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Vericred Releases Annual Map of ICHRA-friendly States

Posted on by Ideon

**NOTE: Ideon is the company formerly known as Vericred. Vericred began operating as Ideon on May 18, 2022.**

2022 ACA health plan data shows that in nearly half of U.S. states, an ICHRA could be a cost effective solution for small employers seeking to give employees more plan options

December 16, 2021 – Vericred, the API platform powering digital quote-to-card experiences in health insurance and benefits, today announced it has released its annual map of states where insurance premiums are most friendly to Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs). Employers who choose to offer an ICHRA provide a monthly, tax-free stipend that employees put toward the premium of a plan they choose from the individual market. 

The Vericred 2022 ICHRA Map shows the counties and states where an employee using an ICHRA would likely find Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual premiums equal to, or less expensive than, ACA small group plan premiums, i.e., “ICHRA-friendly.” For each state, Vericred calculated the difference between the average (across all counties) lowest-cost Bronze plan in the ACA small group and individual markets. 

Key findings from the Vericred 2022 ICHRA Map include:

  • Nearly half of the U.S. is ICHRA-friendly — in 24 states, 2022 individual Bronze plan premiums are equal to or less expensive than small group plan premiums
  • The number of ICHRA-friendly states grew by 26% since 2021, when 19 states were considered ICHRA-friendly. In 2020, only 16 states were ICHRA-friendly 
  • The top five ICHRA-friendly states, are, in order, Ohio, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Mississippi
  • The five least ICHRA-friendly states, which have a market where premiums in the ACA individual market are most expensive compared with the ACA small group market, are, in order, Alabama, Oklahoma, Illinois, Tennessee and West Virginia
  • Some states have flipped – Maryland was ICHRA-friendly last year, and is now not ICHRA-friendly. In 2021, Kansas was among the least ICHRA-friendly states; now it is no longer 

“Historically, individual market premiums have been more expensive than small group premiums. Our data shows this is changing, and fast. ICHRA is now an attractive, cost-effective option for employers seeking to offer employees health insurance for the first time, or for those offering coverage, to control their benefit costs,” said Michael W. Levin, CEO and co-founder of Vericred. “We expect this trend to continue in the coming year, and as a result, we anticipate that more employers will offer ICHRAs.”

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About Vericred
Vericred is the way health insurance carriers and employee benefits providers connect with new technology partners to deliver seamless quote-to-card consumer experiences. We are not the websites or apps you use to choose a plan or find a doctor. We are the infrastructure. We are the ‘pipes’ that simplify the complex exchange of quoting, enrollment and eligibility data between carriers and the technology partners responsible for delivering health and employee benefits to hundreds of millions of Americans everyday. Our APIs transmit billions of data points between InsurTech and insurance carriers, powering digital distribution across the insurance industry. Visit www.vericred.com.

Four Benefits-Focused Insurtech Predictions for 2022

Posted on by Ideon

By John Carson, Ideon’s Chief Revenue Officer

2021 has been a banner year for employee-benefits insurtechs—and not just because investors have committed more than $6 billion to U.S. insurtech startups this year. The rate at which benefits-focused insurtechs have introduced innovative solutions to solve long-standing challenges has been inspiring.

But for all the progress, the industry’s digital transformation is far from complete. Some employees still enroll in benefits via paper forms. Others lack the tools to fully understand their options. Still others continue to struggle to maximize their benefits year-round. Not to mention that, behind the scenes, a significant portion of brokers, HR teams, and other stakeholders deal with inefficiencies and limited automation as they undertake day-to-day, benefits-related tasks.

Collectively, though, the industry is heading in the right direction. We can say that because Ideon—a data platform that powers carrier connectivity and digital experiences for benefits-focused insurtechs, HRtechs, and benefits-administration software—has a front-row seat to all that runs this industry. And we see several digital trends gaining momentum. Here are our top benefits-focused insurtech predictions for 2022.  

1. Decision-support tools will transition from “nice-to-have” to “essential feature.” Decision-support tools are gaining traction in two primary ways: first, by helping employees select and enroll in the health insurance and benefits plans that best match their and their family’s specific needs; and second, by enabling employees to make better decisions year-round, e.g., using virtual assistants to steer employees toward in-network doctors to keep out-of-pocket costs low. 

