Benefits are the perks and additional incentives that make the journey of an employee more memorable and can act as a catalyst to spur performance. Employee satisfaction is, to a very large extent, tied to the growth of a business or otherwise.
It has been known that benefits administration has been one of the drivers of job seekers’ choices when deciding on where to work. Perks like healthcare, dental care, seasonal vacation, and much more could be a deciding factor when it comes to recruiting talented employees.
Such a vital aspect of an employee’s remuneration must be administered efficiently. There are several benefit administration software solutions. Some are stand-alone while others are embedded into HR platforms. Others can be installed as on-premise software while some come as a cloud-based solution. This guide will walk you through many options so you can make an informed decision.
Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our comparisons and recommendations. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.
What is Benefits administration software?
A benefits administration software is a digital platform that lets HR staff manage their company’s benefits package. It also doubles as a source where employees can have direct access to learn about the available benefits provided. This enables them to choose the right package suited to their needs. To retain talent and engage employees, companies need to offer the right mix of benefits.
Let’s quickly take a detailed look into 7of the best and affordable benefits administration software available. The goal is to discover their uniqueness and choose the one that aligns with your needs and budget.
1. Zenefits
Zenefits offers cloud-based benefits administration software to companies to manage their human resources, with particular emphasis on payroll and health insurance. Zenefits simplifies the process of showcasing and delivering great employee benefits to your workforce, ranging from healthcare plans to commuter benefits. It’s suitable for small to mid-sized businesses.
Zenefits simplifies your benefits search and offers advanced technology to manage and administer business benefits. Its mobile app comes with access to balances, plans, and claims whenever needed. In addition, employees can utilize their benefits through other apps like Uber or Lyft, ensuring they get the most use out of their benefits.
It offers a self-service feature where employees and new hires can enroll directly through the platform. The compliance assistant feature assists administrators in managing compliance changes efficiently without complicating things. Using its automated system, you’ll always be up-to-date on ACA regulations.
Key features
- Self-service portal
- Third-party integrations are available
- Compatible on the web and mobile devices
- Online Benefits enrollment
- Automatic onboarding and 100% online benefits management system.
- Digital document storage
- Customized and real-time reports
- Mobile app
Cons
- No Data import/export feature
- Not suitable for large enterprises
Pricing
It offers three pricing plans and a free one-year payroll plan for any chosen package. The plans include; Essentials at $8/employee/month, Growth at $14/employee/month, and Zen at $21/employee/month.
2. GUSTO
Gusto is a cloud-based all-in-one HR software. It was launched as ZenPayroll in 2012 and serves more than 200,000 companies in the United States. In addition to processing tens of billions of dollars of payroll every year, it also provides employee benefits. They include health insurance and 401(k) plans while helping companies create custom work environments.
Payroll, benefits, and HR processes are all automated and streamlined through a single, easy-to-use platform, and expert assistance is provided. The setup of employee profiles and usage of Gusto is straightforward and it helps find different types of benefits. The online enrollment tool and the on-call support team allow you to give your employees the health benefits they want and need to stay healthy, happy, and engaged.
Furthermore, employee management tools provide businesses with onboarding and time tracking services, document management, org charts, and time-off request approval capabilities. Using the employee directory feature, managers can see information on all employees, including leave information, contact information, payment information, and bank account identifiers.
Key features
- A wallet app for employees for easy benefits access
- Employee Self-service portal
- Third-party integrations including accounting tools
- 401(k) tracking
- Benefits administration outsourcing feature
- Digital signature tool available
- Online benefits enrollment platform
- Medical, dental, vision Integrated employee health benefits
Cons
- No compliance management feature
- No service provider management feature
Pricing
It has four billing plans. They include; Core at $6/employee/month, Complete at $12/employee/month, Concierge at $12/employee/month and Contractor at $6/ temporary employee(contractors)/month.
3. WORKTERRA
Workterra is a full-featured, user-friendly benefit administration platform designed to simplify the growing complexity of benefits administration and enrolment for HR and employees. It streamlines data exchanges with maximum accuracy and security and provides clients with a personalized employee enrollment experience. It is suitable mostly for mid-sized to large enterprises.
The Workterra BenAdmin application manages benefits enrollment and administration. With the cloud-based approach, you can access real-time data from the web at any time, anywhere. Some of its features include, Workflow, messaging and content tailored to each employee group based on their eligibility.
It also hosts a self-service employee dashboard that makes it easy to update and access information. Users can access online tools that assist in decision-making when choosing health insurance or any other benefit plans that suit their needs.
The dynamic cost calculators feature provides a real-time view of costs. It also integrates seamlessly with other core HR software as well as third-party outsourced benefits providers in the healthcare, insurance, education, and other related providers.
Key features
- Self-service employee portal
- Mobile responsive design
- Camera and document upload enabled
- Real-time reporting and analytics
- Online paperless enrollment
- Multiple customer support and training options
- Seamless integration with other HR software
- ACA compliant
Cons
- No dedicated mobile app
- Web-based platform only
Pricing
A free demo is available for clients. However, for the full pricing, contact the sales team on their website site.
