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SFHSS reports successful rollout of open enrollment tools, digital uptake and new vendor transition
Summary
SFHSS reported open-enrollment results for plan year 2026: ~81,000 members served, online transactions rose 26% to 15,397, call volume fell to 6,294, an off-site call center handled 3,945 calls, and a New York Life carrier transition saved the city an estimated $2 million annually on employer-paid life coverage.
SFHSS staff reviewed the 2026 open-enrollment execution and outcomes, highlighting technology improvements, vendor transitions and member adoption.
"We do it for over 81,000 members," Chief Operating and Experience Officer Ryn Coleridge said, describing the scale of the enrollment effort and the year-long work required to configure systems, produce communications and coordinate carriers. Coleridge said the citys finance team calculated over 4,700 rates and contracts staff reviewed dozens of plan documents to prepare for launch.
Operations Manager Olga Stavinska Velasquez reported results: overall call volume dropped to 6,294 from roughly 10,000 the prior year; online transactions rose 26% to 15,397; in-person lobby support increased 32%; paper mailing requests fell 39%; and the off-site call center handled 3,945 calls during the period. She said early service levels were affected by onboarding delays with the off-site vendor but stabilized after October 10.
Staff highlighted three plan-year initiatives: enabling PCP designation at enrollment for certain Blue Shield HMO plans, implementing a two-tier dependent care FSA (per IRS nondiscrimination rules) allowing up to $7,500 for non-high-income employees and $3,000 for high-income employees, and transitioning life and disability administration to New York Life, which preserves a $200,000 guaranteed-issue supplemental life option and is estimated to save the city $2,000,000 annually on employer-paid life coverage.
Staff said communications pilots (targeted email reminders) produced a 33% open rate and 35% click-through among recipients, and that online portal improvements reduced manual cleanup and pending elections. A detailed appendix with membership and plan-selection breakdowns was made available to the board.
