- Health insurance administration
- Life insurance administration
- COBRA administration
ADP Workforce Now is designed to streamline benefits enrollment and help employers save money. With online open enrollment, it’s easy for employees to update their beneficiary information or notify HR of a qualifying life event. The software works with multiple benefit plans, giving employers more flexibility and ensuring that employees have a variety of options to suit their needs. ADP Workforce Now also offers a mobile app, giving employees on-the-go access to their benefits information.
For employers, ADP Workforce Now offers a variety of canned reports to make it easier to determine employee eligibility, generate plan summaries, and review enrollment activity. The comparison tool also makes it possible to identify additions, deletions, and other changes. Users also have access to custom reporting tools that are capable of creating plan calculators, plan comparison tools, and personalized plan rankings. ADP Workforce Now has a variety of compliance tools, such as automated COBRA notifications and ACA auditing support, to help employers comply with their legal obligations.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Integrates with accounting, ERP, recruiting, and attendance systems
- Pre-population of data across all modules
Cons
- Benefits administration is an add-on
Summary
-
Starting Price
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
Yes
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- Health insurance administration
- Life insurance administration
- COBRA administration
- Reporting
- Integrations
- Health insurance administration
Benefitfocus offers the Employer Total Solution, a software suite with tools designed to administer employee benefits, pay premiums on time, and gain useful insights from benefit-related data. The health insights tool gives users the information they need to improve employee health and control insurance costs, while a suite of communication and engagement tools makes it easier to keep employees informed about company benefit plans. Benefitfocus also frees up time by handling repetitive administrative tasks, giving HR staff more time to focus on strategic activities.
For companies looking to get a handle on their benefits data, Benefitfocus offers data-management tools designed to increase accuracy and interface with common payroll systems. The software also has tools to help simplify billing processes and ensure that insurance companies and other vendors receive the correct payment amounts each month. With Benefitfocus, employers can also offer a personalized enrollment experience to help employees create a benefits package that makes sense for their needs.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Offers data-driven insights
- Enables firms to pay premiums right from the software
Cons
- Doesn't have features for retirement plan managemen
Summary
-
Starting Price
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
No
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- Reporting
- Integrations
- Health insurance administration
- HIPAA compliance
- ACA reporting
- Health insurance administration
BerniePortal offers several tools to help with recruiting, benefits administration, and employee onboarding. The benefits administration portal is designed to help employers offer better benefits and simplify the open enrollment process. When it’s time for employees to enroll, they’re guided through a five-step process that presents the options available and helps them understand how much those options cost. Employers can upload detailed plan descriptions or educational videos provided by benefits vendors to make the process even easier. Once an employee completes the enrollment process, the benefits administrator receives an email notification.
BerniePortal also has built-in tools to improve communication between HR staff and employees. With these tools, it’s possible to customize email messages to employees who haven’t enrolled yet, eliminating the need to track people down when the deadline is about to pass. The portal was designed for use on mobile devices, so employees can view benefits information, download documents, and make changes from anywhere with an internet connection.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Lowest per-employee fee
- Email notifications to help HR staff manage their time
Cons
- Monthly fee in addition to the per-employee fee
Summary
-
Starting Price
- starts at $5/employee/month with a $15 base fee
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
No
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- HIPAA compliance
- ACA reporting
- Health insurance administration
- Retirement plan management
- Life insurance administration
- Health insurance administration
Ceridian Dayforce is a cloud-based software designed to streamline payroll processing, benefits administration and other HR functions. Once an admin sets up eligibility rules, the software presents each employee with benefit options tailored to their Dayforce profiles. The software also has support tools to help employees choose which benefits plan has the right combination of features and affordability. For example, a comparison tool makes it possible to compare the costs of multiple plans or determine which one offers a higher level of coverage.
