If you're reading this, chances are that you recently completed your company's open enrollment. And if the mere mention of open enrollment makes you shudder, you likely feel what we in the industry call "technology regret," that overwhelming sense of disbelief that you had to go through yet another year with a less-than-stellar benefits technology solution.
For some, it's the unnecessary manual labor involved in their OE process; for others, it's the headache of knowing that their system hasn't kept up with their needs.
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If this sounds like you, there's good news: it doesn't have to be this way. Here are five things you're probably not getting from your benefits technology provider (but should be):
- A delightful client experience
Unfortunately, the bar is set really low for client experience.
We've come to expect a provider that requires you to submit a ticket, wait a week with no response, send five emails to follow up that go unanswered, and never get to talk to a live person. That's unacceptable, especially when there are providers who go out of their way to ensure their clients have a responsive and accessible partner who will troubleshoot and answer questions live.
- Connectivity
The beauty of technology is that it can and should be an ecosystem connecting all systems of record, including linking payroll, your medical, dental, and vision carriers, and all third-party platforms. When your benefits technology provider enables this level of connectivity, it also means that you have the ability to send and receive data as needed, eliminating the need to duplicate entry and manual work, saving time and resources.
- Enhanced service offerings
Imagine a solution that provides not only benefits technology, but also complementary services to assist with ACA compliance and help with your 1094s and 1095s, COBRA administration, dependent audits, and billing reconciliation. Partnering with a provider with enhanced service offerings can help you avoid headaches.
- Access to your data
How easy is it for you to get access to your data on an ongoing basis? Is there a gatekeeper outside of your organization that you need to contact before running a report? Ideally, you should have no restrictions or permissions required to pull your data. Having dashboards and built-in reporting ability will make your system more accessible and valuable. It's important to remember that as the client, YOU own all your data and should have easy and unlimited access to it through your benefits technology system.
- Ongoing innovation
If your system looks the same as it did five years ago and you continue to have issues year after year that aren't being resolved, there's room for improvement.
With the massive changes in workstyle due to COVID-19 and the influx of people working from home, your benefits technology system needs to adapt and continually innovate. You should receive system updates and releases designed to enhance your user experience and address new challenges several times a year. In addition, your provider should give you the ability to solicit feedback, request features, and handle complex automated processes, including evidence of insurance.
The bottom line is this: Is your technology working for you, or are you working for your tech? If it's the latter, don't be afraid to see what else is out there. Now is the perfect time to explore your benefits technology provider options, so you never have to suffer through another open enrollment again.
Frank Mengert is the founder of ebm, a leading provider of employee benefits technology solutions nationwide. He challenges conventional wisdom to help benefit consultants gain fresh perspectives that drive them in attracting, winning, and retaining business.
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