Through data connectivity, Sun Life wants to help eliminate many of the manual aspects of the benefits administration experience.
In this article, you'll learn:
About data feeds
Sun Life’s most common type of data connection is a file feed known as EDX or EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). The data feed is an electronic connection to and from Sun Life's internal administration systems to an HR platform, such as your Benefits Administration system, payroll system, or other third-party platforms. This file feed passes ongoing enrollments, terminations and other member changes to Sun Life’s system, and can be used to maintain billing and claims accuracy. The ongoing file generally runs on a weekly cadence.
If you have an HR platform, Sun Life can help establish a data feed for your employee benefit elections. We accept the “834” industry standard file and our own proprietary “flat file” for eligibility. Our Data Operations team will oversee the set-up of your feed and can discuss which option will work best for you.
Key HR platforms that Sun Life EDX is compatible with include ADP Workforce Now, Paylocity, Paycom, PlanSource, Maxwell Health, Ease, Employee Navigator and Bswift.
About API connections and Sun Life Link
Instead of passing a one-way data file, an API (Application Programming Interface) is a direct connection from an HR platform to Sun Life. Data entered into the HR platform’s directly passes to Sun Life with no feed involved and can allow for real-time data exchange. APIs can improve the speed and accuracy with which data is received.
Sun Life Link is a solution—backed by a team of technology experts—that builds API connections with the HR platforms you use every day to deliver a seamless, automated benefits experience with Sun Life.
With Sun Life Link connections you can expect:
- Real-time plan setup — Instantly builds Sun Life benefits within your HR platform.
- Up-to-date eligibility for easy enrollment — Keeps eligibility information updated by automatically sending enrollment details.
- Instant Evidence of Insurability (EOI) decisions without the hassle — EOI decisions updated in real-time for a fast a frictionless experience that shortens the EOI process.
- Simple and accurate billing — Automatically calculates Sun Life premium and delivers accurate bills to you every month.
- Streamlined absence management — Creates and updates leave information and automates the return to work process.
Learn more about our current Sun Life Link connections:
- ADP Workforce Now EOI API integration >>
- PlanSource EOI API integration >>
- Workday EOI API integration >>
- Workday Billing API integration >>
Have questions or just want to learn more about our partnerships and connections? Complete this interest form >>
Requesting a data connection
Currently you can request an eligibility data feed while completing your company profile or information within Onboard. To request an API connection for your EOI, please reach out to your Implementation Consultant.
When requesting a data feed, please provide the following contact information in the request if applicable:
- Data Feed Setup Contact name and email - this is a person or team at your benefits administration platform that Sun Life can reach out to on the set up of the data feed.
- Data Feed Support Contact name and email - this is the person or team at your company who will receive ongoing data discrepancy reports once your data feed(s) is up and running.
- Data Feed Ongoing Contact name and email - this is the person or team that Sun Life should work with on data feed testing results, questions about implementation, etc.
Sun Life’s Data Operations team will reach out to you upon receiving your request. They will work with the contacts provided to ensure we have all the necessary information to create, test, and connect your eligibility file feed. The set up for your file feed can take up to 60-90 days to complete.