An employee declines coverage during open enrollment and asks to join the small-employer plan mid-year. Under Ohio's small-employer rules governing open and late enrollment:

Why B is correct

Ohio's small-employer framework under ORC 3924.01 pairs the open enrollment window with late-enrollment rules: an employee who passes on the open period generally must follow the plan's late-enrollment terms, which commonly defer coverage to the next enrollment opportunity rather than providing immediate mid-year access. The design protects the plan from adverse selection while preserving future enrollment chances.

Why the other options are wrong

• A) Immediate on-request enrollment would gut the enrollment structure ORC 3924.01 contemplates and invite adverse selection.
• C) Passing on one open period does not create a lifetime bar; the late-enrollment provisions control instead.
• D) The employer cannot disregard the plan's enrollment terms at will; the open and late enrollment framework in ORC 3924.01 still governs.

Memory hook

Miss the open door and the late-enrollment rules set your next chance.