Why I Came Out of Retirement and Joined Zenefits

Mark Twain said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” From a career view, for me, that day was April 27th, 2015—the day I reported to Ops Training at Zenefits.

For over 30 years, I’d been involved in an industry that seemed to thrive on mediocrity and the status quo. Employers were looking for the cheapest product. Insurance companies declined coverage to those who needed it the most. Healthcare providers wanted to get paid more and more for their services. And swimming in these waters, legal sharks waited for someone to screw up so that they could add another layer of costs on top of an already too-expensive and poorly controlled industry. But why do anything differently?

I came out of retirement to work for Zenefits because I wanted to be part of the next great advancement in the insurance and benefits administration space —software automation and consolidation of systems to enable truly hassle-free employment. (The first two great advancements were air conditioning and the assimilation of the personal computer into insurance.)

It’s also interesting to work in insurance in the age of the ACA. I heartily endorse many of the Affordable Care Act changes that dramatically affect underwriting and the standardization of product offerings from insurance carriers.

Just to mention a couple:

No medical underwriting or evidence of insurability. Over my 30+ years, I’ve had to tell hundreds of people I couldn’t get them coverage because of their existing medical conditions. Barring people from health coverage due to pre-existing conditions is now illegal.
Reasonable limits on Maximum Out-of-Pocket expenses and Unlimited Maximums on claims. I’ve seen many employees ruined financially due to an ill family member and a plan that either had no ceiling of exposure or a pre-existing condition discovered after coverage was issued. This is no longer the case.
Longer coverage for dependents. Dependent children can now stay on an insured parent’s coverage until age 26, which generally takes care of the college years.

It’s been a year of changes and a year of curiosity. From Janet’s community salon to Bob’s crossfit gym to Shiloh’s courier service, I’ve enjoyed helping you through your various company conundrums. I wish you all a happy, healthy new year, and I look forward to answering more questions in 2016.

In today’s world, employers are fortunate to have a wide variety of HR and benefits resources available, including dedicated, well-trained brokers to assist them through the maze of government regulations, plan designs, and provider networks. After witnessing the old process a business owner at a small company had to go through to enroll employees in different lines of insurance (and then maintain them), it’s no wonder employers are moving to Zenefits in droves.

If you do one thing differently in 2016, I’d encourage you to consider those time-consuming, benefits admin tasks you’re spending time on today—and then consider how you can eliminate them altogether. It’s possible, and we can show you how. See you next year!