presentation for: allstate benefits jack douglas february 4, 2013 marty jones hunter whittington

Presentation for:

Allstate Benefits

Jack Douglas

February 4, 2013

Marty Jones

Hunter Whittington

Agenda for our meeting

Who is Benefits Technologieso National Companyo Third largest enrollment firm nationally

Current Open Enrollment Process

Client Goals

Electronic Enrollment Software Buildo Fact Findero Electronic Census

Program and Approacho Timelineo Branding of Enrollmento Marketing

• Posters / Announcements / Memos• One Page Flyers• Customized Booklets, including extras• Emails / Voice Blasts

Agenda Continued

Program and Approach – Continuedo Group Meetingso Employee Scheduling

On-line Scheduler Prescheduled Appointments Tag Team

o Current Benefit Statement (on line only)o Benefit Election Statement (end of enrollment)o Benefit Deduction Authorization Form (at enrollment)o Data feeds sent to carriers and/or client at end of

enrollmento Tracking and following up on all Evidence of

Insurability

Benefit Specialist Training

Enrollment Services Application / Service Agreement

Why Benefits Technologies

Questions

What Are Our Clients Saying?

While these messages apply to almost any function of the company, they are becoming more crucial in the management and delivery of employee benefits. The following slides are designed to identify Best Practices in managing an annual enrollment.

Our market research and client feedback identifies three consistent messages coming out of HR.

Partnership Requirements

Strong

Partnership

Foundation

Strong

Partnership

Foundation

Simplify the communications and

make them better

Emphasize this years key initiatives

(HSA, CDHP, etc)

Get buy-in from the

location and

managers

Engage the HR team

with excellent

communicators and

high impact partners

Shorten the enrollment

window

Provide technology to clean

up employee data and

integrate with all vendors

Limit work disruption and do not

oversell the employees

Develop a comprehensive

communications campaign

Process Planning

Through years of experience managing projects for

manufacturers Benefits Technologies has identified 8

key phases necessary for a successful implementation.

The following slides will review those eight (8) phases

in detail.

The Power of Options With High-Touch Planning

Processes For Success

Phase I: Stakeholders Meeting

Review the overall scope of the project, timelines, goals and objectives, and any changes that have occurred since project inception.

• Identify key influencers and roles that will support goals and objectives (i.e. senior management, location managers, line managers, unions, etc.)

• Develop project management expectations for status updates and stakeholder interactions.


Phase II: Education

Success is often a result of consistent and redundant communication with the internal management teams. Because annual enrollment only happens one time per year, a change to the existing process is cause for additional communications and education.

• Create the message, define the timing and audience, and develop a way to get feedback.

• Address the enrollment process and expectations for managers and supervisors.

• Benefits Technologies assigns an Account Manager with the client to act as the liaison between Human Resources, supervisors and the employees ensuring quality control, single point of contact, logistics management and problem resolution.


Phase III: Internal Staff Communications

Managers and supervisors are critical to the success of the annual enrollment. It is imperative that they fully understand the process and their role in making it a success.

• Conference calls & WebEx describing the enrollment process, timing, and employee requirements, while providing support tools and potential work around(s) for unique circumstances.

• Collect contact information by site and set up subsequent individual calls to review enrollment schedule and individual location needs (i.e. prescheduled appointments, on-line scheduler, tag team, and/or call center).

• Deliver the location overview document capturing by location the number of employees, shifts, language requirements and meeting room logistics and availability. Completed by location manager and reviewed during the individual call in advance of the enrollment. This allows Benefits Technologies to customize the process to each location.

• Chairman and CEO Letter delivered to employees.

• Human Resource memorandum delivered to location managers and/or supervisors explaining the process and the need for support.


Phase IV: Employee Specific Communications

• Immediately following the management communication (s) a payroll stuffer (or email depending on the audience) is sent out to the employees highlighting enrollment dates and indicating a new process will be required for the annual enrollment.

• Many clients take advantage of voice broadcasting services to ensure that all employees receive the intended message. This is a simple recorded message sent to all employees work and/or home or cell numbers.

At this point the supervisors understand the process that is upcoming and how it will work. The employees are aware that there is a new process and new programs that will be implemented. Typically about two weeks prior to Open Enrollment, Benefits Technologies will distribute more detailed information on the programs that they will be communicating and enrolling. Some of the options include but are not limited to the following.