4. Paycor
Paycor is a comprehensive, cloud-based, human resources (HR) and benefits administration platform that includes features for managing recruitment, onboarding, employee records, benefits administration, payroll, tax compliance, and more. SMEs, large enterprises, and nonprofit organizations can all utilize the solutions.
Employees and new hires can select benefits online through Paycor Benefits Advisor, which reduces overall administrative tasks and saves a considerable amount of time. Employees can manage their profiles and update themselves for life events (triggering workflows across other platforms and even to carriers) within the platform.
Some of its features include automated alert/notification of common processes like online enrollments, dashboards and robust reports for managers to contain costs, and a mobile app for easy enrollment online. Tools for managing tax calculations and filing, 401(k) data, workers’ compensation payments, pay stubs, W-2s, and 1099s, electronic child support payments, and more are available.
Key features
- Standalone benefit software
- Real-time dashboards for reports and analytics on healthcare plan choices
- Compatible on all platforms (web and mobile)
- 100% online enrollment
- Self-service portal for information updates e.g life events
- Mobile app available
- Vacation and paid-time-off scheduling
Cons
- Limited customer support options
- No individual plan rate. All plans are grouped per total number of employees.
Pricing
Paycor offers pricing based on the number of employees. For small businesses with between 1-39 employees, it offers three plans. Basic at $99/month, Essential at 149/month, and Complete at $199/month. For large enterprises with over 40 employees, the pricing is derived from the particular features selected. Also included is a free demo for each plan.
5. VBASoftware
VBA is a cloud-based benefits administration software that provides user-friendly administration for health care plans, dental plans, vision plans, life insurance, short-term disability benefit, long-term disability benefits, and much more.
Its main features include a configurable dashboard, billing and commission management, reinsurance, customer service, fee schedule, and provider database and administration.
Accounting functions are integrated into VBA, offering users the opportunity to maintain multiple accounts, manage payer information, update account balances, and transfer funds. They can also void transactions and checks, review funding requests, run pre-check reports, do reconciliations, process checks, etc.
Various third-party applications such as Emdeon, Claims Bridge, and more are integrated with the platform.
Key features
- There are multiple account types available.
- You can create, track, and report grievances for multiple employees
- Self-service web portal
- Multiple third-party integrations including accounting tools
- Service providers management system integrated
- The tracking of credentialing information includes quality, attestation, licensing, and documentation
Cons
- No mobile app is available
- No rule-based workflow feature
Pricing
The pricing of VBASoftware is available via an inquiry on the site.
6. EverythingBenefits
EverythingBenefits provides one of the most comprehensive collections of next-generation, end-to-end benefits administration technology to businesses of all sizes. The company’s open business model allows it to partner with benefit brokers, independent agents, insurers, payroll companies, and many more.
EveryBenefits’ enrollment and management solution eliminates the need to fill out paper forms with its carrier connections, employee decision support tools, and enrollment status tracking features. Plan comparison can be performed side-by-side by employees and the self-help glossary can be consulted by administrators to better understand coverage options.
There is a system for tracking progress, and all correspondence and forms are logged for audit purposes. For payroll integrations, you can collect invoice data and send it for benefit reconciliation, and receive notifications when all invoices need attention.
Key Features
- Benefits enrollment and management
- ACA compliance and reporting
- Dependent eligibility audit
- Self-service portal
- 401(k) tracking
- Deduction management
- Compatible with all platforms ( web and mobile)
Cons
- No data import/export feature
- Suitable only for mid-sized to large enterprises
Pricing
It has three pricing packages namely Enterprise, Corporate, and A La Carte. However, the costs are provided on request.
7. PLEXIS Payer Platform
The PLEXIS Payer Platform provides an easy-to-use and easily configurable solution for benefits administration and claims management. Plexis automates processes such as enrolling users, billing, managing provider contracts, administering benefits plans, and submitting claims. It can be deployed either on-premise or in the cloud and is suitable for businesses of any size.
The solution provides users with self-service and intelligent healthcare portals that enable them to access a variety of critical information, like their claims history, ID cards, provider information, and eligibility, all from any internet-enabled device. Users of the solution enjoy streamlined efficiency and automated functionality due to the solution’s rapid scaling, connectivity, and flexibility.
Other features include an employee database, claims management, and deduction management. PLEXIS Payer Platforms offers automated manual processing, which produces a greater level of efficiency and reduces costs.
Key features
- Two options for installation (on-premises and cloud-based)
- Co-Pay & Deductible Tracking
- Compliance Management
- Benefits management
- Self-service portal
- Automated enrollment
- Customizable reports
- Multiple integrations with healthcare providers
Cons
- Web-based platform only
- No Alerts/notification feature
Pricing
A free demo is available for onboarding any of its pricing plans. However, for detailed cost, that can only be gotten on request.
Conclusion
No matter whether you wish to increase employee performance or improve employee satisfaction and retention, benefits are a powerful tool. Research has shown that businesses with strategic benefits programs tend to perform better overall and retain more employees.
Thus, choosing the right benefits administration solution is imperative, as it allows you to get out of the weeds and make informed decisions about your workforce. With the various benefit administration tools highlighted, you can be sure to chart on clear waters when it comes to putting smiles on the faces of your employees.