5 Questions to Ask Before Your Health Insurance Deadline

Your health insurance deadline or renewal date is closer than you think. Whether you’re renewing an existing plan or shopping for something better to offer your employees, now’s the time to make smart, informed decisions that protect your team and your bottom line.

Before you lock anything in, ask yourself these five questions:

• What is my health insurance deadline or renewal date, and why does it matter?
• Is my current plan still the best fit for my employees?
• What’s the real financial impact of renewing my plan versus updating my plans?
• What happens if I miss the deadline?
• Can BBSI help me make a better choice, faster?

Let’s break down what you need to know before time runs out.

1. What is my Health Insurance Deadline or Renewal Date & Why Does It Matter?

You’d be surprised how many business owners don’t know when their health insurance plan renews, or worse, they assume someone else is handling it. Whether you’re sticking with the same policy or shopping for a better one, your health insurance deadline or plan renewal date aren’t something to ignore.

Key Dates You Should Know

Missing these windows can leave your employees uninsured or stuck with a plan they’ve outgrown.

• Open Enrollment (ACA Market): Typically November 1 – January 15, depending on the state.
• Small Group Renewals: Often tied to the date your current plan was first activated.
• Carrier-Specific Deadlines: Some insurers want final decisions weeks before the plan year starts.

Even if you’re happy with your current coverage, renewal isn’t automatic in the way you might think. Carriers may alter plans, change deductibles, raise premiums, or quietly remove providers from the network. That means a “same as last year” approach could land you in hot water.

If you intend to switch plans, you may need lead time to evaluate options, inform employees of plan changes, enroll employees, and to prepare and distribute communications.

So mark your calendar and plan ahead, because once the deadlines pass, you’re locked in (or locked out).

2. Is My Current Health Plan Still the Best Option for my Team?

A lot can change in a year. Your team, your budget, and even your employees' expectations evolve over time. If your approach to health insurance is just “renew and forget,” you might be missing out on better value and better coverage.

Here’s What You Should Be Asking:

• Did employees actually use the plan? Low utilization or frequent complaints might mean your coverage isn’t hitting the mark.
• Has the insurer changed anything? Premium hikes, narrower networks, or increased deductibles can sneak in year over year.
• Are other options more competitive? It’s smart to compare. You might get richer benefits for the same cost, or even less.
• Was the service level what you expected? If employees are frequently coming to you with questions, it probably means they are not getting their questions answered, turning you into a benefits problem solver!

Even if you’ve had the same carrier for years, you still need to kick the tires. Carriers adjust pricing and coverage annually, sometimes without much notice.

For example, a plan that previously included key hospitals or specialists may no longer do so. Perhaps your workforce has changed and is now composed of more families, wider age distribution, or new roles.

Don’t just renew out of habit. Do the math and run the comparisons to make sure your benefits are still pulling their weight for your team.

3. How Will Renewing or Changing Our Health Insurance Impact the Budget?

No matter how much you care about your team, health insurance is still a business expense. When your premiums jump 8–10% in a year (not uncommon), you need to know what that means for your bottom line.

Budget Questions to Run the Numbers On:

• What’s the new premium rate? Don’t just glance at it; compare this year’s renewal offer with last year’s.
• What are employees paying out-of-pocket? High deductibles and copays can make a “cheap” plan an expensive one in disguise.
• Are there any tax breaks? Your contributions are likely tax-deductible, and some smaller employers may qualify for ACA tax credits.

Let’s say your current plan has reasonable premiums, but the deductible just jumped from $2,500 to $5,000. That’s a major shift in how much your employees will shell out before coverage kicks in. If too many costs are passed to them, participation drops, which can elevate costs substantially over time. On the flip side, if you go with a pricier plan but absorb more of the cost, that can boost morale and employee retention.

It’s all about balance - protect your margins, but don’t shortchange your people.

4. What Are the Consequences of Missing a Health Insurance Deadline (or Getting It Wrong)?

You might think a missed deadline simply means no changes in the new year. In reality, it can blow up into a mess: no coverage, legal issues, and a lot of explaining to do when your employees find out they’re uninsured.

What’s at Stake if You Miss It:

• Coverage lapses. If you don’t renew in time, your group policy might not roll over, meaning your team loses access to care.
• Regulatory penalties. Growing past 50 full-time equivalent employees? You could owe ACA fines if you’re not offering coverage deemed affordable.
• Reputation hits. Dropping the ball on benefits makes you look disorganized and incompetent, and you can be certain your employees will notice.

Employers with 50+ full-time equivalent employees are required by the ACA to offer health insurance or pay steep penalties. The line between 49 and 50 isn’t one you want to blur (and this can be a complicated computation). Furthermore, even smaller businesses have reporting obligations.

Beyond compliance, though, is trust. Health insurance and benefits in general are some of the most visible signs and easiest ways to show you care about your employees. If it disappears, has glitches, or if the plan turns out to be junk, morale takes a hit that’s hard to recover from.

In short, the risk of missing deadlines isn’t just financial. It’s operational, legal, and cultural.

5. How Can BBSI Help You Navigate Your Health Insurance Deadline?

Even if you’ve tackled this process before, don’t assume this year will look the same as last year. Plan details change, regulations shift, and your workforce may have different needs. The good news? If you’re a BBSI client, you already have BBSI in your corner.

How BBSI Clients Can Maximize Their Support:

• Lean on your BBSI Business Partner and Business Unit. They can help you review plan options, understand cost impacts, and prepare communications.
• Use your tools. From enrollment tracking to compliance checklists, BBSI’s systems are built to keep you ahead of the curve.
• Stay proactive. Talk to your BBSI team early and often, and take advantage of the tools at your disposal well before the health insurance deadline or plan renewal date creeps up.

Your BBSI team is more than just a vendor. Use us as a strategic resource. Whether you’re reevaluating your current plan or just need help with employee rollout, now’s the time to check in. A quick conversation can uncover overlooked opportunities, clarify cost concerns, or confirm you're on the right track. The earlier you engage, the smoother the process, and the more confident you’ll become during renewal time.

Don’t Miss Your Health Insurance Deadline. Let BBSI Help You Make the Most of It

Asking the right questions before your health insurance deadline or plan renewal date can help you avoid mistakes, find better solutions, and keep your workforce happy, loyal, and protected.

If you’re not sure where to start, reach out to your BBSI team. We’re here to help you evaluate your plan, provide guidance to support compliance, and make the best possible decisions for your business and your people.