Open enrollment FAQ builder · free AI skill

Generates a complete employee-facing open enrollment FAQ document from benefits plan details, organized into 8 topic sections with 30-40 plain-language questions, deadline callouts, action-required flags, and a…

Purpose

Turn dense benefits plan details into a clear, employee-facing FAQ document that answers the questions HR actually receives during open enrollment — organized by topic, written in plain language, with deadlines and action-required items surfaced up front. Cuts down repetitive employee inquiries and gives every worker the same accurate answer.

When to Use

Invoke this skill when the user asks to:

Build or refresh an open enrollment FAQ for employees
Turn a benefits summary or carrier documents into employee-readable communications
Answer the recurring questions employees ask every enrollment cycle
Prepare open enrollment materials for a company intranet, email, or benefits portal
Explain plan changes, new deadlines, or new plan options to staff
Create a self-service resource to reduce one-off benefits questions to HR

Inputs Required

Before starting, collect:

Plan year and enrollment window: The coverage year and the exact open enrollment start/end dates
Plans offered: Medical, dental, vision, and any others — with plan names, tiers, and carriers
Key cost details: Premium amounts (or where employees find them), deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums by tier
Account options: Whether HSA, FSA, dependent care FSA, or commuter benefits are offered, and contribution limits
What changed this year: New plans, dropped plans, premium changes, carrier switches, or "no changes"
Enrollment mechanics: How employees enroll (portal name/URL, passive vs. active enrollment, default if no action taken)
Who to contact: HR/benefits contact, carrier support lines, and any enrollment platform help desk

If premium amounts or specific figures aren't provided, reference where employees can find them ("see the rate sheet in the portal") rather than inventing numbers.

Instructions

Build the FAQ Across 8 Topic Sections

Write every answer in plain language at roughly an 8th-grade reading level. Address the employee as "you." Keep each answer to 2-5 sentences. Flag any answer that requires the employee to take action with a bold Action required: line. Distribute 30-40 total questions across the sections below.

Section 1 — Enrollment Basics & Deadlines (4-6 questions) The must-know logistics. Lead with the deadline.

Cover: enrollment window dates, active vs. passive enrollment, what happens if the employee does nothing, how to access the enrollment system
Every question here should reinforce the deadline
Open the section with the single most important sentence: the enrollment deadline in bold

Section 2 — What's Changing This Year (3-5 questions) Orient returning employees to the differences from last year.

Cover: new or dropped plans, premium changes, carrier changes, new account options
If nothing changed, state that plainly and note that inaction keeps current elections
Be specific about what an employee needs to re-verify even if "nothing changed"

Section 3 — Medical Plan Options (5-7 questions) Help employees choose between plans.

Cover: differences between plan types (PPO/HMO/HDHP), how deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums work, in-network vs. out-of-network, how to check if a doctor is covered
Explain HDHP + HSA pairing if offered
Include a plain-language explanation of "deductible" and "out-of-pocket maximum" — assume no jargon knowledge

Section 4 — Dental, Vision & Other Coverage (3-5 questions)

Cover: what dental and vision plans include, waiting periods, orthodontia coverage, frames/lenses allowances, any supplemental coverage offered
Note whether these can be elected independently of medical

Section 5 — HSA, FSA & Spending Accounts (4-6 questions) The most-asked and most-confused topic.

Cover: the difference between HSA and FSA, contribution limits, use-it-or-lose-it rules, carryover/grace period, eligible expenses, whether funds roll over
Explain who is eligible for an HSA (HDHP enrollment required)
Flag the FSA use-it-or-lose-it deadline clearly

Section 6 — Dependents & Life Events (3-5 questions)

Cover: adding/removing dependents, documentation required, dependent eligibility (age, students, domestic partners), qualifying life events and the window to make changes outside open enrollment
Explain the difference between open enrollment changes and life-event changes

Section 7 — Costs & Paycheck Deductions (3-5 questions)

Cover: how premiums come out of pay, pre-tax vs. post-tax, when new deductions start, how tier (employee-only, employee+spouse, family) affects cost, where to find exact rates
Reference the rate sheet rather than stating figures not provided

Section 8 — Getting Help & Next Steps (3-4 questions)

Cover: who to contact for what (HR, carrier, enrollment help desk), where to find plan documents, what to do if the portal isn't working, confirmation of completed enrollment
Close with a short "Your enrollment checklist" of 4-6 action steps

Formatting Rules

Each question in bold, followed by its answer
Deadlines and money amounts stated explicitly when provided
Any employee action tagged with a bold Action required: line
No carrier legalese copied verbatim — translate it

Output Format

Structure: A titled FAQ document with a short header (plan year + enrollment window in bold), then 8 labeled sections, closing with an enrollment checklist
Length: 1,400-2,000 words; 30-40 questions total
Format: Question-and-answer, each question bolded; scannable, not prose-heavy
Sections: Header → 8 topic sections in order → Getting Help & enrollment checklist
Tone: Warm, plain-spoken, reassuring — an HR colleague explaining benefits over coffee, not a policy document

Quality Checklist

Before delivering output, verify:

[ ] Total question count is between 30 and 40 (count them across all sections)
[ ] The enrollment deadline appears in bold in both the header and Section 1
[ ] Every section has at least its minimum question count
[ ] No unexplained jargon — "deductible," "out-of-pocket maximum," "HSA," and "FSA" are each defined in plain language on first use
[ ] Every question requiring employee action carries a bold Action required: line
[ ] No invented dollar figures — any unprovided amounts reference where employees find them
[ ] The document closes with a 4-6 step enrollment checklist

Notes

The HSA/FSA section drives the most repeat questions — err toward more detail there
For passive enrollment, emphasize what carries over automatically so employees don't panic; for active enrollment, emphasize the do-nothing consequence
Save the completed FAQ as a template — next cycle, most sections only need date and rate updates, making this genuinely reusable
If the company offers a benefits fair, webinar, or one-on-one sessions, work those into Section 8 as help options

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