Open Enrollment for 2027 brings higher premiums, increased reliance on digital channels, and evolving language access requirements under Section 1557. Health plans that prepare their translation, interpretation, and digital accessibility communication strategy ahead of time are better positioned to keep members informed and call volume manageable.
Open Enrollment is a critical communication period for health plans. Success is dependent on more than just meeting enrollment deadlines; health plans must also ensure members receive timely, accurate information in the language they understand. For the 2027 plan year, this task has become even more difficult. Rising costs, a growing reliance on digital communication and evolving language access expectations mean that many organizations are re-evaluating their plan for enrollment season.
Whether you are reviewing member materials, updating your language access strategy, or getting your contact center ready for higher demand, strategizing ahead of time can make the experience smoother for members and staff alike.
Why Open Enrollment looks different this year
Open Enrollment is never the same year over year, but a few shifts are making the 2027 plan year worth a closer look.
Members are paying closer attention to their coverage. With enhanced premium tax credits expired, many consumers are seeing higher monthly premiums than in past years. Instead of letting their plan auto-renew, more members are expected to compare coverage, weigh costs, and decide whether their current plan works. This puts more pressure on renewal notices, benefit summaries, and enrollment communications than in years past.
Digital communication is now the primary member experience. Members aren’t relying on a printed packet anymore. They are logging into member portals, opening emails, using mobile apps, and connecting with customer service online. Each touchpoint needs to deliver the same clear, accessible information regardless of what language a member may speak.
Language access expectations continue to evolve. Recent updates to HHS Section 1557 Final Rule reinforce the importance of language access for people with limited English proficiency. This requires health plans to look beyond translated printed materials to how language access, digital accessibility, interpreter services, and multilingual communications work together across the member journey.
Small communication gaps become bigger operational problems. When enrollment information is confusing, delayed, or missing in a member’s preferred language, plans notice it in higher call center volume, stalled enrollments, repeat outreach, and more work for internal teams. Addressing multilingual communication before Open Enrollment can help prevent many of these issues before they occur.
Five areas every health plan should review before Open Enrollment
1. Member communications
Create a full inventory of enrollment guides, renewal notices, benefit summaries, emails, texts, and FAQs, and ask one simple question: “Would a member who does not speak English as a first language get the same information, at the same time, with the same clarity as everyone else?”
2. Digital experiences
Websites, member portals, mobile apps, and online enrollment forms are relaying more of the enrollment journey this year. Under the updated Section 1557 Final Rule, accessibility expectations are extending beyond printed materials and into these digital spaces. Technology-assisted translation workflows can help plans keep digital content updated in multiple languages without slowing down the rest of the enrollment timeline.
3. Member support
Even the clearest written materials can generate questions, which is why it is worth checking whether your organization can scale phone and video interpretation, multilingual customer service and quick translation turnarounds when materials change. Having access to an on-demand interpreter platform that can connect a member to a qualified interpreter in seconds can be what separates a smooth enrollment period from a strained one.
4. Planning for change
Open Enrollment seasons hardly ever go exactly as planned. Benefit details shift, notices need revisions, and regulatory guidance evolves. Plans that have a scalable translation and interpretation workflows in place that can absorb those last-minute changes are able to respond without delaying member communications.
5. Language access strategy
Take a step back from individual materials and look at the overall strategy. Are translated communications, accessible digital channels, and interpreter services working together or operating as separate efforts patched together each year?
Language Access is more than a compliance checkbox
A member may not notice whether a health plan met a regulatory requirement, but they will notice whether they understood their options. The outcome of clear multilingual communication shows up in fewer confused calls, higher member trust, stronger support for health equity goals, and less staff time spent on avoidable follow-up. When members can understand their options without extra effort, it benefits the plan as much as the member.
Questions to ask before Open Enrollment begins
Are member communications translated into the languages our members need?
Members need timely, understandable information to make informed enrollment decisions.
Are our websites and member portals accessible?
Digital channels are often the first place members look for information.
Can we quickly update translated materials if benefits change?
Open Enrollment rarely goes exactly as planned.
Do members know language assistance is available?
Services only help if members know how to access them.
Are interpreter services prepared for increased demand?
Higher call volume can quickly overwhelm an unprepared team.
Continue your Open Enrollment planning
Preparing multilingual communications does not have to feel overwhelming. Our 2026 Guide to multilingual Open Enrollment for health plans builds on these ideas with practical planning steps, workflow strategies, accessibility considerations, and guidance for strengthening your language access program before enrollment begins.
Inside the guide, you’ll find:
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- How to prepare multilingual member communications
- Common Open Enrollment challenges and how to avoid them
- Best practices for translation, interpretation, and accessibility
- Tips for building a more efficient language access workflow
- What to look for in a language services partner
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is multilingual communication important during Open Enrollment?
Clear multilingual communication helps members understand their coverage options, complete enrollment on time, and access language assistance when they need it.
What communications should health plans translate for Open Enrollment?
Common examples include enrollment guides, renewal notices, benefit summaries, member letters, website content, emails, and other enrollment-related communications.
Does language access include digital communications?
Yes. Language access extends beyond printed materials to websites, member portals, mobile apps, emails, and other digital member communications.
How can health plans prepare for increased language support needs?
Starting translation projects early, confirming interpreter services can scale during peak enrollment periods, and reviewing language access workflows before Open Enrollment begins all help organizations respond more effectively.
