Why "Free" Doesn't Work

There are many organizations in the market today that offer enrollment technology for "free". Unfortunately, for employers who accept this type of arrangement, the solution is usually is short-term. There are a number of problems and implications attached to a "free" solution:

1. Technology is weak - free implies that the technology being offered has some holes in it and will require manual intervention to make it work making data integration problematic and ongoing life event transactions difficult.

2. Employers do not engage - one of the most critical steps in successful enrollment automation is working with Human Resources to build in the ongoing life event transaction and data integration processes to bring true efficiencies and a long term solution to benefits administration.

3. Getting to self-service is impossible - a key goal in employee benefits enrollment automation has to be moving employers and their working population to self-service. With technology that was not designed for that purpose in the first place that goal will never be realized.

4. Employees may be paying the bill - an unfortunate by-product of funding an enrollment solution with voluntary/worksite insurance products. Employers should not be put in a position to have to defend this potential employee relations nightmare.