Because Ceridian Dayforce links benefits administration with payroll and timekeeping, HR staff don’t have to enter the same information in multiple places, saving them time and increasing efficiency. When an employee makes a benefits selection, their payroll information is updated automatically, which also prevents data-entry errors. For employers that need help with ACA compliance, Ceridian Dayforce offers self-service enrollment and automatic eligibility calculations. Admin users can also generate auditing and compliance reports.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 24/7 premium support available
- Features to manage the entire employee life cycle
Cons
- Fewer integrations than other platforms
Summary
-
Starting Price
- starts at $11.50/employee/month
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
Yes
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- Retirement plan management
- Life insurance administration
- Health insurance administration
- COBRA administration
- HIPAA compliance
- Health insurance administration
Ease is specifically designed for small businesses with fewer than 250 employees, making it possible for firms with small HR departments to be more efficient and productive. What makes Ease different from other benefits software is that it’s broker-supported, which means an insurance broker can help set it up, manage it, and teach HR staff to use it for benefits administration. With Ease, employees can complete the enrollment process at their convenience, using a digital portal that accepts electronic signatures.
Ease has plan-comparison tools to help employees understand how much their selections cost and quickly compare details such as out-of-pocket maximums and deductibles. HR staff have access to an enrollment progress dashboard, which uses colorful icons to indicate each user’s status, from “Not started” to “Enrolled.” The dashboard also shows each employee’s hire date and employment status, which can be helpful for determining benefits eligibility. Employees can even access Ease with an iOS or Android app for added convenience.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Uses videos to educate employees on their benefits options
- Broker-supported software
Cons
- No features for administering life insurance
Summary
-
Starting Price
- Pro: $379 per month
- Agency: $649 per month
- Enterprise: Custom
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
No
-
Retirement Plan Management
No
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- COBRA administration
- HIPAA compliance
- Health insurance administration
- Life insurance administration
- Retirement plan administration
- Health insurance administration
GoCo combines payroll, benefits administration, and onboarding into a single platform. The benefits portal works for health insurance administration, retirement plan management, HSA and FSA administration, life insurance administration, and management of commuter benefits, giving employees access to all the information they need in one place. The platform is completely paperless, helping employers save space and eliminating the need to track down missing files.
With a variety of self-service options, GoCo gives employees the freedom they need to view their coverage details, make changes, or even enroll in new benefits at their convenience, reducing the amount of time HR staff must spend answering questions. GoCo syncs with payroll and insurance systems to ensure that changes take effect immediately. Because HR staff don’t have to enter every change in multiple systems, there’s also a reduced risk of costly errors. By integrating directly with insurance companies, GoCo also helps ensure that benefit premiums are paid on time and delivered to the correct vendor.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Matches firms with trusted brokers
- Integrates with Slack to enhance communication
Cons
- Doesn't offer iOS or Android apps
Summary
-
Starting Price
- Complete HR: $6/employee/month + $29/mo base fee
- Premium HR: $10/employee/monthe + $29/mo base fee
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
Yes
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- Life insurance administration
- Retirement plan administration
- Health insurance administration
- Integrations
- Reporting
- Life insurance administration
Gusto bills itself as an “all-in-one people platform” that has modernized payroll and benefits administration. The software gives employers access to a wide range of no-cost, low-cost, and premium features, making it easier to build custom benefits packages that attract talented employees without going over budget. With the Gusto Wallet app, employees can manage their paychecks, access cash in emergencies, and carry out other financial functions. The software also makes it possible to offer health reimbursement instead of traditional health insurance, giving employers more flexibility at a lower cost.
