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Smarter Benefits Technology: The Key to Accuracy, Efficiency, and Employee Satisfaction

Spark Team

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Thanks to ADP benefits carrier partner, Lincoln Financial, for this article.

In today's fast-paced business environment, HR administrators and brokers need smarter, more efficient ways to manage benefits. Technology-driven solutions streamline the process, reducing administrative burden while enhancing accuracy and compliance

What makes a great supplemental benefits plan design?

Employers are looking for benefits packages that are not only competitive but also easy to manage. A great supplemental benefits plan design should offer:

• Flexibility to meet diverse employee needs
• Seamless integration with existing HR and payroll systems
• Clear, transparent pricing and eligibility rules

By leveraging modern application programming interfaces or APIs, companies can ensure employees have access to well-structured, accurately priced benefits while reducing administrative complexities.

The power of plan design APIs

Gone are the days of manually entering plan details, rules, and rates—an often time-consuming and error-prone process. APIs connect directly with carrier systems, ensuring real-time data synchronization and minimizing inaccuracies.

How can an API make your plan design experience more efficient, secure, and streamlined? With this integration, HR teams can:

• Automatically import and configure benefit plans in minutes
• Eliminate the risks associated with manual data entry
• Ensure employees have immediate access to the correct benefits at the right price
• Prevent downstream billing and claims issues by reducing data discrepancies upfront

Lincoln Financial has fully embraced this technology with its LincSmart℠ solution, which securely transmits benefit plan details to mutual clients through the ADP Benefits platform. By leveraging a single source of truth, HR administrators can confidently set up accurate, high-quality benefit plans with minimal effort. With the ADP Benefits Administration plan design API, insurance carriers like Lincoln Financial can deliver a seamless, automated experience that transforms benefits administration for employers and employees alike.

A proven approach to digital benefits administration

Lincoln's expansion into plan design automation builds on the success of its evidence of insurability (EOI) API, which provides a seamless, secure connection between ADP and Lincoln Financial. The EOI API streamlines the underwriting process by directing employees to complete their EOI forms electronically within the enrollment platform, pre-populated with relevant data for a frictionless experience.

"We're impressed with the results of using the EOI solution for our mutual customers over the past year, which is why we were excited to expand our capabilities further," said Patrick Sullivan, vice president of Lincoln's InsurTech group. "I'm excited to officially launch our plan design API to help make benefits administration smarter. We want to instill confidence in the workplace, and with this use of technology, we're helping brokers and HR administrators create quality plans that help employees quickly get the correct benefits at the right price."

Why Lincoln Financial

A 2023 LIMRA study on transformation revealed that 66% of small employers, 70% of midsize employers, and 73% of large employers say they will rely more heavily on carrier-provided technology in 5 years,¹ and Lincoln is dedicated to meet these companies where tech is needed.

With years of experience in benefits administration and a commitment to innovation, Lincoln Financial has built a reputation as a leader in benefits technology. The company's technological arm 'LincSmart' specializes in:

• Developing APIs that enhance plan management and accuracy by automating manual, time-consuming tasks
• Offering seamless, secure integrations with platforms like ADP Benefits Administration for the benefit of employees, HR admins, and brokers alike
• Providing dedicated support to HR teams navigating the complexities of benefits administration, as well as supplying educational material, training, and demos of the ADP x Lincoln experience.

Beyond APIs: A holistic partnership

Lincoln Financial's collaboration with ADP extends beyond API integrations. To further simplify benefits administration, Lincoln offers mutual clients a self-billing reporting tool that automates invoice generation, reducing the need for manual data entry and reconciliation. Additionally, clients benefit from:

• Dedicated implementation and support resources
• Seamless inbound file integrations
• Streamlined plan-building processes
• Optimized enrollment experiences

"We want to make benefits administration simple," Sullivan added. "It's just another way Lincoln is making benefits more beneficial."

Transforming benefits for the future

By harnessing technology to streamline benefits administration, Lincoln Financial and ADP are empowering HR professionals and brokers to focus on what truly matters—supporting their employees with the right benefits at the right time. As digital transformation continues to reshape the industry, partnerships like this will set the standard for efficiency, accuracy, and innovation in employee benefits.

Seamlessly and securely integrate ADP's HCM solutions with top carriers, such as Lincoln Financial, to minimize errors, reduce the risk of costly oversights and get more time back in your day.

^1. LIMRA, Harnessing Growth and Seizing Opportunity. 2023 Workforce Benefits Study. Pg 18

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Lincoln Financial is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation and its affiliates. Affiliates are separately responsible for their own financial and contractual obligations. ADP is not an affiliate of Lincoln Financial.}

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