BIP Summer 2025

Voices

Don’t let benefits billing undermine client trust Billing mistakes can quietly erode relationships. By Rick Hirsh

Employee benefit billing errors are a silent source of client friction. When issues appear, brokers and benefits managers are looked to for quick resolutions. Then, when billing systems face persistent challenges, it creates service delivery issues and impacts overall client satisfaction. Pain points include:

technology, employers can reduce repetitive manual work, gain insight into monthly spend and catch discrepancies early. Brokers can help clients recognize when their systems aren’t working and guide them to better solutions. Here’s what a better billing setup looks like: • Consolidated invoicing. Invoices are combined into a single, concise document. This gives HR and finance a clear view of what’s owed to carriers and when, while also enabling the outsourced vendor to man age payments accurately. • Automated audits. Recon ciliation software compares carrier invoices to enrollment data and flags discrepancies, like missed terminations or in correct rates. Identifying these issues early helps clients correct them before the next billing cycle, minimizing overbilling and preventing errors. • Cost allocation reports. Innovative billing tech auto mates reports, so teams can skip manual prep and focus on analysis and accurate general ledger coding. By recommending clients bring on an integrated consolidated billing platform, brokers help clients move from damage control to long-term savings, while framing themselves as advisors worth keeping.

Rick Hirsh, CEO of Beneration, brings 30+ years of leadership experience with a focus on technology and B2B services.

• lost time and revenue • deterioration of trust • limited differentiation, and more.

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• missed billing for new hires or dependents • COBRA coverage invoiced beyond 18 months • inaccurate billing rates • mismatch of plan types and coverages selected • carriers billing for clients who have terminated Clients assume billing is under control but without regular audits or reconciliation tools, problems often go undetected until year end reviews or renewal season. Then, it’s too late to recover lost dollars due to hard deadlines for reimbursement or adjustments. How to help Brokers are in a position to help clients resolve and prevent billing issues. By introducing billing consolidation and reconciliation

Too often, billing is treated as a background task and overlooked as a potential source of savings and trust.

Why errors are common Benefits billing sits at the intersec tion of HR, finance and insur ance carriers — and that’s where things often unravel. Invoices range from simple PDFs to mas sive data files. Some carriers send files via email and others via web portals, while invoice due dates are rarely aligned. What should be a routine monthly task turns into a messy back-and-forth between HR and finance. That disconnect creates room for error. Common issues include:

24 bip magazine Summer 2025