Gusto Payroll has more than 3,000 benefit plans available through a network of 100 carriers, giving employers additional flexibility as they create customized benefit packages. These plans include traditional health insurance, dental coverage, and vision coverage. Gusto Payroll also has tools to streamline open enrollment, compare available plans, and comply with state workers’ compensation requirements.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Offers budgeting tools for employees
- Submits forms directly to insurance carriers
Cons
- Some benefits are only available with an active account
Summary
-
Starting Price
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
Yes
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- Integrations
- Reporting
- Life insurance administration
- Retirement plan management
- Health insurance administration
- Life insurance administration
isolved is an employee experience leader, providing intuitive, people-first HCM technology. Their solutions are delivered directly or through their partner network to more than five million employees and 145,000 employers, who use them every day to boost performance, increase productivity, and accelerate results while reducing risk. Their HCM platform, isolved People Cloud, seamlessly connects and manages the employee journey across talent management, HR & payroll, workforce management, and engagement management functions. No matter the industry, they help high-growth organizations employ, enable, and empower their workforce by transforming employee experience for a better today and a better tomorrow.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Offers subscription-based benefit services
- Life event wizard to trigger plan changes
Summary
-
Starting Price
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
Yes
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- Retirement plan management
- Health insurance administration
- Life insurance administration
- Reporting
- Integrations
- Retirement plan management
Namely’s people operations platform includes several features designed to streamline the enrollment process and eliminate the need for HR staff to enter the same information in multiple databases. The enrollment wizard helps employees make appropriate benefit selections by making it easier to compare plans and understand what’s included in each package. Automated workflows eliminate some of the manual tasks associated with benefits administration, reducing the amount of time it takes to process enrollment forms.
Namely has intuitive configuration tools, giving firms some flexibility in how they use the platform. The software also has a reporting wizard that automates the ACA compliance process by automatically generating 1094 and 1095 forms for employees. Namely enables HR staff to set up embedded election rules and global enrollment maximums to ensure each firm stays compliant and manages its benefits-related costs effectively. The software can even be integrated with payroll systems to ensure benefits deductions are automatically entered into payroll.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Offers ACA reporting
- Uses EDI feeds for automatic enrollment
Cons
- No accounting integrations
Summary
-
Starting Price
- starting from $15/employee/month
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
Yes
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- Reporting
- Integrations
- Retirement plan management
- HIPAA compliance
- COBRA administration
- Health insurance administration
Paychex Flex is a payroll system with additional features to enable firms of all sizes to better manage their employee benefits. The software makes it possible to manage benefits online, giving employees convenient access during open enrollment and allowing HR staff to access benefits information from any computer with an internet connection. Bringing benefits administration online eliminates the need to print forms or look through paper files every time an employee needs to make a change, saving firms a significant amount of time. Eliminating paper forms can also help small businesses save money.
When employees have online access to benefits administration, HR staff members spend less time answering questions, leaving them free to focus on hiring, payroll, and other aspects of human resources management. Online access also makes it possible for employees to update beneficiary information, add or remove dependents, and complete other activities without assistance from HR, leaving them feeling empowered.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Dozens of finance and accounting integrations available
- Main dashboard provides a visual display of important data
Cons
- Some features are only available at the enterprise level
Summary
-
Starting Price
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
Yes
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- HIPAA compliance
- COBRA administration
- Health insurance administration
- Health insurance administration
- Integrations
- ACA reporting
Paycor offers several features to help employers automate their benefits administration activities. The platform aims to centralize all the data involved in benefits administration, eliminating the need to search multiple locations for important information. Employees use the same username and password to access the benefits portal as they do other features, streamlining access and reducing the amount of time spent providing technical assistance.
Tools such as Perform Learning Management and Ask Emma are available to help employees understand the benefits available to them, freeing up HR staff for other important duties. Paycor also has robust reporting capabilities, making it possible for HR staff and company executives to determine the true value of discretionary benefit programs. With Paycor, benefits administrators can transmit data directly to vendors by connecting the benefits platform to Paycor Carrier Connect. Paycor also has a mobile application, giving employees 24/7 access to plan information and the ability to make changes on the go.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Automates activities to reduce admin effort
- Offers access to Workforce Insights
Cons
- No features for managing retirement plans
Summary
-
Starting Price
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
No
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- Health insurance administration
- Integrations
- ACA reporting
- Integrations
- Life insurance administration
- Health insurance administration
Paylocity gives businesses the flexibility they need to set customized enrollment rules, create multiple benefit groups, and do a better job controlling costs. The self-service portal puts employees in control of their benefits by enabling them to compare plans and make selections via any computer or mobile device. Paylocity is designed to help businesses be more competitive in the marketplace by offering mobile enrollment, in-app notifications, and mobile access to ID cards and other documents.
