Traditional benefits planning can be complicated. If you’re looking to improve client service through a real-time modeling solution, look no further than Applied Benefits Designer. Originally shared during an Applied Net 2021 session, this article offers a high-level overview of the solution from Applied Systems’ Rhonda Maccioni. Discover how Applied Benefits Designer integrates with Applied Epic, and gain useful tips about the required Epic configurations that will allow you to take full advantage of the sync between these two systems.
What Is Applied Benefits Designer?
Applied Benefits Designer is an intuitive benefits software that enables agents and brokers to rapidly model and compare innovative benefit plans in a clear visual format — in real time. The unique software offers functionality for six coverage types: medical, vision, dental, long-term disability, group life and short-term disability. “A major advantage to Applied Benefits Designer is that it can model both age-rated and composite rates. Therefore, it can apply a uniform employer contribution without the use of complicated Excel formulas or an ‘underwriting advisor,’” says Maccioni.
Integration With Applied Epic
“You begin your integration process in Epic by importing your client to Applied Benefits Designer,” states Maccioni. Maccioni also highlights that in order to push from Applied Benefits Designer to Epic, a policy has to be set up in Epic and needs to be in an “in-process” stage. Once the push is completed, the custom form and the policy information will then populate. “When you make the push from Applied Benefits Designer to Epic, Applied Benefits Designer reflects the plan name and searches for plans in Epic using the line ID with matching coverage to determine that the data is pushing to the appropriate plan in Epic,” adds Maccioni.
Review of Security
Multiple agencies and brokerages can have their own distinct instances of Applied Benefits Designer, with those instances pulling data from and writing back to one database. “The structure is not shared. Integration can bring in data from a non-accessible structure combination and integration can push data to a non-accessible combination,” says Maccioni.
Epic Configuration – Policy Information
“In Epic, there are specific areas in configuration that should be reviewed,” shared Maccioni. One of those areas is the policy area in types. Applied Benefits Designer does not allow overlapping dates. “Selecting a plan year checkbox in a policy type configuration will automatically set up the plan year for the term when a new policy or plan is added in Applied Epic.” By doing this, it allows the user to confirm dates easily from Applied Benefits Designer.