Resources for new benefits administrators (BAs)

Understanding the terminology

As a benefits administrator (BA), you'll encounter the following terms while administering PEBB benefits. These terms are also found throughout the PEBB benefits administrators (PEBB BA) website.

• Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA)
  • HCA is a state agency located in Washington's capital, Olympia. HCA is the largest health care purchaser in the state and serves more than 2 million Washington residents through several programs including the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program, the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) Program, and the Apple Health (Medicaid) program. Learn more about HCA.
• Employee and Retiree Benefits (ERB) Division
  • The PEBB and SEBB Programs are administered by ERB, which is a division within the Health Care Authority (HCA).
• Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program
  • The PEBB Program provides medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, long-term disability insurance, access to wellness programs, and access to discounts on auto and homeowners’ insurance to eligible employees of state agencies, higher ed, and participating employer groups.
    PEBB also provides a medical flexible spending arrangement (FSA), limited purpose FSA, and the Dependent Care Assistance Program for eligible employees of state agencies and higher ed. Learn more about the PEBB Program.
• School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) Program
  • The SEBB Program provides medical, vision, and dental coverage, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, long-term disability insurance, access to wellness programs, and access to discounts on auto and homeowners’ insurance to eligible employees of SEBB organizations and participating employer groups.
    SEBB also a medical flexible spending arrangement (FSA), a limited purpose FSA, and a Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) to eligible school employees of SEBB organizations. Learn more about the SEBB Program.
• Outreach and Training (O&T)
  • O&T is the department within ERB that serves as your resource as a benefits administrator (BA) for PEBB administrative-related support, including the PEBB BA website, training, and assistance with determining employee eligibility, processing enrollment, and maintenance of employee insurance records.
    Contact us through HCA Support or by phone at 1-800-700-1555.
• Benefits administrator (BA)
  • BAs typically work in a payroll, HR, or benefits-related position. BAs administer PEBB benefits for the eligible employees within their organization.
• Employing agency
  • The PEBB Program also refers to state agencies, higher ed, and employer groups as “employing agencies” or “employers”
• State agencies
  • State agencies refers to offices, departments, boards, commissions, institutions, or other separate units or divisions, however designated, of the state government. It includes the legislature, executive branch, and agencies or courts within the judicial branch, as well as higher ed and any unit of state government established by law.
• Higher ed
  • Higher ed refers to institutions of higher education, which includes state public research universities, the public regional universities, The Evergreen State College, the community and technical colleges, and the state board for community and technical colleges.
• Employer groups
  • Employer groups refers to PEBB participating employers, which includes counties, municipalities, political subdivisions, the Washington health benefit exchange, Tribal governments, and employee organizations representing state civil service employees, obtaining employee benefits through a contractual agreement with HCA to participate in PEBB Program benefits. Learn about how employer groups join the PEBB program the PEBB Program.
• Benefits 24/7
  • Benefits 24/7 is the insurance and accounting system in which employee's PEBB health benefits are currently maintained.
• HCA Support
  • HCA Support is a secure, web-based messaging system that allows you, as a BA, to send documents and communicate directly with O&T, PEBB Accounting, and other departments within the PEBB Program.

Navigating the PEBB BA website

The PEBB BA website contains information and resources to assist BAs with the administration of PEBB Program benefits.

The PEBB BA website's landing webpage lists five separate sections; the first two provide resources for BAs based on the type of employer they work for, and the remaining three categories contain resources for all BAs, regardless of their employer type.

State agencies and institutions of higher education

Find eligibility worksheets and other resources that BAs of state agencies and higher ed need to successfully determine employee and dependent eligibility for PEBB benefits, process enrollments and appeals, and correct enrollment errors.

PEBB participating employer groups

Find eligibility worksheets and other resources that will assist BAs of employer groups in successfully determining employee and dependent eligibility for PEBB benefits and process enrollments and appeals.

PEBB benefits

Learn about the variety of benefits offered by the PEBB Program and the BA role in administering them.

Administrative tools and resources

Access accounting manuals, Benefits 24/7 manuals, PEBB Program rates, and other resources to assist BAs with administering PEBB benefits.

Training resources

Register for upcoming training, access training materials, view recordings of past trainings, and find FAQs and resources for new BAs.

You'll also find a blue menu bar located near the bottom of the PEBB BA website's landing webpage, which contains links to the following resources:

Forms and publications

Find a list of downloadable forms and publications, including enrollment guides, forms, and resources to support the administration of PEBB benefits, and a link to order materials.

Notices and updates

Find a link to register to receive important PEBB Program notices and updates from O&T. You can also review any notices that have been sent in the past 12 months.

Benefits 24/7

A link directly to Benefits 24/7.

HCA Support

Register for and access the secure, web-based messaging system that allows BAs to send documents and communicate directly with O&T, PEBB Accounting, and other departments within the PEBB Program.

Contact us

Find links to HCA Support, the HCA Support User Guide, and other contact information available to BAs.

Register to receive notices and updates

Outreach and Training (O&T) uses an email service to provide you with the latest news, updates, and reminders impacting the benefits administrator (BA) role with the PEBB Program. By registering for this service, you receive notifications through your email and can opt out at any time.

Complete the following steps to register:

1. Go to our notifications registration page. A new tab will open in your browser.
2. Enter your email (preferably your work email) and submit.
3. Complete all required questions, check the box to consent to the data privacy policy, and submit.
4. Select the "PEBB Outreach and Training" topic and submit.
5. Enter your full name and select the type of employer you work for; state agency, higher ed, employer group, or K-12 school district and submit.

Once you've completed steps 1-5, you'll be registered to begin receiving notices and updates from O&T. After step five, you will have the option to register to receive notices from other programs and agencies. This is not required. You can close the browser tab at this point.

How do I update my subscription preferences?

1. Go to our notifications registration page. A new tab will open in your browser.
2. Enter the email address used during the registration process and submit.
3. If you set a password when you registered, you will be prompted to enter your password and submit. If you cannot remember your password, select "Forgot your password?" to reset it.
4. Select "subscriber preferences", located in the note near the top of the page.
5. Update your subscriptions, preferences, answers provided, or delete your account using the tabs near the top of the page.

Can I review past notices and updates?

Yes, you can find messages from the past 12 months on the Notices and updates webpage.

Access HCA Support

HCA Support is a secure, web-based messaging system that allows you to send documents and communicate directly with O&T, PEBB Accounting, and other departments within the PEBB Program by using the ​​​​designated tile named, "Benefits administrator inquiry".

It's important that BAs use the designated tile named, "Benefits administrator inquiry". Using the "General Support" tile will lead to a delayed response, as your inquiry will be initially routed to units at HCA that are outside of O&T.

Review the user guide for help with accessing HCA Support and submitting a request.

In some cases, BAs may need contact PEBB carriers and administrators (e.g., Health Equity, Navia, etc.) directly for assistance. Additional contacts for BAs are located on the Contact us webpage.

Review the FAQs for new BAs to learn more

The FAQS for new BAs help guide you to the information and resources you'll need to successfully administer PEBB benefits. The types of questions you'll find answers to include:

• Where can I learn about the requirements for notifying employees of their eligibility (or ineligibility) for PEBB benefits?
• Where can employees learn about PEBB benefits, eligibility, and enrollment?
• Do employees need to waive medical coverage so they are not automatically enrolled in a medical plan?
• Where can I find accounting manuals and resources?

Need to request training?

Contact O&T through HCA Support to request training for your role as a benefits administrator (BA) of PEBB benefits.

You can also find and register for upcoming training (when available) by visiting the Training schedule webpage and review recordings of past trainings on the Training materials and recordings webpage.