Attention VARs: Benefits Administration Is Ready For The Cloud

By Megan Williams, contributing writer

Cloud computing is continually popping up as a welcome entrant in different areas in the world of healthcare, and this time, it’s benefits administration.

The Healthcare Trends Institute has released its Healthcare Benefits Technology Survey (available for download here) which reviews the responses of over 2,500 companies (with fewer than 50 employees) about their use of technology and benefit administration tools.

Why Solutions Providers Should Pay Attention

The results will be useful to solutions providers because they provide insight into where potential clients might be in their progress with technology as well as the steps they might be considering around future tech initiatives.

Key Findings

• Most employers are using benefit enrollment and human resources information systems (HRIS) (78 percent.)
• Provider directories lead the pack in terms of tech-managed programs (44.3 percent.)
• Almost half of respondents considered communication with employees to be a benefit of using “more or newer technology” in their benefits administration.
• The majority of respondents (64.3 percent) indicated they were comfortable with the cloud.
• Online portals were also common with 62.9 percent of respondents indicating they use them to engage with employees

Technology is an important factor in benefits administration and something smart VARs won’t want to ignore. The survey indicated that 78 percent of employers were using technology to manage their benefits, and that employers look to their systems as tools to engage employees and empower them when making decisions. Much like the rest of technology in healthcare, benefits administration solutions will need to evolve to meet the changing demands of consumers.

Employee demands are also reflected in trends toward consumer-driven healthcare as seen in employees pushing for technology that facilitates better price transparency and, in an environment that features more high-deductible plans, one that allows them to best understand their financial responsibility. Solutions providers can expect employers to look for advanced online tools that allow for price comparisons, plan cost tracking, as well as financial education.

Solutions providers can also tap into Affordable Care Act (ACA) goals by connecting with employers’ needs to provide tech solutions around

• Physical activity tracking
• Health coaching
• Tobacco cessation
• Weight management

Perhaps the most important take-away from the survey though is the fact that overall, employers are comfortable with tech. You can expect to see more clients open to not only cloud computing, but also opportunities around wireless networks, mobile solutions, electronic medical records (EMRs), health information exchange (HIE), telehealth, and wearables.

Overall, companies are looking to technology as a partner in working with their employees. The survey states, “In general, companies are looking for technology to help optimize the efficiency of employee benefits functions and create better all-around user experiences. As employers take on the responsibility of helping employees become healthcare- and financially-literate, they will need technology to deliver personalized communication in a mobile environment to diverse populations.”