Why Healthcare Members Don’t Enroll Until the Last Minute — and How to Support Them Better

Open enrollment season is notorious for last-minute traffic — and it’s not just a coincidence. From confusion about plan options to emotional fatigue, many healthcare members wait until the final days (or hours) to act. This delay creates bottlenecks, long hold times, and missed opportunities for both members and health plans.

At Magellan Solutions USA, we’ve seen this pattern play out time and again — and we’ve built our open enrollment support strategies around it.

1. Why Members Wait: Behavioral & Emotional Drivers

Decision Paralysis

With dozens of plan options, variable deductibles, and unfamiliar terminology, many members struggle to process the complexity. Rather than make the wrong decision, they make no decision… until they absolutely must.

Fear of Change

People often stick with what they know, even if it’s suboptimal. The risk of switching doctors, networks, or out-of-pocket costs causes many to avoid engaging early.

Information Overload

Marketing emails, letters, robocalls — members are bombarded with enrollment materials. By the time they’re ready to act, it’s often in the final window.

Procrastination and Competing Priorities

Open enrollment simply doesn’t feel urgent — until it is. Work, holidays, family obligations, and even seasonal affective disorder can push decisions to the back burner.

2. What This Means for Your Contact Center

If your in-house or outsourced team isn’t ready for a surge in the final 72 hours of open enrollment, you risk:

• Dropped calls and long hold times

• Negative member experiences

• Missed enrollments and plan churn

• Compliance risks with government-regulated deadlines

  
  

3. How Magellan Solutions USA Supports Deadline-Driven Surges

☑️ Flexible Staffing for Volume Spikes

We scale shared or dedicated agent teams to match your forecast — with overflow support that activates instantly when call queues grow.

☑️ Real-Time Omnichannel Support

From phone calls and live chat to email and SMS, we meet members where they are — especially those making last-minute decisions late at night.

☑️ Trained Agents, Not Script Readers

Our open enrollment agents are trained in empathy, escalation logic, and plan communication — guiding members through uncertainty quickly and confidently.

☑️ AI Agent Triage

Our hybrid model includes AI agents that handle simple FAQs (eligibility, deadlines, document checklists) to reduce load on human reps.

☑️ Surge Readiness Planning

We work with health plans in advance to model call volume by historical behavior, ensuring no surprises — even when members wait until the final hours.

4. Support Doesn’t Stop at the Deadline

Post-enrollment inquiries — like ID cards, coverage start dates, and PCP changes — spike immediately after the deadline. We extend service to absorb that wave and protect your core team.

5. Ready to Handle the Rush? Let’s Talk.

If your current contact center isn’t ready to handle open enrollment surges — or if you’ve outgrown your internal team — Magellan Solutions USA can help you outsource open enrollment.

From Medicare Advantage and Medicaid to commercial group plans, we tailor our support to your members, timelines, and compliance needs. Get in touch for a free consultation: