Creating a new employer contract in benefitbay®
We are excited to have a new employer joining benefitbay! Creating an employer contract is a key step to ensure new employer groups have access to all the services and resources benefitbay has to offer.
Before You Start
Contracts can be created for employers who are in Prospect or Onboarding mode. Please ensure that the you have assigned an employer user to a Signer role, and have entered at least one business Location.
Creating a Contract through the Prospect or Onboarding checklists
There are two ways to create a contract. First, log in to benefitbay. You can navigate to your employer group. If the group is in Prospect status, you will see this checklist:
Click "Create Contract."
Creating a Contract using the Contracts tab
One way is through the Contracts tab on your left navigation bar. Clicking the tab will open up the Contracts home screen, which displays all contracts for your employer groups.
Select the blue "Create Contract" button in the top right corner.
Select an employer group from the list.
Click on the blue "Start Contract Creation" button to proceed.
Contract Dates
The first step in the contract process is to define the Open Enrollment start date. Please note: the Contract is in effect as of the Open Enrollment start date.
After that, choose the Coverage start date. The contract must be signed at least 2 months prior to the coverage period start date to initiate Open Enrollment. Contact your Customer Success Manager if you have an urgent onboarding request.
Next, choose the Contract end date. Benefitbay contracts can now extend until December 31, 2029. You will see all applicable coverage periods display at the bottom of the screen.
Click "Continue" to proceed.
Please note: After this page in the contract has been completed, a draft version of the contract will save. It will populate in your Contracts dashboard.
Fixed Fees
Next, you will review and enter fixed fees.
Review the Benefitbay Fees, including the Annual Plan Document Setup Fee, the Benefitbay Per Employee Per Month (PEPM) Fee, the Benefitbay Per Employee Per Month (PEPM) Minimum, and the Monthly Flat Platform Fee.
Enter your agency fees, including your agency's PEPM fee and Monthly Minimum.
Click "Continue" to proceed.
Contract Add-ons
You have the option to add-on a number of services to the contract. To add a service, toggle the "NO | YES" button to the right of each service name.
Services offered include the following: ACA 1095 Compliance, COBRA, Offer ancillaries, and Benefitbay enrollment support.
Please note: Benefitbay enrollment support is toggled "YES" by default.
You may also use the "Add Fee" feature to add an additional fee.
Click "Continue" to proceed.
Additional Terms
You may add additional terms to the contract. Enter the Term Name and Description in the appropriate boxes and click "Continue" to proceed.
Editing and Reviewing a Contract
To review the contract, click the "Edit" button within any individual section to change that section of the contract. You may also click the "Go back" arrow at the top of the screen to move backwards in the process.
If you have not designated an employer Signer, you will see the "Add Signer" button at the top right of the Review Contract Setup page. Click the button to add a signer.
After you add a signer, navigate back to the contract, and you will see a blue "Submit for signature" button at the top right corner. When your review is complete, click the button to submit the contract to benefitbay for counter-signature.
Making an Edit after Signature Submission
If your client requests an edit to the contract after you have clicked "Submit for signature," edits can only be made if the benefitbay counter-signature has not been completed.
If an edit is made, prior to the counter-signature, you must click "Submit for signature" again for the edits to take effect.
If the benefitbay counter-signature has been completed, no edits to the current contract may be made.
Next Steps
After you submit the contract, benefitbay leadership will review and counter-sign your contract. After the benefitbay counter-signature, the contract will appear in the Signer's onboarding checklist.
Please encourage your Employers to sign in a timely manner, as their onboarding cannot proceed without a signed contract. The contract signature is case-sensitive, so please sign exactly how the Signer name was entered in the contract (all caps, lower case, sentence case, etc).
PLEASE NOTE: All contracts must be signed at least two months prior to the coverage period start date to initiate Open Enrollment