What Benefit Plan Types are Available?

Purpose: To help you understand the different types of benefit plans you can set up in BambooHR.

Table of Contents

Select a benefit plan

BambooHR allows you to choose from and set up varied benefit plans to help meet your company's needs. To add a new benefit plan, go to Settings > Benefits > Create New Plan. A dropdown menu will show all of the benefit types available.

  • Medical: Set up a basic medical plan. You can choose between a standard plan (where the cost for employees does not vary based on specific factors like age) or a variable rate plan (where you need to identify costs individually on employee profiles).
  • Dental: Set up a dental plan.
  • Vision: Set up a vision plan.
  • Supplemental Health: Set up additional health plans (e.g., cancer, hospital, accident, critical illness, etc.).
  • Retirement: Set up a contribution plan for retirement (e.g., 401(k) or the equivalent thereof).
  • Reimbursement: Set up reimbursement for employee out-of-pocket expenses for things like travel, education, gym membership, etc.
  • Health Savings Account: Set up an HSA.
  • Flex Spending Account: Set up an FSA.
  • Life Insurance: Set up an insurance plan. You can add coverage options as separate life insurance plans (e.g., Employee Life Insurance, Spouse Life Insurance, and Family Life Insurance) or have them specified in the comments when editing an employee's enrollment in the benefit plan.
  • Disability: Set up a long-term or short-term disability plan.
  • Other: Set up any other benefits you offer that you want to track in BambooHR—the sky's the limit!

Customers using BambooHR® Payroll can add non-benefit, post-tax deductions in addition to the standard benefit plans outlined above. They manage these deductions on the employee's Pay Info tab instead of Settings > Benefits. For more information on post-tax, non-benefit deductions, click here! 

Benefit plan settings

Be sure to refer to the following tables for all information and details you need to know when setting up benefit plans for each benefit type.

*Required fields: Any field with an asterisk in the Plan Settings column below is required to complete.

**Benefits Administration: In addition to the standard information in Benefits Tracking (and Payroll if enabled), these specific settings are only available for BambooHR® Benefits Administration customers. 

***Payroll: In addition to the standard information in Benefits Tracking (and Benefits Administration if enabled), these specific settings are only available for BambooHR® Payroll customers. For details on federal limits regarding contribution amounts for specific plan types, please review this help guide. (BambooHR does not collect and remit payments for third-party vendors for any benefit plans.)

Medical, dental, and vision

Section 125 (pre-tax)

Feature Additional Plan Types Steps Plan Settings Pay Info
Benefits Tracking
  • 4 steps (standard rate)
  • 3 steps (variable rate)
  • Plan Name*
  • Description
  • Plan URL
  • Plan Starts & Plan Ends*
  • Rate*
  • ACA Compliance* (if enabled)
  • Coverage Options* (standard rate)
  • Eligibility*
  • Monthly cost per coverage option* (standard rate)
  • Payroll Deduction*
  • Total monthly cost set at plan level. 
  • Employee and company pay breakdown is set when the plan is created. 
  • Cannot change at the employee level. 
  • Can be currency or percentage of gross pay.
Benefits Administration**
  • EPO
  • POS
  • Indemnity
  • HMO (Medical)
  • PPO (Medical)
  • DHMO (Dental)
  • DPPO (Dental)
 5 steps (standard rate & variable rate)
  • Carrier*
  • Group Number
  • Plan Type*
  • Plan Type ID
  • Summary
  • Attachments
  • Enrollment Details*
 Same as above.
Payroll***
  • 4 steps (standard rate)
  • 3 steps (variable rate)
  • Benefit deduction start date*
  • Is the deduction pre-tax or post-tax?*
  • Reportable on the W-2?* (ONLY for medical plans)
  • Deduction occurs every paycheck or skips some?*
 Same as above.
Supplemental health

Additional healthcare benefits for accidents, hospitalizations, etc. (Section 125 (pre-tax)).

