open enrollment

noun

1

a

chiefly US : the voluntary enrollment of a student in a public school other than the one assigned on the basis of residence

Carnegie Vanguard High would continue to offer open enrollment to students from across the district and would still likely offer transportation to all its students.

—Shelby Webb

b

chiefly US : enrollment on demand as a student in an institution of higher learning irrespective of formal qualifications

Open enrollment, long the hallmark of the community college, may soon be a thing of the past.

—Rick Diguette

2

chiefly US : a period of time during which someone can join something (such as a health insurance plan) as a member or participant : a period of time during which a person can enroll in something

Just one in four people who buy their own insurance or who are uninsured could name the correct deadline (December 15) for open enrollment, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll taken last month.

—Dylan Scott

Examples of open enrollment in a Sentence

Many voters support open enrollment.

the city's open enrollment policy

Employees can sign up for new benefits during open enrollment.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the midst of open enrollment, there’s a lot of consumer (and investor) focus on Medicare Advantage STAR ratings that were announced earlier this month. —Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Medicare advocates and members of Congress are pressing the Biden administration to clarify that such supplemental benefits shouldn't be considered income as the Medicare open enrollment period continues. —Maya Goldman, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024

No one knows how busy the call lines will get during open enrollment. —Kff Health News, The Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2024

Going into open enrollment, nearly 1 in 5 employees cite deteriorating mental health, according to a recent report by Gallagher. —Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 2