan details. We act as your team’s benefits partner, not just your broker.

What size businesses do you work with?

We specialize in serving small and medium-sized businesses, typically ranging from 1–200 employees. If you’re growing or planning to expand, we help scale your benefits as your team grows.

Do you handle communication with insurance carriers for us?

Absolutely. We take care of claims issues, employee changes, renewals, and any carrier communication so you don’t have to spend hours on hold.

Do you offer voluntary or supplemental benefits?

Yes. We can provide optional add-ons like disability, accident, or critical illness insurance to enhance your benefits package at little or no cost to the employer.

What types of group benefits do you offer?

We provide comprehensive group health, dental, vision, and life insurance options for small and medium-sized businesses. We help you compare plans, handle enrollment, and manage carrier communication.

What information do you need to provide a quote?

We typically need: Number of employees Basic employee census (age, gender, ZIP code) Current plan (if applicable) Desired benefits or coverage goals We keep the process as simple as possible.

Do you charge fees for your services?

No. Our services — including plan comparison, open enrollment, and year-round support — are provided at no additional cost to your business.

What to Do 90 Days Before Your Group Health Insurance Renewal

Charlie Hopgood
1 day ago
5 min read

Most small business owners approach their group health insurance renewal the same way: they wait until the paperwork arrives, review the new rate, wince at the increase, and ask their broker if anything can be done about it.

By that point, the answer is usually "not much."

The businesses that manage their benefits costs most effectively don't wait for the renewal to show up. They start preparing 90 days in advance — and that preparation is what gives them options.

This guide walks through exactly what that 90-day runway should look like, so you can walk into your next renewal with leverage instead of surprise.

Why 90 Days Is the Right Window

Insurance carriers typically require 30 to 60 days of lead time to process a new group application or make significant plan changes. That means if you want to compare alternatives — whether a different carrier, a level-funded plan, or a redesigned benefit structure — you need to start that process well before your renewal date.

Ninety days gives you enough time to:

Gather the data and documentation you need for quotes
Run meaningful plan comparisons without feeling rushed
Evaluate alternatives at a level of detail that actually informs your decision
Complete any required underwriting if you're exploring level-funded or alternative funding options
Communicate changes to employees with enough lead time for a smooth transition

Starting too late often means accepting whatever your carrier proposes by default — because there simply isn't time to do anything else.

90 Days Out: Gather Your Information

The first step is making sure you have the information your broker needs to shop your coverage effectively.

Pull together the following:

Your current plan documents — including the summary plan description, schedule of benefits, and current premium invoices
An updated employee census — employee names, dates of birth, gender, ZIP codes, and coverage tier (employee only, employee + spouse, family, etc.)
Your current contribution structure — what the company pays versus what employees contribute
Claims experience data (if available) — if you're on a level-funded plan or your carrier will provide it, knowing how your group performed last year is valuable for renewal negotiations and for evaluating alternative plan designs
A list of any plan changes you're considering — adding dental or vision, adjusting deductibles, exploring voluntary benefits, etc.

Even if you've been with the same broker for years, freshening up this information ensures quotes are accurate and relevant.

75 Days Out: Request Competing Quotes

This is where many employers stop short. They wait for their current carrier's renewal offer — and then make a decision based on only one data point.

Requesting quotes from competing carriers is not a commitment to switch. It's simply due diligence. And it's one of the most effective ways to keep your current carrier honest.

Ask your broker to run quotes from at least two or three carriers using your updated census. If you haven't explored level-funded plans before, this is a good time to ask for a side-by-side comparison. For many small businesses with 10 to 50 employees, level-funded plans can offer meaningful savings — and the potential for a year-end refund if your team has a healthy year.

What you're looking for in competing quotes:

Monthly premium cost (employer and employee share)
Deductible and out-of-pocket maximum structure
Network access — are your employees' current doctors and facilities in-network?
Prescription drug coverage
Any plan features that differ meaningfully from your current plan

A good broker will present these comparisons in a clear, apples-to-apples format so you can make an informed decision rather than trying to decode insurance documents on your own.

60 Days Out: Evaluate Your Options

With quotes in hand, it's time to move beyond the numbers and think strategically.

Cost is important — but it's not the only factor.

A plan that saves $150 per month in premiums but has a $7,000 deductible may cost your employees significantly more when they actually use their insurance. That tradeoff affects satisfaction, morale, and even your ability to recruit.

Questions worth asking at this stage:

How much of any premium difference would be passed to employees?
Does the plan design support the way our employees actually use healthcare?
Are there voluntary benefit changes we should make alongside the health plan renewal?
Is our current contribution structure competitive in the local job market?
Are there wellness programs or other features that add value without adding cost?

This is also the time to think about whether your overall benefits strategy — not just the health plan — is serving your business goals. Your renewal is a natural checkpoint to evaluate the full package.

45 Days Out: Decide and Begin Employee Communication

By 45 days before your renewal, you should be in a position to make a decision and begin communicating it to employees.

Even if your plan isn't changing significantly, employees appreciate advance notice. Nobody likes to find out their health insurance is changing two weeks before it takes effect.

If you are making changes, communicate:

What is changing and why
How it affects employee premiums and out-of-pocket costs
What stays the same
Who employees can contact with questions
When they can make elections (if changes require re-enrollment)

If your plan is staying largely the same:

Confirm the renewal date
Share any premium changes
Remind employees of key plan features and how to use them

Clear, proactive communication reduces confusion during open enrollment and reinforces that your company takes benefits seriously.

30 Days Out: Manage Open Enrollment

The final 30 days before your renewal date is typically your open enrollment window.

A well-run open enrollment includes:

A clear enrollment deadline communicated to all employees
Educational materials that explain plan options in plain language
A way for employees to compare plans side by side if multiple options are offered
Easy-to-follow instructions for completing their elections
A designated point of contact for questions

For small businesses, open enrollment doesn't need to be complicated. But it does need to be organized. Missing an enrollment deadline or processing errors can create significant headaches — for you, for HR, and for employees who end up without the coverage they expected.

The Role of Your Benefits Broker in the Renewal Process

If your current broker is managing your renewal proactively, you shouldn't have to orchestrate all of this yourself. A strong benefits partner will:

Reach out 90+ days before your renewal to start the planning process
Pull your current plan data and prepare the census on your behalf
Shop competing carriers and present options with a clear recommendation
Facilitate open enrollment from start to finish
Handle carrier submissions so you're not chasing paperwork

If your broker isn't doing these things — if renewal season feels reactive and stressful rather than organized and strategic — that's worth paying attention to.

Service 1st Benefits Makes Renewal Season Easy

At Service 1st Benefits, we take the guesswork out of group health insurance renewals for small and mid-size businesses across Oklahoma and beyond.

We reach out early. We pull your data. We shop the market. We present clear, honest comparisons. We manage open enrollment so your team doesn't have to.

And because our services are provided at no additional cost to your business, working with us is simply the smarter way to approach benefits.

Your Next Renewal Doesn't Have to Be a Scramble

Whether your renewal is 90 days away or you're not sure when it is, we'd love to connect and make sure you're set up for success.

Contact Us →

Schedule a free consultation with Service 1st Benefits. We'll look at your current plan, start the renewal planning process, and make sure you have all the information you need to make a confident decision — without the last-minute stress.