The wide world of APIs is full of opportunities for businesses of all types. APIs allow for the real-time exchange of information between technology platforms, which saves time and decreases errors for busy human resources (HR) professionals.
Many available APIs promise increased value and optimization. It can be hard to identify which insurance carrier has the best technology interfaces that businesses and HR departments need for optimal information exchange and decision-making. The Hartford has many HR technology platform integrations in place that provide a seamless experience to its employer customers and their employees. But which APIs make a real difference for customers?
APIs and Benefits Administration: What Makes the Difference?
Implementing the right HR technology platforms with the right carrier could significantly improve the way a company operates. With The Hartford’s many technology integrations, customers can experience advantages ranging from simplified benefits administration for HR professionals to a seamless digital benefits experience for employees.
What Can APIs Do in Benefits Administration?
One of the more exciting capabilities of The Hartford’s many platform connections is a more accurate and expedited evidence of insurability (EOI) process. For example, when an employee elects an increased benefit amount for their life insurance policy, we utilize APIs to make more accurate EOI decisions in real-time. In fact, 86% of employees receive a decision as soon as they’ve completed the online form.1 Previously, an EOI process involved weeks of paperwork to ensure that the employee was qualified for their coverage.
The Hartford’s APIs can also relay decisions about an employee’s leave status back to the HR technology platforms, nearly in real-time. Without APIs, this process could take days or weeks. The right APIs allow employees to have a seamless and more accurate benefit administration experience while saving HR professionals time.
“What sets The Hartford apart is the depth and breadth of the API connections we have available for our customers,” says Rakesh Gupte, head of customer connections for Group Benefits at The Hartford. “Our seamless, minimally intrusive EOI experience is just one of the many ways our dedication to human resources technology benefits our customers.”
Balancing the Old With the New
According to Gupte, not every scenario needs an API. Traditional connections such as Electronic Data Interchanges (EDI), or file feeds, still play an important role in the HR technology landscape. Not every organization has the technological capabilities to manage all the data generated and created by APIs. In those instances, an EDI or file feed is the right answer to meet an employer’s needs.
“We always work with our customers to provide the right consultative support during customer activation,” Gupte says. “It’s all about finding the right balance between APIs and EDIs to create benefit administration experiences that are seamless and effective for both the HR departments and employees alike.”
Big or small, every company has unique benefit administration needs. Working with the right insurance carrier, one that has a broad range of technology connection options and the expertise to guide customers through the process, is key.
To learn how The Hartford can support the HR technology process, contact your representative at The Hartford today.