In 2022, we expect most benefits-focused insurtechs to integrate advanced technologies into their decision-support tools. From AI and on-demand virtual assistants to machine learning and data-powered personalized recommendations, new tech is starting to ripple through the benefits industry. Expect a splash in 2022; according to a Guardian survey, 41% of employees want more decision-support tools for the enrollment process.

2. More small employers will offer advanced digital enrollment experiences. For years, insurance carriers and benefits platforms have leaned on EDI for the automated exchange of enrollment and eligibility data. But EDI has been out of reach for most small businesses, leaving them to rely on paper forms and other manual processes. (Nearly 40% of small employers—those with fewer than 50 employees—use paper as the main method for submitting enrollment data to carriers.) 

But the tide is turning. Thanks to APIs like Ideon, more HR and benefits administration platforms are bringing the advantages of automation and streamlined data exchange to small businesses. The result: a faster, more efficient, more accurate enrollment experience. That’s why we expect that in 2022 the benefits experiences offered to small-business employees will begin to catch up to those offered at larger companies.

3. The shift to all-API transactions will accelerate (slowly). There’s been much discussion about the shift from EDI feeds to API connections for data exchange. And that shift is very real. Still, most carriers remain tied to EDI systems, even as some are beginning to develop APIs. We see much the same in 2022—an industry majority continuing to use EDI for most data exchanges as the uphill climb toward API transactions progresses relentlessly. As (relatively) unbiased observers, we can say that carrier-connectivity solutions (such as those offered by Ideon) enable benefits-focused insurtechs and HR platforms to connect to multiple carriers through one easy integration regardless of whether carriers prefer EDI, API, or other means.

4. Back-end processes take a front-row seat. From an employee’s perspective, digital enrollment has become commonplace. Most employees (at large firms, at least) have the ability—through the benefits software or app provided by their employer—to review, select, and enroll in benefits digitally. But from the perspective of folks behind the scenes? Not so much. 

That’s why we think there will be a focus in 2022 on streamlining enrollment and administration for brokers, HR teams, and enrollment-processing departments at carriers and benefits-administration platforms. For these stakeholders, much of open enrollment is spent setting up EDI feeds, manually keying data into carrier portals, correcting errors, and editing spreadsheets. Streamlining those processes, most industry experts have learned, has a trickle-down effect that makes enrollment faster, more accurate, and more enjoyable for employees, too.

Are we fairly certain about these predictions? Yes. Are we even more certain that however the year unfolds Ideon will be there to smooth out the inevitable bumps in the road? You bet.

‘Easy to use, Easy to buy’: A Q&A with Friday Health Plans

Posted on by Ideon

In the past decade, several health insurance carriers have entered the individual and employer-sponsored markets, bringing innovative products and consumer-first digital experiences in a bid to compete with legacy carriers. One such entry is Friday Health Plans, a Colorado-based company launched in 2015 to serve the individual and small group markets. As Friday has expanded from a single-state carrier to a rapidly growing multi-state firm with $186 million in venture capital funding, digital technology has been a driving force behind its growth. 

To learn more about the company’s growth strategy, Ideon spoke with Lisa Kwiecien, Friday’s director of channel development. The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

IDEON: What is Friday’s key differentiator?

KWIECIEN: We create health plans that are good value, easy to buy, and easy to use. We always put the consumer first, which is apparent in our plan designs. 

How does technology help Friday compete against more established, national health plans?

Because we concentrate on individuals, families, and small groups, we have fewer plan designs, which means that our technology can be more focused and efficient. Tech helps make our plans easy to administer, straightforward to buy, and effortless to understand. That’s true for brokers, employers, and most especially consumers.

How so?

We’ve invested in technology across the company—in our app, in our telehealth function, in customer support. We’ve enhanced our ability to communicate with members, to help them access their ID cards digitally, to understand their deductibles and other plan details. They can also use our app to search for providers. We knew we had to be aligned with today’s consumer expectations generally.

