Ideon Blog

As a platform business operating at the intersection of health insurance and technology, our data services support two distinct constituencies: insurance carriers and tech platforms. With COVID-19 disrupting business operations around the world, we’ve decided to check-in on how both groups of stakeholders are responding to these dynamic market conditions. Earlier this month, with an assist from AHIP, we began tracking how U.S. health insurance carriers are confronting the current national health emergency. Likewise, tech platforms in the InsurTech and employee benefits space are combating COVID-19, albeit in their own ways, leveraging their respective platforms to mitigate the outbreak’s impact on their customers.

With initiatives ranging from offering businesses free payroll and expanding telemedicine services, to helping brokers navigate unprecedented new challenges, our partners are developing an ongoing series of innovative solutions.

Here is a list of ways these tech platforms are addressing the challenges brought forth by COVID-19. If you have more information to add, or would like to be included on our list, please contact us.

HealthJoy, a benefits experience platform, announced QuickLaunch in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative allows companies to deploy telemedicine and concierge support to employees within two business days.

HR and benefits platform Zenefits is offering businesses 12 months of free payroll with an annual subscription to any of the firm’s HR software packages. Zenefits has also published several resources designed to help small and medium sized businesses navigate COVID-19, built a calculator to help employers apply for Payroll Protection Program loans, and added a feature to help employees submit COVID-related leave requests.

San Francisco-based Rippling, an employee management platform, has published a range of content for businesses, with advice on hiring and onboarding remote employees, and uncovering hidden security risks of remote work. Additionally, Rippling offered a free webinar with recommendations on how to onboard employees in the age of COVID-19.

Ease, a digital benefits administration platform serving 1,500+ agencies and 70,000+ employers, is helping brokers digitize their operations and workflows. In response to heightened demand for its BenAdmin and HR solutions, Ease is doubling both training and support to make it easier for brokers to onboard clients remotely.

With an influx of volume related to COVID-19, Teladoc, a virtual care and telehealth platform, has responded by developing FAQ documents to assist confirmed and potential coronavirus patients to receive care remotely.

Small business-focused HR and benefits platform Gusto has created an extensive COVID-19 resources page. In addition to original content, the guide includes financial and relief resources, broken down by federal program and at the state level. Gusto also reduced pricing for new customers and has partnered with lenders to help small businesses apply for the Paycheck Protection Program.

GoCo, an HR, benefits and payroll platform, created a COVID-19 section on its website that offers advice and insights for businesses and HR professionals. The company also launched a new feature to help businesses track leave requests in compliance with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Take Command Health, which provides HRA solutions to employers, launched a roadmap to guide small business owners through a range of Coronavirus-related resources, legislation and relief programs.

Stride Health, an online insurance marketplace for health, dental, vision and life insurance, launched its “Independent Worker’s Guide to COVID-19,” which includes advice and support on tackling health, taxes and financial problems during the Coronavirus crisis. With several states having created Special Enrollment Periods for the uninsured, Stride Health enables users to search for affordable health plans by zip code.

National provider of employee benefits, payroll and HR services, BenefitMall, is offering two separate resources pages: one for its payroll clients and one for brokers. BenefitMall also launched a multi-part webinar series on staying safe and prepared during COVID-19.

AmWINS, an insurance brokerage with products across property, casualty and group benefits, is offering insights on how COVID-19 is transforming the insurance industry, and advice for brokers on how to assist clients during this unprecedented period.

Decisely, a benefits brokerage and HR platform for small businesses, produced for its customers a document on The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which provides financial aid and other benefits to combat COVID-19 in the U.S.

Applied Systems, provider of cloud-based software for the insurance industry, has built a resources page that includes business continuity guides, technology support and business management recommendations.

Zywave, a technology solutions provider operating across multiple lines of insurance, is offering a COVID-19 resources center to help brokers and their clients confront the COVID-19 pandemic. Zywave’s in-house content team organized the resources into three categories: compliance, HR, and information for employees.

Mercer has created an information hub to help employers and HR professionals mitigate the many challenges emerging from COVID-19.

If you have more information to add, or would like to be included on our list, please contact us.