Future of Benefits: Jeff Cox Interview With The Benefits Alliance Group

Fix What's Broken - Keep What Works

The idea behind Simply Benefits was not to disrupt the group health insurance industry, but rather to take the twenty-five things that were broken and try to fix them. By focusing on an innovative approach, Simply Benefits steered away from trying to reinvent processes that did not presently need to be changed. Instead, resources were applied to areas that were suffering as a result of the historical way of doing things across the industry.

"We are not a disruptor, we are an innovator."

In doing so, Simply Benefits is changing the way employees interact with their employment benefits. The goal was to develop a platform users could understand so they could easily use their employee benefits coverage without needing a manual to do it.

Jeff explained how Simply's platform includes an AI-powered search engine that allows members to use common keywords (e.g. I need braces) to lookup their plan coverage rather than trying to figure out the right insurance jargon (e.g. orthodontics). In seconds, users can find out if they have paramedical coverage to see a chiropractor for their sore back, or if their dependent will be covered for the psychologist they need. This ultimately eliminates the back and forth between the plan administrator and member to determine coverage and time spent searching through plan booklets to get answers. 

"We see advisors as partners."

One of the Simply Benefits key differentiating factors is how the value proposition rests on engagement with advisors. With over fifteen years of experience as a Benefits Advisor, Jeff both understands and appreciates the role that advisors play in the employee benefits process and knows first-hand that good advisors, give good advice and their clients trust them.

With the intention of empowering advisors to do their jobs, Simply Benefits has significantly reduced the time advisors spend doing things that they do not want to do. Enrollments, for example, typically take weeks of back and forth with a paper master application. On the Simply Benefits platform, advisors can complete a digital master application and have a group fully enrolled in as little as 72 hours. Taking a process that is typically six weeks long and having it done in the matter of hours leaves advisors an abundance of extra time to do what they want to do including continuing to grow their business.

Final Thoughts and Looking Ahead

With Simply Benefits, the goal was to create a fully digital benefits management platform that first tackled the issues found in administering traditional employee benefits plans, and eventually transition into modular flex benefits plans (now available) and cafeteria flex as well. When asked about how he hopes people look back on Simply Benefits in years to come, Jeff says he wants people to be able to say that Simply Benefits truly "changed the way they interacted with their employee benefits."

Additional Resources You May Like

• Video Showcasing our Newly Re-designed Mobile App
• Spending Accounts Explained
• Plan Designs and Funding Platforms Explained

About Simply Benefits

Simply Benefits is a Third Party Payor (TPP) that provides Employee Health Benefits 100% digitally through our Canadian Advisor partners. Our all-in-one digital solution provides three portals that enable Benefits Advisors to digitally manage all client plans online, Employers to efficiently administer employee coverage, and Employees to view, update and use their benefits 24/7 via desktop or smartphone app.

We help ENGAGE Employees Anytime, Anywhere, SIMPLIFY the Benefits Experience and EVOLVE an Advisors’ Benefits Business.

Connect with us at simplybenefits.ca or on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Employee Benefits Made Simple.