Concepts
Key terms, parties, and the benefits lifecycle explained.
Concepts
This page defines the key terms used throughout the Benbase documentation.
Key Parties
| Term | Who they are |
|---|---|
| Partner (you) | The platform integrating Benbase — could be a payroll provider, HR platform, PEO, or any software that wants to offer benefits |
| Employer | Your customer — the company whose employees will receive benefits |
| Employee | A worker at the employer who enrolls in (or waives) benefits |
Benbase Components
| Component | What it is |
|---|---|
| Employer Flow | A pre-built iframe UI shown to the employer. Covers plan setup, quoting, enrollment management, and renewals |
| Employee Flow | A pre-built iframe UI shown to each employee. Covers benefits enrollment, plan selection, and waivers |
| Webhooks | HTTP callbacks that Benbase sends to your system — used for census requests and deduction notifications |
Benefits Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Census | A complete list of all active employees at a company, including demographic data (name, DOB, address) and compensation data (pay rate, employment status). Benbase needs this to generate accurate benefit quotes |
| Deductions | Payroll deductions for benefit premiums. Each deduction has an employee contribution and an employer contribution, with a period (weekly, biweekly, etc.) and tax treatment (pre-tax or post-tax) |
| Open Enrollment | The annual period when employees can select, change, or waive their benefits |
| QLE (Qualifying Life Event) | A life change (marriage, birth, divorce, etc.) that allows an employee to modify their benefits outside of open enrollment |
| Line of Coverage | The type of benefit — medical, dental, vision, life, accident, disability, HSA, FSA, etc. |
| Coverage Type | Who is covered — employee only (member), employee + spouse (member_spouse), employee + children (member_children), or family (member_family) |
| FEIN | Federal Employer Identification Number — a unique 9-digit number assigned to businesses by the IRS |
Benefits Lifecycle
A typical benefits cycle follows this pattern:
- Pre-enrollment — employer sets up plans, Benbase generates quotes based on census data
- Open Enrollment — employees review plan options and make their selections
- Post-enrollment — elections are finalized, deduction data is sent to payroll systems
- Mid-year — employees can make changes only through QLEs (qualifying life events)
- Renewal — annual cycle repeats, with updated rates and plan options