BerniePortal

Definitely a little bit of a learning curve, but we're coming around

Avantages :

Lots of useful tools that we are able to utilize as a broker. Love the 1095 build outs and quick reports.

Inconvénients :

Can be a little difficult for a new person to navigate. Would love to see a help feature similar to something you might see on a Microsoft Office programs.

Highly Engaged

Commentaires : Efficiency and continuity of information delivery of insurance benefits in addition to legible enrollment forms with complete information.

Avantages :

The toggle inputs make setting up the portal easy, and, if you have all the pieces (census, subgroup designations, rates, and benefit summaries), a portal can be setup in a day, versus 6-8 weeks on other systems. We utilize the portal mainly during open enrollment since it provides an easy way to post age rates or composite rates and provides a delivery mechanism for ACA required Summary of Benefits and Coverage. It leverages much of the data held in the system to pre-populate enrollment forms and collect actual signatures (via touchscreen or mouse).  It also offers Onboarding capabilities (I-9, W-4, Handbook receipts, etc.) for those companies who want to go paperless.  We launched the portal with our 50+ clients first in order for them to capitalize on the 1095 reporting capabilities with BerniePortal then rolled out portals for smaller clients at their renewal. The system is compatible with any device that can connect to the internet so even field employees can enroll using their phone. We have monthly support calls with our BerniePortal Account Manager to discuss newly released features and provide feedback on cases in progress.

Inconvénients :

The system architecture is updated frequently and changes are not always announced, so sometimes we find feature changes that we did not know were happening. Many times these are minor, and improvements, but there have been features removed that we appreciated using. Most rating methods can be accommodated like age rates and composite rates for standard lines of coverage. Disability rate tables can be challenging to setup yourself, but the BerniePortal team is available to handle some or all benefit setups. They have a Defined Employer Contribution mechanism, but currently do not have a Defined Employee Contribution mechanism. Adoption and use by the HR administrator is ultimately needed to gain the most value and utility from the system. Standard client data reports are available for download, but custom reports cannot currently be generated.

Useless Product

Avantages :

The only thing that I liked about this software, is that employees were able to enroll into their benefits, and BP would send me a summary sheet.

Inconvénients :

There is a pto tracker, however it only tracks by hour, and does not work if you have different employees with different amounts of pto earned each year. BP does not integrate well with many of the big name healthcare providers so even though they give you that summary sheet, you still have to enter the information in yourself. Customer service is slow and terrible. It takes days for someone to get back to you, and sometimes, it's just to tell you that they still don't have the answer. I also had an instance where another company's documents were uploaded onto our profile for employees to review and sign off on.

BerniePortal Review

Commentaires : Our overall experience with BerniePortal is great. Our customers are coming around to using it and those that do, love it. I've been able to get Open Enrollments done quicker, processing is quicker since we are not continually tracking down employees to receive needed information from paper apps and in some cases with small groups, the need for employee meetings has reduced.

Avantages :

I like the clean, easy to read look of the software. It's not a "busy" website where you get lost in knowing what to do next. This software is the most user friendly I've seen from an online enrollment site.

Inconvénients :

Sometimes I just don't know how Bernie "thinks". LOL. Sometimes the questions asked can be perceived in different ways. For example, Salary updates: "Effective with first paycheck after this date". Answering this question can be complicated since, we as the broker, are often assisting with this question to make sure that Disability rates calculate correctly during renewal.

Admin Staff and Clients Love It

Commentaires : Buying into an enrollment platform was a big decision, and we did not take it lightly. After vetting multiple options, we made the investment with BerniePortal and it has far exceeded our expectations. We would not hesitate to make the same decision again, and would highly recommend this platform to any broker looking to solidify their standing with clients and expand their book all while making things easier for your admin staff!

Avantages :

BerniePortal addresses those pain points that our clients and admin staff have complained about for years, and offers a robust solution. So much more than an online enrollment platform, BerniePortal offers HR tools, compliance help, integrated billing with some carriers, payroll integration and integrated COBRA administration. Our clients rave about the portal and our admin staff needs have decreased since we began using BerniePortal. The service provided by the BerniePortal staff is second to none!

Inconvénients :

The reporting in BerniePortal could be improved - it is sufficient but could be upgraded to be more intuitive for the admin staff and clients alike.