Manage Standard Benefit Rates in the Integrated Workbook

You can generate the integrated Microsoft Excel workbook in which you can manage standard benefit rates. Then, upload your changes into the application database. The workbook enables you to create, edit, delete, and end-date rates. You can find the workbook on the Manage Benefit Rates page in the Plan Configuration work area.

You perform these basic steps to manage benefit rates using the workbook:

1. Generate and populate the workbook.

2. Create, edit, delete, or end-date the standard rates. For example, you can edit rates to reflect annual changes in contribution.

3. Upload the workbook.

4. Resolve errors if required.

Repeat these steps as many times as required to accommodate revisions.

Generating and Populating the Workbook

You can select a value from the Range of Rows list to display the search result for the selected range.

1. On the Manage Benefit Rates page, click Prepare in Workbook to generate the workbook.

2. In the search section at the top of the workbook, you must select a calculation formula. This acts as a filter for the records that the download process adds as rows in the Search Results section after you click Search.

3. Select a plan name. You can use wildcard searches to pull rates for multiple plans together. For example, you can use Medical% to pull all plan names that start with the term Medical.

4. Use the other fields to further filter your search result records. To search for the rates that have the Participants enter value at enrollment check box selected during rate creation, you need to set the Participants enter value during enrollment field as Yes. You use this field only when you select the Calculation Formula as Flat Amount in the spreadsheet.

   The search results include a column named Copy Calculation Method Fields to all Rates only when you specify Legal Employer or Legislative Data Group in the search criteria. You need to set the value of this to Y to copy the calculation methods of a rate to the rates of other legal entities of the same benefit object.

   Some of the cells in the spreadsheet are purposefully locked. You shouldn’t unprotect the spreadsheet and load values in such cells. The application doesn't save such values.

Managing Standard Rates

After you generate and populate the workbook, to add a rate, insert a blank row after the last populated row, and enter data. When you edit a rate, make sure you enter data only in the search results fields with a white background. The upload process ignores edits in search results fields with a nonwhite background. Edit the following objects in the Plan Configuration work area, rather than in the workbook:

• Variable rate profiles

• Variable formulas

• Extra inputs

• Partial month determination

• Annual rates

Uploading the Workbook

After you complete your edits, click Upload to load into the application database those rows marked as Changed. The process:

1. End dates the original benefit rate record

   It sets the effective end date to the day before the effective as-of date that you used as part of your download filter.

2. Adds a new benefit rate record with your edits

   The effective start date is the same as your effective as-of date and the effective end date is the original effective end date.

3. Moves changed rows to the bottom of the workbook.

To validate the changes, return to the Manage Benefit Rates page, Standard Rates tab and search for the changed or newly added rate.

Resolving Errors

The upload process automatically updates the Status field in each workbook row. If there are errors that require review, the process:

1. Rolls back the change in the application database

2. Sets the workbook row status to Upload Failed

3. Continues to the next workbook row

To view and resolve an error:

1. Double-click Update Failed in the Status field.

2. Fix any data issues in the workbook.

3. Upload the latest changes.