Why you should bring open enrollment online

Benefits administration and enrollment can be complex, confusing and extremely time-consuming for agencies, employers and employees. And to make the process even more challenging, many groups are still enrolling on paper.

Dramatically simplify and streamline the process this year by having all of your groups enroll online. See how an online benefits administration platform makes open enrollment easier for you and your clients!

The pros of enrolling online

1. Save Time. On average, employers with paper benefits administration spend north of an hour per enrollee completing tasks such as duplicate data entry. The strain of manual administrative responsibilities like entering employee information, distributing and collecting multiple forms, and preparing benefits packets haunts HR administrators every year during open enrollment.
   
   And paper enrollment makes it tough on brokers as well, who are tasked with organizing and reviewing mountains of paperwork and quickly become the middle man communicating election information and policy changes to carriers and employers alike. An online platform collects, stores, and maps data so that you don't have to. The takeaway? Time savings - and likely less frustration - for everyone.
   
   
2. Reduce Error. Significantly reduce the risk of error inherent in manual data entry by moving your groups online. Between indiscernible handwriting, blank fields, typos and incorrect information - just to name a few common challenges brokers face with paper forms - there is so much room for error.
   
   These hundreds of tiny mistakes add up to not so tiny dollars and hours of reconciliation. SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) estimates an error rate of 3% occurs on total benefit premiums when administration is processed manually. Give yourself, and your clients, peace of mind with an online platform. You can be sure you're staying compliant with a best-in-class HRIS that automates the data collection process and integrates with carriers, drastically reducing the opportunity for error.
   
   
3. Expand Benefit Offerings. As processing enrollment manually is such an arduous task, employers are often resistant to offer a wider variety of plans for fear of the manpower needed to do so. Additionally, many employers are concerned they won't be able to keep track of numerous plans and ancillary options, not to mention the likelihood of more confusion for employees trying to understand the nuanced differences between each plan in a 50 page benefits booklet.
   
   Give your groups the ability to offer additional options without the additional paperwork! An online benefits administration system organizes, manages and communicates plan details in an easily digestible and digital format. From customized messages from the employer to helpful videos and links, all the information employees need to compare plans is available during the process in one central hub, making it much easier to offer additional coverage options without adding confusion for employees or more work for employers and HR administrators. 
   
   
4. Increase Satisfaction. 41% of employees feel the open enrollment process at their company is "extremely confusing" and 49% say making health insurance decisions is always "very stressful" for them. Ensure employees have a more positive open enrollment experience and are more engaged in selecting their benefits with online enrollment.
   
   In bringing the process online, there is often more clarity around benefits. Additionally, employers, employees and brokers all have access to benefit information and real-time resources, which in turn increases understanding and satisfaction for all parties involved - and drastically reduces the amount of questions your agency is tasked with answering.
   
   

Want to see how BerniePortal can help you streamline open enrollment this year? Request a demo today!