First things first, let's make sure that all employees you want to include in the enrollment window have access to BambooHR. If they do not have access to BambooHR, they will not be able to log in to their account and complete enrollment. 

If you are working closely with a benefits broker and would like them to have access to your employees' benefit information, you can create a custom access level and add them as a non-employee user. Feel free to skip this step if you plan to handle things on your own. 

It is important to set yourself up for success in using Benefits Administration from the get-go. This will require you to work with your broker and carrier to understand their carrier rules and your account structure. These rules will influence how you set up your benefits plans and determine which carrier solution will work best. You should consider the following questions: 

1. What are the general carrier rules and information (i.e., which states apply, new hires rules/eligibility dates, terminated coverage rules, etc.)?
2. How does the carrier report benefit data? Are premiums separated based on coverage level? 
3. How does the carrier bill the company? How are plans and enrollments split out around billing? 
4. What are the rules around effective dates for qualifying life events? Are effective dates different for a marriage event versus a birth event?
5. What are the correct reason codes for qualifying life events?
6. What format does the carrier require the enrollment information to be transferred as (CSV or PDF)?

Now that you fully understand your carrier's requirements, add them to BambooHR. Navigate to Settings > Benefits > Carriers. Once you are on the Carriers tab, click Add Carrier. A modal will appear for you to add the carrier name, EIN, and group number. Each carrier can only have one group number assigned to them in BambooHR. If a carrier has multiple group numbers, click here to learn how you can make the distinction between the benefit plans offered by that carrier. 

If you enter a carrier EIN that has a carrier connection with BambooHR, you will see a message letting you know of the data integration option.

For carriers that do not have a carrier connection with BambooHR, a different message will let you know that BambooHR can look into building a connection with the carrier, and you can still add the carrier to your list of carriers in BambooHR.

When setting up a benefit plan, you will also be able to add a new carrier from the Carrier dropdown menu. After verifying your carrier details, click Save, and the carrier will then appear on the Carriers tab.

On the Carriers tab, you can manage your carrier information. To edit an existing carrier, hover over the carrier name and click on the pencil icon. To delete a carrier, click on the trash can icon. Please note that if the carrier has enrollment data associated with it, you will not be able to delete the carrier.

Ensure that your employees have the following fields completed on the Job tab. This helps with accuracy in enrollment data and rates.

Employees included in an upcoming enrollment window will receive an email notification three days before the enrollment window start date and on the start date. Both notifications let the employee know that they can review and update their personal and dependent information before electing their benefits.

In order for a dependent to appear in the enrollment experience for an employee, the employee must have the First Name, Last Name, Birth Date, Gender, and Relationship fields filled out for the dependent on their Benefits tab.

If you require approval for changes in the Dependents table on the Benefits tab, make sure you allow yourself enough time to approve the changes before the enrollment period begins.

Before you can create an enrollment window, you will need to set up or review your benefit plans in BambooHR. There are a few changes to benefit plan settings when using Benefits Administration. If you have already created your plans, make sure to review that you have addressed the new fields. If you are starting from scratch, work with your broker to ensure plans are set up accurately.

The next step is to review a list that automatically includes any employees who are eligible for or currently enrolled in at least one benefit plan. You can find this information by navigating to Settings > Benefits > Employees. Click here to learn more about how to manage benefits-eligible employees in Benefits Administration.

When creating an enrollment window, you will need to choose a plan year, which includes the benefit plans you selected for that plan year. Plan years are typically created in a 12-month cycle and need to have a start date and end date. 

To create a plan year, click +New Plan Year and select or deselect the benefit plans for the year. The next step is "New Hires," which includes setting up an automated enrollment window for your new hires. After you complete the three-step process, save the plan year with its associated benefit plans. 

1. Filter: You can use this filter to view active, scheduled, or closed plan years.
2. Plan year information: For each plan year you create, you will be able to view the number of associated benefit plans, the plan year status, duration, and how many employee elections are pending, approved, and incomplete for that year.
3. Additional settings: If you need to edit or delete a plan year, click on the gear icon for the plan year and select Edit or Delete from the dropdown menu. From here, you can choose to create a new enrollment window that includes the plan year and its associated benefit plans. The Plan Year field is required in the enrollment window setup.
4. Update missing information: If you have missing employee, dependent, or company data within a specific plan year, the system will show a blue hyperlink in the Employee Elections column for that plan year. Click Update Missing Info to ensure that you have all required data added before sending it to your carrier. Click here to learn more on how this feature works.

You can easily export an enrollment report as a CSV or Excel file if that is your carrier's preference. We offer three enrollment reports that are specific to Benefits Administration:

1. Enrollment Window Election Summary: The report includes enrollment data filtered by enrollment window.
2. Plan Year Election Summary: This report includes data filtered by plan year.
3. Benefit Election Changes: If the enrollment window is not your company's first enrollment window in BambooHR, you can configure this report to show any changes made between the last and current enrollment windows. 

To export a report showing comprehensive enrollment data for your current enrollment window, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Reports > Standard Reports >  Click Enrollment Window Election Summary under the Benefits section. 
2. You can filter the report to show a specific set of data (enrollment window, benefit plan type, carrier). Once you have the data you need, export the report as a CSV or Excel file.
3. Clean up the data file if needed and package it to send to your carriers. Work with your broker and carrier to provide the information they need in the report.

Does your carrier require data in the form of a PDF file? With the PDF Form Builder, you can upload the carrier's PDF enrollment form and build a template that will auto-populate your employees' enrollment selections and benefits data upon download.

Are you looking to automate the process of sending enrollment data to your carriers? BambooHR offers the option of carrier connections. This feature syncs enrollment data between BambooHR and your carrier's system based on the carrier's requirements. Read Carrier Connections to find out if you qualify and meet the requirements for activating carrier connections in your account.