Feature Additional Plan Types Steps Plan Settings Pay Info
Benefits Tracking
  • 4 steps (standard rate)
  • 3 steps (variable rate)
  • Plan Name*
  • Description
  • Plan URL
  • Plan Starts & Plan Ends*
  • Rate*
  • Coverage Options* (standard rate)
  • Eligibility*
  • Monthly cost per coverage option* (standard rate)
  • Payroll Deduction*
  • Total monthly cost set at plan level. 
  • Employee and company pay breakdown is set when the plan is created. 
  • Cannot change at the employee level. 
  • Can be currency or percentage of gross pay.
Benefits Administration**
  • Hospital Indemnity
  • Critical Illness
  • Accident
  • Cancer
 5 steps (standard rate & variable rate)
  • Carrier*
  • Group Number
  • Summary
  • Plan Starts & Plan Ends*
  • Rate*
  • Plan Type*
  • Attachments
  • Enrollment Details*
 Same as above.
Payroll***
  • Hospital Indemnity
  • Critical Illness
  • Accident
  • Cancer
  • 4 steps (standard rate)
  • 3 steps (variable rate)
  • Plan Type*
  • Benefit deduction start date*
  • Is the deduction pre-tax or post-tax?*
  • Deduction occurs every paycheck or skips some?*
 Same as above.
Retirement
Feature Additional Plan Types Steps Plan Settings Pay Info
Benefits Tracking   3 steps
  • Plan Name*
  • Description
  • Plan URL
  • Plan Starts*
  • Eligibility*
  • Payroll Deduction*
  • Employee and company contributions set individually at the employee level. 
  • Can be currency or percentage of gross pay.
Benefits Administration**   4 steps
  • Carrier*
  • Group Number
  • Summary
  • Attachments
  • Enrollment Details*
 Can set Company Pays to either percentage or currency of gross pay or employee contribution.
Payroll***
  • 401(k): Traditional retirement plan (pre-tax)
  • 401(k) - Roth: Retirement plan (post-tax)
  • 408(p) SIMPLE IRA: Pre-tax
  • 403(b): Pension plan (pre-tax)
  • 403(b) - Roth: Pension plan (post-tax)
  • 401(a): Money-purchase retirement plan (pre-tax)
  • 457(b): Retirement plan for government workers (pre-tax)
  • 457(b) - Roth: Retirement plan for government workers (post-tax)
  • 409A: Nonqualified deferred compensation plan (pre-tax)
  • 408(k): Simplified 401(k) for small orgs or self-employed (post-tax)
  • 401(k) After Tax: Additional after-tax contributions
  • 408(p) SIMPLE IRA Roth: Simple IRA (post-tax)
  • 408(k) SEP Roth: Simplified Employee Pension Plan (Roth)
 3 steps
  • Plan Type*
  • Benefit deduction start date*
  • Deduction occurs every paycheck or skips some?*
  • Can set Company Pays to either percentage or currency of gross pay or employee contribution.
  • More Options allows you to set maximum limits on the employee's Benefits tab. 
Reimbursement
Feature Steps Plan Settings Pay Info
Benefits Tracking 2 steps
  • Plan Name*
  • Description
  • Plan URL
  • Plan Starts*
  • Reimbursement amount & frequency*
  • Eligibility*
 Reimbursement set at the plan level.
Benefits Administration** 3 steps
  • Carrier 
  • Group Number
  • Summary
  • Attachments
  • Enrollment Details*
 Same as above.
Payroll*** 2 steps Same as above.
Health savings account (HSA)

Contribution to a savings account used for healthcare purposes (pre-tax)

Feature Steps Plan Settings Pay Info
Benefits Tracking 3 steps
  • Plan Name*
  • Description
  • Plan URL
  • Plan Starts*
  • Eligibility*
  • Payroll Deduction*
 Employee and company contributions set individually at the employee level. Can be currency or percentage of gross pay.
Benefits Administration** 4 steps
  • Carrier*
  • Group Number
  • Summary
  • Attachments
  • Does the plan require enrollment in specific medical plans?*
  • Enrollment Details*
 Same as above.
Payroll*** 3 steps
  • Benefit deduction start date*
  • Deduction occurs every paycheck or skips some?*
 Same as above.
Flex savings account (FSA)
Feature Additional Plan Types Steps Plan Settings Pay Info
Benefits Tracking 3 steps
  • Plan Name*
  • Description
  • Plan URL
  • Plan Starts*
  • Eligibility*
  • Payroll Deduction*   

