A new study from HighRoads found that 71 percent of human resource executives prefer passive to active open enrollment periods, allowing employees to automatically renew their plans. 

This came as a surprise to HighRoads executives, who think it's important for employees to take careful considerations when making plan decisions.

"On the face of it, passive enrollment is easier for both employees and employers, since employees can just 'roll over' their current elections (except for flexible spending accounts). But that can be a risky practice," said Kim Buckey, SPD Practice Lead for HighRoads, in a statement. "If participants can renew their coverage without truly examining their elections, they may end up with coverage that doesn't truly meet their needs, or that will cost them more than they can truly afford. It's also becomes more critical that enrollment materials accurately describe benefits (and any changes to them)—and that SPDs [summary plan descriptions] are updated promptly to reflect that information."