Although I’m well into my adult years, nothing makes me feel like I’m “adulting” quite like trying to make sense of employee benefits. Not my mortgage, not the bills — it’s this. Each year when open enrollment rolls around, I get a sinking feeling that I’m about to make an expensive mistake. After all, my entire family’s health coverage rests on understanding what I’m reading in the PDFs and slide deck given to me by the HR department.
To be fair, HR is always willing to help, but sometimes I’m not even sure which questions to ask. So, like a lot of people, I just guess my way through open enrollment.
Best picks for you
Here’s exactly how I used ChatGPT, the prompts that worked best, and the features that made open enrollment less overwhelming.
1. ChatGPT explained my health plan options in plain English
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
My company offers multiple medical plans, and I’ve always struggled to understand the trade-offs — particularly between high-deductible plans and PPOs. (What even is a PPO?!)
I uploaded the plan comparison chart (if yours is PDF, just upload it into the chat box) into ChatGPT and used the following prompt:
Prompt: “Explain these insurance plans like I’m brand new to this. What makes them different, and who is each one best for?”
ChatGPT broke everything down into simple terms and not medical jargon. I was able to branch out using the “Ask ChatGPT” feature when I had a specific question in the response.
ChatGPT even highlighted which plan made the most sense based on my healthcare habits. Because of Memory, it knows I’m a life-long runner and practice healthy habits. It also knows that my husband works out regularly and I have three young kids. Because I have ChatGPT connected to Alexa, it knows how often the whole family has regular checkups.
Leaning on AI to help me understand plans meant that I was getting a personalized explanation about what was best for me, which is priceless.
Don’t miss these
2. ChatGPT compared costs so I could actually see the difference
(Image credit: Getty images)
Open enrollment is full of subtle costs — none of which I understand. From premiums and deductibles to max out-of-pocket and copays, I just needed to know what everything meant in plan English. Basically, what’s the “real” price of the plan and why.
So, I asked ChatGPT to run the numbers:
Prompt: Compare the total expected yearly cost of these two plans for a family of five based on 2–3 pediatric visits, one specialist visit and regular prescriptions.”
ChatGPT produced an easy side-by-side breakdown of potential annual spending, which made the decision almost obvious.
So instead of guessing like usual, I got a realistic estimate based on my actual life.
3. ChatGPT told me whether an HSA or FSA made more sense
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
I’ve always been a little intimidated by HSAs (and frankly, unsure if I was using my FSA correctly). ChatGPT clarified things instantly and explained what those acronyms mean. Again, this is why I’m hesitant to ask these questions in person — as an adult I’m embarrassed I don’t know these things.
Prompt: Given the plan I’m leaning toward, should I choose an HSA or FSA? Show me the pros, cons and how much I’d save with each.
Instantly, ChatGPT explained contribution limits, tax savings, rollover rules and even helped calculate how much money I’d keep if I switched to an HSA. Finally, tax-advantaged accounts finally make sense to me.
By the way, because ChatGPT is known to be wrong 1 in 4 times and chatbots hallucinate, after I asked each question, I prompted: Is this accurate? From there, ChatGPT would further explain to ensure that I was getting accurate information.
While using ChatGPT to explain employee benefits is helpful, be sure to double check with HR if you have any further questions — AI can make mistakes.
4. ChatGPT explained benefits I always ignored
(Image credit: Future)
Disability insurance, life programs, commuter benefits — I’ve never really taken the time to understand these.
This year I uploaded the full benefits guide and used asked about these things.
Prompt: Identify benefits that might be valuable for a family with young kids. Explain them briefly and tell me when they’re actually worth choosing.
ChatGPT highlighted a few hidden gems, including a plan that costs less per month than one Starbucks latte. I really liked learning quickly what I have always ignored in the past. But with this prompt, you don’t miss out on benefits you’re already paying for.
5. ChatGPT created a personalized checklist for enrollment day
(Image credit: Future)
Once I made my decisions, I asked:
Prompt: Create a one-page open enrollment checklist based on everything we discussed.”
ChatGPT generated:
- A summary of which plans I selected
- Contribution amounts
- Questions to ask HR
- Reminders for dependent verification
- The “don’t forget” items that always slip through the cracks
I printed out the checklist and completed enrollment in less than 15 minutes. I was able to share the list with my husband and have it on file to easily reference. This time, there was no last-minute scrambling.
The bottom line
Open enrollment isn’t getting any simpler, and most companies aren’t making benefits guides easier to read. But with ChatGPT, you don’t have to figure out everything alone.
From comparing plans to interpreting dense PDFs to explaining your options in plain English, AI can turn a stressful, complicated process into something you can actually navigate with confidence.
If open enrollment usually feels overwhelming, ChatGPT may just be the most helpful tool you didn’t know you had.
Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom’s Guide
Back to Laptops
SORT BYPrice (low to high)Price (high to low)Product Name (A to Z)Product Name (Z to A)Retailer name (A to Z)Retailer name (Z to A)
