Use Outlook Copilot to Draft Benefits Emails Faster

What This Does

Outlook Copilot can draft emails for you based on a brief description. For benefits administrators who spend 40%+ of their day on email (answering employee questions, following up with carriers, notifying employees of plan changes), Copilot turns a 10-minute email into a 2-minute review-and-send.

Before You Start

• You have Microsoft Outlook (Microsoft 365 subscription)
• Copilot is enabled in your Microsoft 365 account
• Time needed: 10 minutes to learn; 2 minutes per email after that
• Cost: Included in Microsoft 365 Personal/Family for the subscription owner; Copilot in Outlook doesn't require a paid add-on for work accounts either

Steps

1. Find the AI feature

Open Outlook and click New Email to start a new message. In the compose window, look for the Copilot icon (small sparkle) in the toolbar above the message body. Click it and select Draft (in classic Outlook and Outlook for Mac the item reads Draft with Copilot).

What you should see: A text box appears within the compose window with a prompt: "What do you want this email to say?"

Troubleshooting: If you don't see the Copilot button in the compose window, check that your Microsoft 365 account has Copilot enabled. Your IT administrator may need to turn it on at the tenant level.

2. Describe the email you need

Type a brief description of what the email should say. Be specific about the context:

For an employee inquiry response: "Write a professional response explaining that [employee name]'s open enrollment election for the PPO plan has been confirmed. Coverage starts January 1. They'll see the correct deduction on their next paycheck after January 1."

For a carrier follow-up: "Write a follow-up email to our Aetna account manager requesting a status update on case number [case #] opened 2 weeks ago for employee [name] eligibility correction."

3. Adjust tone and length after the draft appears

Tone is set after Copilot generates, not before. Once the draft appears, use the dropdown next to it (the Adjust button in classic Outlook) to change tone or length: formal for carrier and vendor communication, more conversational for employee-facing messages. You can also ask Copilot to "make this shorter" or "add more detail about the enrollment deadline."

What you should see: A complete draft email in the compose window, ready to edit. The draft will be more polished than most people write in a hurry, proper opening, clear body, professional closing.

4. Review and send

Read the draft carefully. Copilot sometimes adds generic language ("please don't hesitate to reach out"), replace with your specific contact information. Add the employee's name and any plan-specific details that Copilot couldn't know. Send.

Real Example

Scenario: An employee emailed asking why their paycheck shows a different health insurance deduction than they expected after open enrollment.

What you type: "Write a professional email to [employee name] explaining that their health insurance deduction changed because they switched from the HMO to the PPO during open enrollment. The new deduction is $[amount] bi-weekly. If they believe this is an error, they should contact HR at [phone/email] by [date]."

What you get: A clear, professional explanation email that addresses the employee's concern without being defensive, with the right information and a clear next step.

Tips

• For complex regulatory or compliance emails, always review Copilot drafts carefully. The tone is good but the legal specifics need your verification
• Create a personal "template library" by saving your best Copilot prompts as drafts you can reuse seasonally (open enrollment season, ACA season, new hire cohort starts)
• Use Copilot to "make this more empathetic" for messages about denied claims or coverage terminations. It handles the tone well

Tool interfaces change, if a button has moved, look for similar AI/magic/smart options in the same menu area.