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:

• What is connectivity?
• EDI vs. API: What's the difference?
• What is Sun Life Link?
  • Explore our resources
• How to request a data connection

What is connectivity?

Connectivity is the ability for systems to "talk" to each other and share information automatically. For brokers, employers, and HR teams, this means data like enrollment details, premium payments, or leave status can flow directly between Sun Life and your benefits platform, without manual work or file uploads.

The result? Fewer errors, faster updates, and a smoother benefits experience for you and your employees.

EDI vs. API: What's the difference?

Many organizations are familiar with EDI, the long-standing file-based approach for sharing benefit data. While reliable, EDI is often batch-based, slower to update, and requires more manual oversight.

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are today's modern standard. They allow real-time, two-way data sharing, meaning updates happen instantly and accurately across systems. For benefits, this means less back-and-forth, fewer surprises, and a more connected experience.

What is Sun Life Link?

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 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 an automates the return to work process.

Want to go deeper? Explore our resources:

• Visit our Sun Life Link site for details on available APIs and upcoming capabilities
• Visit the Connectivity 101 site for resources that dive into what connectivity is and it's impact on the benefits experience
• API Implementation experience
  • ADP Plan Setup API Implementation Overview
  • Employee Navigator Plan Setup API Implementation Overview

How to request a data connection

To request a data connection with Sun Life, complete the Benefits Administration & EDX/EDI Feeds section of the Enrollment Event & Connectivity task.

• Step 1:  Select whether you use a benefits administration platform
  • If Yes, select your platform from the dropdown list
  • If your platform isn't listed, select Other and enter the platform name
• Step 2: Indicate if you want to set up an EDX/EDI feed
  • If Yes, provide contact information (name and email)
    • EDX/EDI setup contact - This is that Sun Life will reach out to about your EDX/EDI feed setup and who we'd work with on test file results, questions about implementation, etc. It is usually someone from the benefits administration platform company
    • EDX/EDI ongoing contact - This is the contact for ongoing administration who will receive discrepancy reports once the connection is live.

• Step 3: If your platform supports additional API connections
  1. Choose which API(s) you'd like to add
     • Absence API
     • Evidence of Insurability (EOI) API
     • Self-bill
     • Or select No, not at this time
  2. Provide contact information (name and email)
     • API setup contact - This is the contact that Sun Life will reach out to about your API connection and who we'd work with on test file results, questions about implementation, etc.
     • API ongoing contact - This is the contact for ongoing administration once the connection is live in the event that there are issues with the API connection

• Step 4: Confirm if the benefits administration platform will transmit the data
  • If No, you'll be asked select the transmitting system from the dropdown list
• Step 5: Add any additional contacts for the data connection (optional)
  • Enter name, email, and contact description

What happens next?

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.