• Benefit Guide• Email communications• Memorandums• Posters (reminders for enrollment dates and positioning new

plans and services)• Payroll stuffers• One page flyer introducing voluntary products• Carrier brochures• Traditional group meetings

***Samples Available***


Phase V: Training

This process begins during the early stages of the implementation and continues through the annual enrollment. There are four specific areas of the company that require case training: Implementation & Account Management, Technology (case build and data management), Enrollment Team, and finally the Enrollment Service Center.

• Benefits Technologies hosts weekly internal meetings to review new case submissions, business requirements and associated timelines. This allows for resource planning, Q&A, and client assignments. Each area of the company is represented during these meetings.

• Listing of carrier and details of products will need to be provided. Benefits Technologies will contact the carriers directly for benefit specialist training and will make arrangements with each carrier.

Processes For SuccessPhase V: Training (continued)

• Benefits Technologies requires that all Benefit Specialists be trained on the products and systems that they will be enrolling. Benefits Technologies will host training sessions via conference call, WebEx and on-site at a centralized location. The focus of these sessions will be on:

o Company culturalo Working environmentso Logistics and planningo Plan eligibilityo Health & welfare benefits trainingo Voluntary benefit trainingo Technology support and application demonstrationo Specialist mock interviews

• Benefit Specialists ultimately become an extension of Human Resources and therefore we invite Human Resources to attend the enrollment training in order to meet the counselors and speak to them about the companies culture and what is and is not acceptable. It is also helpful for the specialists to know more about the employees.


Phase VI: Going “Live”

The day before the enrollment is often a chance for the Case Managers and Enrollment Specialists to walk the facility and best prepare for the following day’s activity. Settle into the meeting room, ensure power outlet availability, proper lighting, seating and privacy for individual enrollment meetings.

• On the first day of the annual enrollment the Case Manager will again meet with the supervisors and Human Resources to review the process and make sure that everyone understands the process. This time is also used to take into consideration new business developments that may impact the enrollment (i.e. temporary shut downs, ramp ups, deadlines, plan changes etc).

• Enrollment Specialist then begin the “tag team” approach limiting down time for the production line. If a schedule was agreed to, the Enrollment Specialist will work with the appropriate manager to identify the employees. At this time if there are employees who are sick, hurt, or unable to attend the session, plans are made to ensure that they are seen in subsequent days or through the Enrollment Service Center.


Phase VI: Going “Live” (continued)

• The Benefits Technologies system will be able to track who has and has not enrolled in their benefits to ensure that they are seeing enough people on a daily basis in order to finish the enrollment on the proposed timeline. Benefits Technologies will provide these reports to Human Resources on a daily basis so they are kept up to speed on how the enrollment is going and follow up on any issues or questions from the day before.

• This presents another opportunity to leverage the voice broadcasting technology, where a message will remind employees that annual enrollment has begun and they need to review the information sent to them, speak to their manager, call Human Resources or call our Enrollment Service Center.


Phase VII: Post Enrollment Communication

Benefits Technologies will work with the employer to determine which post communication mediums are useful to them. Options include the following:

• The benefit specialist will have a confirmation form that the employee can complete and take with them, so the employee has a record of their elections to share with a spouse.

• Enrollment reports for Human Resource (who has enrolled in which plans).

• Data feeds sent to Carriers and Human Resource.• Benefit confirmation statements signed by the

employee (sent electronically to Human Resource).• Thank you letters sent to Human Resources and

supervisors.


Phase VIII: Project Review

After the project is completed and Human Resource has time to conduct a post enrollment , a call or meeting is scheduled to review all aspects of the project.

• Implementation effectiveness – was there a clear path set to meet the key objectives?

• Training – did all parties feel that the team was well prepared?

• Enrollment – statistics; how many employees were interviewed, was the process smooth, what would we do differently?

Why Benefits Technologies?

Cutting EdgeFrom our front end state-of-the-art enrollment system to our back end technology/data management systems, we use customized software to make sure that we are providing the most efficient and best enrollment process available

Professionalism Our consultative approach ensures that your employees are getting “best-in-breed” benefit programs and that you understand how the programs help your employees

Education Our experienced non-commissioned benefit enrollment specialists ensure that your employees make educated

benefit decisions for themselves and their families

Customization Our entrepreneurial approach result in unique solutions and custom branding for each client

Proven ProcessOur state-of-the-art-

enrollment/ communication strategies ensure that all

aspects of your enrollment are successful from the pre-

communication campaign through post-enrollment wrap

up