To give employers more flexibility, Paylocity integrates with several other software packages. These integrations make it possible for multiple systems to communicate, eliminating the need to enter data in multiple databases. Paylocity also has robust analytics capabilities, giving benefits administrators important insights into how much each plan costs, how many employees take advantage of each offering, and whether it makes sense to cut underutilized plans in favor of making increases elsewhere. The software also has visual dashboards to help administrators make better decisions.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Real-time access to spending accounts
- Works with advanced benefits packages
Cons
- Transmittal of EDI files requires supervisor approval
Summary
-
Starting Price
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
Yes
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- Integrations
- Life insurance administration
- Health insurance administration
- Health insurance administration
- COBRA administration
- ACA reporting
Rippling offers a benefits administration solution that can be purchased on its own or as part of an all-in-one platform. The software is designed to bring all benefits into one system, streamlining the enrollment process and reducing the amount of time spent filing, processing forms, and answering questions. Rippling also automates many common HR activities, such as enrolling new employees, COBRA administration, and making changes when an employee has a qualifying life event.
The software works with a wide variety of benefits, including health insurance, dental and vision coverage, 401(k) plans, flexible spending accounts, and health savings accounts, giving firms the flexibility needed to offer attractive benefits packages. Built-in shopping tools also enable administrators to request quotes and enroll in plans offered by BlueCross Blue Shield, Aetna, and other major insurance carriers. For firms that already have their benefits in place, Rippling makes it possible to transfer current benefits to the new system within just a few minutes.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Allows users to shop for benefits right from the software interface
- Existing plans transfer within minutes
Cons
- Customer support not available by phone
Summary
-
Starting Price
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
No
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- Health insurance administration
- COBRA administration
- ACA reporting
- Integrations
- Health insurance administration
- Life insurance administration
Virtual Benefits Administrator is a cloud-based software package that can be used by employers or insurance vendors. Businesses have complete control over their VBA systems as the software has customizable security settings for protecting private data and ensuring each firm remains in compliance with relevant privacy regulations. Virtual Benefits Administrator can be configured according to the firm’s needs, giving HR staff the flexibility needed to manage multiple benefit options.
The VBA employer portal, known as VBAGateway Employer, serves as a centralized repository for all data relevant to benefits administrators. Using this portal, it’s possible to understand plan participation with just a few clicks. The software strips all protected health information from claim forms, allowing administrators to review claim information without violating HIPAA. Administrators can also use the portal to add new members, update employee demographic information, request additional ID cards, and track the status of self-service requests. Charts, graphs, and detailed breakdowns make it easier to make decisions.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Customizable security settings
- Detailed claim statistics available
Cons
- No automated reporting tools
Summary
-
Starting Price
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
No
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
No
Features
- Integrations
- Health insurance administration
- Life insurance administration
- Reporting
- Retirement plan management
- HIPAA compliance
Zenefits combines benefits administration features with employee self-service options, saving time and preventing errors caused by double data entry. For startups and firms offering benefits for the first time, Zenefits makes it possible to shop for coverage. Benefits administrators can compare plans, request quotes, and complete the enrollment process right in the software. Firms that already have benefits in place can add them to the system immediately, ensuring a smooth transition from an older system to the Zenefits portal.
The software has built-in educational tools to help employees understand their options and make decisions based on their life circumstances. Zenefits also automates open enrollment, eliminating the need to track down completed forms or spend time figuring out which employees have enrolled and which have not. With the Zenefits mobile app, employees can easily access information about their plans and claims, reducing the number of questions fielded by HR staff each day.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Offers broker add-on
- Integrates with CRM and communication tools
Cons
- Telephone support not available
Summary
-
Starting Price
- Essentials: $8/employee/month
- Growth: $14/employee/month
- Zen: $21/employee/month
-
Health Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Life Insurance Administration
Yes
-
Retirement Plan Management
Yes
-
Integrations
Yes
-
Reporting
Yes
Features
- Reporting
- Retirement plan management
- HIPAA compliance