Friday Health Plans recently started working with Ideon. Can you talk about that? 

We work with Ideon in two ways. We share our plan and rate information with Ideon, which then distributes that data to third-party quoting platforms used by brokers, employers, and consumers. And we use Ideon to connect with benefits platforms [e.g., Rippling, GoCo, Decisely, Sequoia, Gusto], which helps us streamline digital enrollment and member management. We know we have great products and competitive rates, but we wanted to make the enrollment process more efficient for small businesses and for brokers. We needed to improve connectivity with today’s benefits ecosystem.

Why is connectivity with respect to brokers so important? 

We pride ourselves on being a broker-friendly carrier. Many decisions by brokers are made because of convenience, so we want to make our products and technology as convenient as possible. We started to search for different ways that we can automate enrollment, because historically it’s been a super manual process to submit member and group enrollment information in the small group market. There’s a lot of back-and-forth. It’s inefficient. And often it still involves a lot of paper. Ideally, we want it so that brokers can digitally manage all transactions, submitting enrollments on their preferred platform so that we’re not working on different CSV files or PDFs, etc. 

Why does uniformity like that matter?

For us, receiving a consistent file format from all these platforms improves our efficiency and accuracy, enabling us to seamlessly process incoming enrollments and member changes. And when we minimize errors, everything happens faster, creating a streamlined process. Members get their ID cards sooner, brokers have fewer fires to put out. We’re always working to build a streamlined process that flows smoother than it does today.

Does having better digital connectivity with benefits platforms factor into Friday’s growth plans?

Absolutely. It’s about scalability. When we anticipate our expansion into new markets and new states, we want to make sure that we have the technology in place to scale effectively. Enhancing our connectivity with benefits administration platforms is a prerequisite for scaling our business. That’s one reason why we’re working with Ideon.

Final question: Friday, which is a member of the HRA Council, supports Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs). How do ICHRAs fit into your company’s strategy?

We’re always thinking about how to improve affordability and optionality to employers and employees. There are a lot of reasons why ICHRAs might appeal to a small employer—e.g., cost predictability, class options—and ICHRA gives an employee more plan choices through the individual market than does a traditional small-group offering. They’re also tax-free and transportable. Our CEO, Sal Gentile, sees ICHRAs as a growth opportunity as they become more prevalent in the next few years. 

Thanks so much for your time and candor, Lisa.

My pleasure.

To learn how benefits platforms can connect with Friday Health Plans, or for information about Ideon’s solutions for carriers, please reach out to support@ideonapi.com.

Employee Spotlight: Kashika Whitelaw

Posted on by Ideon

At Ideon, we’re proud to have such a talented, diverse team leading the charge for a better and more connected health insurance and employee benefits industry. Our ongoing Employee Spotlight series showcases the people behind our product and unveils what life is like at Ideon. Next up… Kashika Whitelaw, a key member of our Omaha-based enrollments team.

 

Name: Kashika Whitelaw

Title: Quality Assurance Analyst, Enrollments

Location: Omaha, Nebraska

Work

How long have you worked at Ideon?

One year and two months 

How would you describe Ideon’s culture?

The company as a whole has built a positive culture. Our work is challenging, but at the same time, it’s refreshing being part of such a progressive, flexible, inclusive, and collaborative company where everyone works together toward a common mission.

What do you like most about your job and working at Ideon?

Constantly learning and being inspired by the openness of creativity and innovation. 

What’s your day-to-day like on Ideon’s enrollment operations team?

I provide assistance to our tech partners ensuring member management data is processed as seamlessly and effectively as possible. I’m also currently involved in developing Ideon’s Enrollments Operations Quality Assurance (QA) department by creating processes, documentation, workflows and training new team members. 

How was the onboarding process joining Ideon amid a global pandemic? Was it challenging to get to know your teammates while working remotely?

Onboarding was user-friendly and straightforward for me—our People Team laid out exactly what needed to be done and they were very responsive when I had questions. My computer, applications, and credentials were perfectly set for my first day.

Life

Favorite activities when you’re not working?

