Over the past several months, HCA initiated its Benefits 24/7 Strategic Plan Project and has been working on several work streams to further stabilize and move it off the legacy Pay1 system.  

These work streams are: 

• Sync files review and rewrite: Reviewing the Benefits 24/7 system’s processes, architecture, and database to identify system bugs and the root cause of sync errors between the two systems. HCA is redesigning and rewriting the sync file’s underlying code to minimize errors.
• Secure Access Washington (SAW): Migrating the statewide security platform, SAW, to a new platform, WA.gov, that supports emerging technology. This project is owned by WaTech which will migrate Washington State government’s systems (including Benefits 24/7) to the new security platform.
• Application Programming Interface (API): Developing an API for large employers (like Washington State University and the University of Washington) which will allow them to directly send their data to Benefits 24/7 electronically and in a consistent way.
• Enrollment (834) files: Preparing to produce the enrollment (834) files out of the Benefits 24/7 system where eligibility and enrollment data is entered and further reduce the potential for errors. 

To help show how these workstreams relate to Benefits 24/7, we have provided diagrams of the PEBB and SEBB Programs’ systems in their current and proposed future states. They depict the sync files, SAW, API, and 834 files mentioned above, and arrows show the directional flow of the data.  

The picture below of the Benefits 24/7 and Pay1 current state shows some of their complex processes and multiple integrations.  

Eligibility and enrollment data is entered into and stored in Benefits 24/7. Once a day, the sync file moves this data from Benefits 24/7 to Pay1. Pay1 creates the enrollment (834) files and sends them to the health insurance carriers daily. Pay1 also generates monthly billing invoices for employers and other accounting activities. When issues arise with a transaction entered into Benefits 24/7, they are often linked to the sync file.  

In addition to the four project work streams above, we are also preparing the systems for open enrollment this fall.  

Going forward, the monthly Benefits 24/7 stabilization updates will focus on the status of project work streams and any large fixes to Benefits 24/7.  

If you continue to have challenges on an issue that has been addressed, please submit a new ticket to HCA’s Outreach & Training team. You can access updates on the Benefits Administrator website via the pink alert box and under Notices and updates.