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HSS reports major shift to eBenefits: 66% of enrollment changes submitted online, paper applications drop 55%
Summary
HSS reported that open enrollment saw extensive adoption of eBenefits and self‑service: about 42,000 people used self‑service, roughly 66% of enrollment changes were submitted electronically, paper applications fell 55% to about 5,000, and outreach efforts (including airport off‑sites) and flu clinics accompanied the effort.
Mitchell Griggs, HSS chief operating officer, reported results from the October open‑enrollment season and described a marked shift toward self‑service tools and outreach that reduced manual processing.
Griggs said the system mailed 76,000 packets and that about 42,000 people were in self‑service this year. "We had 27,000 individual users go in and check it out" during October, he said. HSS received 11,000 calls (an 8.5% drop from the prior year) and significantly reduced paper applications to about 5,000 (a 55% decline). Griggs said "66% of all the changes went in through self‑service," a goal that HSS staff described as a major improvement in efficiency.
Griggs credited improvements in communications, a new website, on‑site kiosks and extensive off‑site outreach (including events at SFO airport and evening hours for shift workers) for the gains. He also reported seasonal public‑health metrics: 4,482 flu shots during outreach events this year (the goal was 4,500).
Board members praised staff and asked additional operational questions about lobby wait times and kiosk staffing; staff described tracking limitations but said reception staffing and on‑site support were added to steer members to eBenefits kiosks and improve the in‑person experience.
Next steps: staff will provide additional demographic detail in February's report and continue outreach and communications work to expand self‑service adoption and support members with limited digital access.
