Although online enrollment is common among most employers, this year could provide another set of challenges because of new regulations and trends, and organizations should start to prepare now to guide employees through the process successfully .

One of the biggest challenges comes fromthe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, requiring employers to provide a summary of benefits and coverage to all employees, says Craig Rosenberg, national practice leader for health and welfare benefits administration of Aon Hewitt, a human capital consulting firm in Chicago. The mandated summary of benefits and coverage must follow specific guidelines that include font size, page number and layout requirements, and this new rule must be implemented for all plans the begin their annual enrollment after Sept. 23. This doesn't leave employers with much time, especially given the regulation's strict standards and confusion that often comes with new requirements.

"It's going to be a mad scramble to get these in place," Rosenberg says. "HR departments are really going to have to closely with their health plans to gather all the required data and get it into the required format that follows the specific rules."