AutoPay payment solution simulates the same cashflow experience as a traditional group plan employers pay premiums, then withhold employee s portion via payroll as needed. AutoPay enables the convenience of a group plan with the personalization & choice of the individual market. Available to employers with 30+ participating lives on our platform.
Eligibility & Election
Which employers are eligible?
Any employer offering an ICHRA with 30+ participating lives are eligible, as long as they are not on the SEC s list of restricted industries (Cannabis, Cryptocurrency, Adult Entertainment, and Gambling).
Which employees are eligible?
All employees, except those on Medicare, are eligible. AutoPay works with any ACA compliant plan, including those on state exchanges.
Can employees opt out of AutoPay?
Employees on Easy Enroll plans will not be able to opt out of AutoPay. While not recommended, any employee who wants a Self Enroll plan can opt out, but they cannot shop on the Take Command platform. They should shop & enroll on a carrier site or exchange and then upload a proof of coverage document in the Take Command platform in order to participate and get reimbursed.
Does this mean employees won t have to handle any payments with the carrier?
No. Most Easy Enroll payments will be made by Take Command, but employees selecting Self Enroll plans will still need to enter their assigned payment details directly on the carrier website.
Does Expanded AutoPay mean that Easy Enroll will be available for all carriers?
No. Carrier appointment is separate from payment technology. We are continuously working on getting appointed with more carriers.
Does this work with QSEHRA?
No, AutoPay only works with ICHRA.
What if someone shops after the funding event for autopay premiums?
If someone shops after the main funding event that occurs around 12th-15th of each month, there is an additional funding even for these late shoppers around the last day of each month. If you have late shoppers the admin dashboard will note how much we will be funding and for how many people. Late shopper reports can be found in your portal UNTIL funding has happened - once funding has occurred, your dashboard goes back to normal funding view and late shopper reports will only be available upon request.
How does Take Command assist when it comes to Easy Enroll vs Self Enroll plans?
For employees enrolled in Easy Enroll plans,
Take Command handles health insurance application submissions.
Take Command will submit binder payments, set up recurring payments (Note: that “Easy-Enroll Extra Step” plans may require an extra step where recurring payments can't be set up.)
Take Command ensures active coverage and timely issue resolution. Along with submitting proof of coverage for the employee.
For employees enrolled in Self-Enroll plans,
It's the responsibility of the employee to submit their own health insurance application.
Employees must resolve issues directly with the carrier. (Some circumstances we can work through the employee with the carrier to reach a resolution, but this is not guaranteed)
Employees will submit their own proof of coverage on Take Command Platform for payments to continue.
Take Command monitors and investigates missing or failed payments for BOTH types of plans.
Payment & Security
How much does it cost?
$5 PEPM for participating employees. That means the employer will only be charged if the employee elects to use their healthcare benefits and doesn't waive coverage.
What is the $7 buffer?
A $7 buffer is added to all NEW enrollments and their recurring premiums. A $7 buffer added to each Unit account to protect against premium variance. This amount is funded from the reserve funds.
What is the reserve fund? Why do we need it?
For 2024, the minimum reserve is 5% of total AutoPay premiums or $1,000 - whichever figure is higher. The 5% is re-calculated month-to-month to account for new hires, terminations, etc.
The reserve funds are used for:
$7 account buffers
Plan changes
Mid-month enrollments
How much money is in the reserve fund?
For 2024, the minimum reserve is 5% of total AutoPay premiums or $1,000 - whichever figure is higher. The 5% is re-calculated month-to-month to account for new hires, terminations, etc.
What if I terminate an employee enrolled in Autopay?
When terminating an employee enrolled in AutoPay, you will need to do the following steps:
Log into your Admin portal with Take Command.
Search for the name of the employee in your employee roster.
Hover over the three dots & click “Remove Employee” in the dropdown.
Set a date for termination of the employee.
Communicate with the employee their two options with their individual health plan (to retain or opt-out of current plan) & the date it will be implemented.
NOTE: it's important to consider the timing to ensure smooth processing. Ideally, you should terminate employee(s) on their scheduled termination date. However, if aware of the termination date beforehand, submitting it with a future date is advisable.
Please be mindful that terminating employees too early in the month might lead to account deactivation before carriers process premiums for that month. Conversely, terminating them too late may result in carriers already pulling funds for the next month, causing complications. To mitigate these risks, we recommend submitting terminations between the 10th and 13th of the month, after most payments are processed and before funding events typically occur on the 14th or 15th of the month.
Why didn't Take Command pay the premium for my employee?
Take Command does not push the payments to carriers. We make sure money is available in the employee’s AutoPay account when carriers charge the account according to their system’s schedule (similar to your automatic phone bill or utility bill payments).
Take Command will push payments to carriers if there is a missing payment caught during our audit process.
How does Take Command ensure that payment goes directly to premiums?
Take Command and our banking partners have world class security measures, including NACHA compliance and Two Factor Authentication (2FA). We also have multiple measures in place to ensure that employees can only use their individual AutoPay account numbers for premiums. ~ Money can only go to accredited insurance carriers ~ Payments are limited to a monthly cadence (will block irregular or unexpected transactions)z ~ Amount must be within $7 of the individual s expected premium.
Is this a debit card?
No. Each participating employee is given a deposit account number (ie. their individual AutoPay account), which is a payment account but NOT a physical credit or debit card. As noted above, this account can only be used to pay premiums. E.g., no copays or HSA eligible expenses.
What happens if there are issues with carrier payments?
AutoPay allows for proactive monitoring to significantly reduce payment issues. For employees with Easy Enroll plans, Take Command will work directly with the respective carriers to resolve payment issues. For employees with Self Enroll plans, Take Command is not the broker of record, so we can provide payment details, but employees will need to work directly with their carrier to navigate payment issues.
Does AutoPay cover other qualified medical expenses?
For security reasons, AutoPay only covers health insurance premiums. If an employer has set up their ICHRA to cover qualified medical expenses (e.g. copays, dental/vision, medical supplies), the employee will need to submit receipts for reimbursement. Take Command will validate the expenses and include them in a monthly payroll reimbursement report.