Employees judge an ICHRA by the week they shop for a plan, not by the memo that announced it.
Moving from a group plan to the individual market asks every employee to do what HR used to do for them: compare networks, pick a metal level and enroll on a deadline. We plan the transition around those decisions, so the change reads as a benefit and not a burden handed down.
The individual market asks questions a group plan used to answer for them.
In a group plan the employer chose the carrier, the network and the deductible. Under an ICHRA each employee chooses, and many have never bought coverage on their own.
Choosing a Network
The first question is whether their doctors are in the plan. We help employees check before they choose, because finding out at the first appointment is how a benefit change becomes a grievance. Network checks are the first step in ICHRA employee transition support. Our free ICHRA allowance budget calculator turns this into dollars for your plan.
Reading Metal Levels
Bronze, silver and gold describe cost sharing, not quality of care. We explain the tradeoff with the employee’s own allowance in view, so nobody picks the lowest premium and then meets a deductible they cannot cover. Metal level education helps employees choose well.
Covering Dependents
Family members enroll in individual coverage too, and the allowance may not cover their full premium. We show each household what it will pay after the allowance, so the gap is known before the enrollment window closes. Household cost clarity reduces enrollment surprises.
Premium Tax Credits
Accepting the ICHRA ends eligibility for a premium tax credit on that coverage. For some lower-income households that tradeoff matters, so we explain the choice clearly and leave their tax situation to their own advisor. Premium tax credit tradeoffs deserve a clear explanation.
The enrollment window is set by the individual market, not by your HR calendar.
Employees newly offered an ICHRA get a special enrollment period, and CMS guidance says they generally need to enroll within the 60 days before the HRA starts. An employee who misses it can begin the plan year with an allowance and no coverage to spend it on.
Notice Starts the Clock
The required notice goes out at least 90 days before the plan year so employees have time to shop. We build the communication schedule backward from the HRA start date, so the notice is the beginning of the transition, not the whole of it.
Payroll Has to Be Ready
Where a premium exceeds the allowance, the employee pays the difference, and how that is handled has to be settled with payroll before the first deduction. We line up payroll and the platform ahead of enrollment, not after the first paycheck is wrong.
Proof of Coverage
Employees must show they are enrolled in individual coverage before reimbursements begin. We walk them through the attestation and documents, because a missing form stalls the first reimbursement, and the first reimbursement is when employees decide whether this works. Smooth verification builds trust in the ICHRA.
The move does not end at enrollment. The first claim and the first renewal test it again.
A single announcement email leaves employees alone with the hardest part. We plan support in stages, from the first notice through the first full year.
Before Enrollment
Group sessions and one-on-one help comparing plans in each employee’s own zip code. We also prepare HR with plain answers to the questions that will reach them regardless, so nobody improvises. Early support keeps an ICHRA enrollment calm for employees and for the HR team that answers their questions.
During the First Year
Questions about a denied claim or a surprise bill go to people who understand individual coverage. We route them so HR is not the only place employees can turn, which keeps small problems from becoming complaints. Ongoing support keeps an ICHRA working after enrollment.
At Renewal
Individual market premiums change every year and plans leave counties. We revisit the allowance and prompt employees to shop again, because staying in last year’s plan by default can cost more than switching. Annual shopping keeps ICHRA coverage cost-effective. Remind employees before the window opens.
What employees and HR ask during the move.
Will anyone have a gap in coverage?
They should not, if the group plan ends and individual coverage starts on the same date. We align both dates and confirm enrollment before the group plan ends, rather than discovering gaps afterward. Aligned dates prevent coverage gaps during an ICHRA transition.
What if an employee does not enroll in anything?
Then there is nothing to reimburse, because the allowance only pays toward coverage the employee has enrolled in. We follow up with anyone who has not enrolled well before the window closes. Timely follow-up protects employees from missing the individual market enrollment window.
Who do employees call with questions?
Their carrier for questions about the plan itself, and our team for the allowance, reimbursements and how the pieces fit together. We make that clear at the start, so questions do not bounce between offices. A clear support map helps employees during an ICHRA move.
Send us your renewal.
We’ll tell you whether it looks competitive, where we see opportunity, and the five questions we’d put to your carrier. No cost, and no obligation to move anything.
The renewal letter
Your current plan summary
Contribution split by tier
Enrolled counts by tier
Four documents — two more if your group is 50 or more. Nothing else; every extra one is a reason to postpone.
An independent employee benefits consulting firm. We look at the entire benefits program — cost, plan performance, risk and administration.
Switch to CFH. Unhappy with your broker? Your employees won’t notice. You will. →