Employee and company contributions set individually at the employee level. Can be currency or percentage of gross pay. 
Benefits Administration**
  • General Healthcare: Section 125 (pre-tax)
  • Limited Healthcare: HSA-compatible for eligible dental and vision expenses
  • Dependent Care: Section 125 (pre-tax)
 4 steps
  • Carrier*
  • Group Number
  • Summary
  • Attachments
  • Does the plan require enrollment in specific medical plans?*
  • Plan Type*
  • Enrollment Details*
 Can set Company Pays to either percentage or currency of gross pay or employee contribution.
Payroll***
  • General Healthcare: Section 125 (pre-tax)
  • Limited Healthcare: HSA-compatible for eligible dental and vision expenses
  • Dependent Care: Section 125 (pre-tax)
 3 steps
  • Benefit deduction start date*
  • Deduction occurs every paycheck or skips some?*
 Same as Benefits Tracking.
Life insurance

Post-tax

Feature Additional Plan Types Steps Plan Settings Pay Info
Benefits Tracking 3 steps
  • Plan Name*
  • Description
  • Plan URL
  • Plan Starts*
  • Eligibility*
  • Payroll Deduction*
  • Employee and company contributions set individually at the employee level. 
  • Can be currency or percentage of gross pay.
Benefits Administration**
  • Basic 
  • Voluntary
 4 steps
  • Carrier*
  • Group Number
  • Plan Type*
  • Plan Type ID
  • Life/AD&D*
  • Summary
  • Attachments
  • Enrollment Details*
 Same as above.
Payroll*** 3 steps
  • Benefit deduction start date*
  • Deduction occurs every paycheck or skips some?*
 Same as above.
Disability

This can be either long-term or short-term, employer-paid or voluntary (pre-tax or post-tax).

Feature Additional Plan Types Steps Plan Settings Pay Info
Benefits Tracking 3 steps
  • Plan Name*
  • Description
  • Plan URL
  • Plan Starts*
  • Eligibility and Cost*
    • Monthly cost per coverage option*
  • Payroll Deduction*

Employee and company contributions set individually at the employee level. Can be currency or percentage of gross pay.
Benefits Administration**
  • Short Term Disability
  • Long Term Disability
 5 steps
  • Carrier*
  • Group Number
  • Disability Plan Type* 
  • Plan Type ID
  • Summary
  • Attachments
  • Automatic enrollment?* Yes or No
  • Coverage Options (percentage of wages, monthly premiums, etc.)* 
  • Eligibility and Cost*
    • Monthly rate
    • Includes disability rate calculator based on selections in Coverage Options
  • Enrollment Details*
 Same as above.
Payroll***


3 steps
  • Benefit deduction start date*
  • Is the deduction pre-tax or post-tax?*
  • Deduction occurs every paycheck or skips some?*
 Same as above.
Other
Feature Additional Plan Types Steps Plan Settings Pay Info
Benefits Tracking 3 steps
  • Plan Name*
  • Description
  • Plan URL
  • Plan Starts and Plan Ends*
  • Eligibility*
  • Payroll Deduction*
  • Employee and company contributions set individually at the employee level. 
  • Can be currency or percentage of gross pay.
Benefits Administration** 4 steps
  • Carrier*
  • Group Number
  • Summary 
  • Attachments
  • Enrollment Details*
 Same as above.
Payroll***
  • Commuter Benefit: Section 132 (pre-tax)
  • Other Post-Tax Deduction: Post-tax
  • PFML NH: New Hampshire Paid Family and Medical Leave
  • PFML VT: Vermont Paid Family and Medical Leave
 3 steps
  • Benefit deduction start date*
  • Deduction occurs every paycheck or skips some?*
 Same as above.