How to leverage technology to support health care reform, risk management and compliance

How can leveraging technology increase efficiency in the administration of benefit plans?
Employers are responsible for timely and accurate reporting of new enrollments and terminations to their benefit plan administrators or insurance companies. If there is a delay when an employee becomes eligible for coverage and is actually added into the insurance company’s system, this could present a challenge not only to the employee but also the company’s HR department. If the employee experiences an urgent need to see a provider or in obtaining a required medication, the HR department will spend a lot of time helping the employee receive the medical attention they need while they wait for coverage verification from the insurance company. Even worse, from a risk management standpoint, if HR forgets to send the paperwork on a timely basis the insurance company can deny coverage altogether. The employer may be liable for the coverage promised to the employee. There is another employer liability if a deduction is taken from the employee’s pay while there was no coverage in place.
Employers who rely on manual reporting of changes in coverage to the insurance company may end up overpaying for their benefit plans. For example, if a company terminates someone’s employment, it has to terminate the coverage on a timely basis to avoid paying unnecessary premium for that individual. When you streamline the process by making it automatic with an electronic component, it makes it a lot more foolproof.
Where should an employer start with the compliance and technology evaluation process?
Employers should begin by performing an audit of their current practices and business process as they relate to the health and welfare benefit plans and evaluate them against the requirements set forth by state and federal law. Also, review all the information provided to employees. There should be practices in place to track and document all of this.
It is important to correct any deficiencies before they are discovered either by an employee complaint or through a Department of Labor audit. The federal government uses random audits to ensure that employers are complying with their various obligations under their health and welfare benefit plans. It’s important for employers to demonstrate they have the required documentation, systems and tools in place and that the information is stored in a secure manner as to protect the information as required under existing laws. A good employee benefit broker/consultant who is familiar with the laws as well as the technology available to employers to assist with compliance is a valuable resource.
Alicia Saporito is a partner and senior vice president in the Employee Benefit Plan Risk Management division of Millennium Corporate Solutions. Reach her at (949) 679-7117 or [email protected].