Do you remember sitting in an open enrollment meeting reviewing a list of benefits you or your company was offering and manually writing in your name, relevant contact information, and selecting a plan? Do you recall having to use a required black or blue ink pen to fill out the paperwork? You may be surprised to hear that a lot of companies are still using this outdated process of manually filling out benefit plans. The problem is that if there’s a spelling error, a transcription error, or even a single number is incorrect, there’s not an easy way to update or change the document — thus, forcing people to start all over.
That’s why technology has become an integral part of benefits planning today. It saves time by eliminating paper forms, reducing errors, and creating digital employee files — thereby offering a solution for both employers and employees. It has also been proven to result in a higher enrollment rate for businesses who offer it. Here are just a few reasons why you should integrate technology into your benefits planning.
Ease of Access
There are a variety of benefit solutions where employees can easily access their plans, view their benefits, and more. For a small fee, we’ll create a customized website where your employees can view their benefits, print forms, post important documents, and even look up doctors. If you want or need something a little more robust, we’ve also partnered with several HR technology companies that will allow you to integrate your HR, benefits, payroll and reporting systems all in one place. At the end of the day, this makes it easier for your employees to access everything and understand their benefits.
Education
When employees have a place where they can easily access their benefits online, it helps them become informed consumers. They’ll be able to know which doctors or prescriptions are covered, how much a visit to the doctors is, and more. Plus, if they understand what’s included with their plan and where they are covered, they may be more likely to use it.
Improved Accuracy
Technology not only makes it easier to enroll in a health plan or make changes to a current plan, but it also improves the overall accuracy of the process. There’s less room for error when you can delete, correct, and review changes online rather than a piece of paper.
Automatic Reporting & Compliance
As a business owner, you want to see who’s taking advantage of the benefits you’re offering. Technology makes it easier to automate benefits reporting so you can see who’s enrolled and determine the percentage of people enrolled in a plan. It also helps ensure your business is compliant which can help you avoid substantial fines.
If you have questions about incorporating technology into your benefits plans, give us a call or learn more here.