A Deputy Superintendent Discusses Savings from a Switch to American Fidelity

Teachers are often the unsung heroes of communities. Their work is instilled in the lives of their students for years to come, and often their influence can last a lifetime. They invest so much in their schools and their communities that they deserve to have as many perks to the job as possible. Possibly the thing they deserve and expect the most is to have good benefits.

“It was a no-brainer for us,” said Jaret Tomlinson, deputy superintendent of the Excelsior Springs School District.

“It took a lot of the heavy lifting off our shoulders and provided some expertise in an area where we weren’t as knowledgeable. And I think it’s been a better service and a better benefit for all.”

The Challenge

Finding the right benefits to offer employees can be difficult. There are many providers available, offering a variety of options. But finding a true partner, and one that can be a single source for employees, tends to be a diamond in the rough. In addition, Excelsior Springs School District needed to simplify the administrative work for annual enrollment. The District was paying three employees to handle benefits enrollment, with two staffed just for the enrollment period. When searching for that rare gem, one to provide a better benefits structure for teachers, Tomlinson called on American Fidelity Assurance Company for help.

“We wanted an online platform to sign up for services, but more importantly, we wanted to have a relationship with a representative that was going to have our best interest at heart,” he said.

Our Solution

Tomlinson was able to find the platform and the relationship he was looking for.

“Once we made the decision and handed everything over to American Fidelity, they were able to step in and make the process very seamless and easy for us,” he said.

With American Fidelity’s online platform, the district was able to efficiently serve a larger number of employees and provide them with individual benefits education. “We’ve seen a very large increase in how many employees let us know how happy they are with the services and opportunities afforded to them,” he said.

Their Results

The switch to American Fidelity resulted in happier employees who better understood their benefits, and 91% of them wanting a guided experience for future enrollments.¹ It also produced some savings for the district, having gone from three employees managing their enrollments down to just one.

“One of the benefits of moving to American Fidelity is that it reduced the number of employees that we had to assign to prepare for benefits sign up and registration. When you’re able to reduce the amount of people it takes, as well as the amount of time it takes, obviously the impact to our budget was greatly enhanced,” noted Tomlinson.

Reducing the number of employees needed to prepare for enrollment by a third wasn’t the only way the district saw savings.

“Since our switch to the online platform through American Fidelity, just that one employee is able to do it and it doesn’t even take their full attention like it used to. So, we’ve probably saved 60 to 80 hours of billable work time,” he said.

And as if time and money weren’t enough, the district was able to find value in the level of service they receive even after enrollment is completed.

“What they’re able to do is follow up with our benefits administrator and make sure that issues are resolved, and look at what worked well, what could work better. So, we’re constantly making improvements and evaluating what our systems are. And that’s just going to make it better for our employees going forward year after year,” said Tomlinson.

This blog is up to date as of April 2021 and has not been updated for changes in the law, administration or current events.

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