New Preferred Carrier Program automates benefits data exchange, improves accuracy and establishes shared operating standards for employers, brokers and insurance providers.

Rippling, an AI-powered platform for managing HR, IT and finance, has introduced direct integrations with three benefits carriers—Guardian, MetLife and Unum—through its new Preferred Carrier Program. The initiative is designed to automate the exchange of employee eligibility, enrollment and coverage information, reducing reliance on manual data transfers that can lead to errors and administrative delays.

The program brings Rippling and participating insurance providers together to develop integrations jointly, with agreed-upon service standards and escalation procedures. The approach aims to improve data accuracy, streamline benefits administration and create a more connected experience for employers, brokers and employees.

Co-Developed Integrations and Shared Standards

Unlike integrations developed solely by a software platform and subsequently offered to carriers, the Preferred Carrier Program involves collaborative development between Rippling and each participating provider.

The partnerships establish shared operating standards and procedures for resolving discrepancies when benefits data does not transfer correctly between systems. This structure is intended to improve coordination and support more reliable enrollment and coverage updates.

“When benefits data doesn't move correctly between systems, employees and HR teams feel the impact,” said Jessica Slabaugh, head of benefits marketplace partnerships at Rippling. She added that the program is designed to provide co-developed integrations, shared operating standards and ongoing improvements for participating customers.

Automating Benefits Administration

The initial phase of the Preferred Carrier Program focuses on direct enrollment integrations and standardized operating procedures. By automating eligibility, enrollment and coverage data exchange, the program aims to reduce manual work for HR teams and help employers manage benefits more efficiently.

Rippling expects future enhancements to extend automation across additional stages of the benefits administration lifecycle, including plan setup, coverage approvals and ongoing administration.

New customers can access the integrations immediately, while existing customers are expected to transition over a 12-month period.

Carrier Partners Emphasize Connected Experiences

Participating carriers highlighted the potential for direct data exchange to simplify benefits management and improve coordination with employers and brokers.

Anna Roberts, head of digital strategy and offerings at Guardian, said the collaboration uses real-time data exchange to simplify benefits setup and management while helping employees access and use their benefits.

Bradd Chignoli, head of regional business at MetLife, noted that connected benefits experiences can reduce administrative friction for small and midsized businesses, allowing employers and brokers to focus more on supporting employees and growing their organizations.

Ray Russell, AVP of platform integration at Unum, highlighted the combination of direct API connectivity and shared operating procedures. According to Russell, this structure can improve data accuracy, reduce rework and increase confidence that eligibility and enrollment changes are processed correctly.

Expanding Automation Across the Benefits Lifecycle

The Preferred Carrier Program reflects a broader effort to connect HR software with insurance providers through more direct, standardized data exchange. Benefits administration often requires coordination across multiple systems, making data accuracy and timely updates important for both employers and employees.

By combining direct integrations with shared operational standards, Rippling aims to reduce administrative complexity while creating a foundation for additional automation across benefits management.

About Rippling

Rippling provides an AI-powered platform for managing HR, IT and finance. Its unified system brings business data and permissions together to support workflows and AI-assisted actions across company operations.

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Rippling has raised $1.8 billion from investors including Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Sequoia and Bedrock. The company has also been recognized on the CNBC Disruptor 50 and Forbes Cloud 100 lists, among others.