Dance, exercise, home decor shopping, work on side projects, and binge-watch shows (Grey’s Anatomy is my favorite).

Favorite place you’ve traveled?

Turks and Caicos 

Interesting fact about yourself…. Go!

My daughter and I make our own natural hair products and participate in double dutch tournaments locally.

 

Interested in joining our team? Check out Ideon’s careers page.

GoCo Selects Vericred to Bring Groundbreaking Automation to Small Group Benefits Enrollment

Posted on by Ideon
**NOTE: Ideon is the company formerly known as Vericred. Vericred began operating as Ideon on May 18, 2022.**
 
Vericred’s enrollment and member management API enables GoCo to reduce new employer group setup time from weeks to days while automating key functions for benefits administrators and HR teams

November 16, 2021 – Vericred, the API platform powering digital quote-to-card experiences in health insurance and benefits, today announced that GoCo, a leading provider of flexible software solutions for HR, benefits, and payroll, has selected Vericred’s enrollment and member management API to dramatically simplify and speed up small group benefits setup, enrollment, and administration. With the API integration, GoCo can now activate new groups for their employer customers substantially faster—within days instead of weeks—without manually forging individual connections between its platform and carriers to facilitate data exchange. 

Simplifying Benefits Administration  

GoCo is an all-in-one HR platform that streamlines time-consuming HR tasks, including benefits administration. With the integration of Vericred’s API, GoCo is, for the first time, automating previously manual employee benefits enrollment tasks for its small business customers. The move will save employers and brokers time and resources as they add or update benefits for employees. 

“Vericred’s enrollment and member management API has helped us unlock an unprecedented level of small group benefits automation previously available only to medium and large employers,” said Nir Leibovich, CEO of GoCo. “As a result, we’ve freed up internal resources, and made the enrollment process faster, easier, and better for employers, employees, and brokers. That is a huge competitive advantage for us during open enrollment periods and beyond.”

Connectivity for Seamless Data Exchange 

Vericred’s API enables GoCo’s platform to seamlessly connect to Vericred’s network of health insurance and employee benefits carriers, making the exchange of quoting, enrollment, and eligibility data between health insurance carriers, brokers, and GoCo instant. As a result, employee data is now automatically transferred to the carrier, removing manual data entry steps for the benefits administrator, and speeding up the path to enrollment for both the employee and employer. Additionally, any errors in the data are corrected before they even reach the carrier. 

“We are thrilled to be GoCo’s partner in blazing a new trail for the small group benefits industry and demonstrating the power that instant carrier connectivity can unleash,” said Michael W. Levin, CEO and co-founder of Vericred. “The GoCo platform is truly maximizing its integration with Vericred’s enrollment and member management API to deliver tangible value to its users.”

Vericred Powers Benefit Sync Dashboard  

GoCo’s Benefit Sync Dashboard puts the power into the hands of the HR and benefits administrators, giving them the tools to craft and automate their preferred workflows. By integrating with Vericred’s API, GoCo’s dashboard now provides users with end-to-end visibility into the entire enrollment transaction, including each stage of the transaction when it’s with the carrier.

About Vericred

Vericred is the way health insurance carriers and employee benefits providers connect with new technology partners to deliver seamless quote-to-card consumer experiences. We are not the websites or apps you use to choose a plan or find a doctor. We are the infrastructure. We are the ‘pipes’ that simplify the complex exchange of quoting, enrollment and eligibility data between carriers and the technology partners responsible for delivering health and employee benefits to hundreds of millions of Americans everyday. Our APIs transmit billions of data points between InsurTech and insurance carriers, powering digital distribution across the insurance industry. Come join the community of insurance geeks creating a seamless digital quote-to-card experience. Visit www.vericred.com.

About GoCo

GoCo.io is modern HR, benefits, and payroll, built with flexibility and ease of use in mind. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, GoCo’s mission is to automate manual HR tasks and empower HR to make work a better place.

Unlike other HRIS platforms, GoCo is built to be flexible enough to support existing processes, policies, and providers, so that SMBs don’t have to change the way they work just to adopt a modern HR system. For more information, visit www.goco.io.