LIMRA’s Newest Enhancements to Data Exchange Standards Allow for Enrollment in All Employee Benefits Plans

The expansion of the LDEx Standards continues the industry’s efforts to improve efficiencies and reduce errors in electronic employee benefit enrollment programs.

WINDSOR, Conn., Jan. 4, 2022 – LIMRA today rounded out its data exchange standards to include group medical products, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, and health reimbursement arrangements. With these new additions, the LIMRA Data Exchange (LDEx) Standards now allow for enrollment in all employee benefit plans.

Initially released in January 2020, the LDEx Standards are designed to allow insurance carriers and benefits administration technology companies to share information for employee benefits in a consistent manner. By using common terminology, the LDEx Standards reduce errors, drive consistency and streamline the benefits enrollment process.

“The LDEx Evidence of Insurability Status Standard revolutionizes the mechanism for passing an employee's application status and the final underwriting decision to their benefits administrator,” says Sean O’Donnell, senior vice president, LIMRA Member Relations and Consulting. “The standards streamline the underwriting process and increase the turn-around time for benefits — reducing a multi-day process down to a matter of minutes.”

Earlier iterations of the LDEx Standards allowed benefits administration technology companies to send coverage elections, changes and terminations, and employee eligibility to a carrier in a standardized format. Supported products include medical, dental, vision, all life products, accidental death and dismemberment, critical illness, cancer, disability, hospital indemnity, lifestyle benefits, and leave management.

The LDEx Standards also allow for two-way data exchange of post-enrollment data between carriers and benefits administration companies, as well as:

Identity theft prevention and legal products;
Beneficiary management;
Enrollment forms; and
Coverage changes within an existing policy.

LIMRA’s Data Exchange Standards Committee creates these standards for the workplace benefits industry. This committee consists of 53 companies, with the participating insurance companies representing 90% of the in-force non-medical workplace benefits market. To date, more than 150 companies have downloaded the freely available standards.

Visit www.limra.com/ldex to learn more about LDEx Standards and its future evolution. There is also a new forum to provide technical support for any company implementing the LDEx Standards.

About LIMRA^®
Serving the industry since 1916, LIMRA helps to advance the financial services industry by empowering nearly 700 financial services companies in 53 countries with knowledge, insights, connections, and solutions. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com.