Employee Benefits Foundations
Employee Benefits Foundations
Employee Benefits Foundations is the essential starting point for anyone working in employer-sponsored health benefits. This course covers the full landscape — from plan types and funding models to ERISA compliance, pharmacy benefits, stop-loss insurance, and the employer-led healthcare reform movement. Built for advisors who want to move beyond the basics and deliver real value to their clients.
What You Will Learn
Learning objectives for this course.
Who This Course Is For
This course is designed for the following roles.
Course Modules
15 modules · 45 lessons
What Is Employer-Sponsored Insurance?
The history, structure, and mechanics of employer-sponsored health insurance in the United States.
3 lessons · 24 min
Health Insurance Fundamentals
Core insurance concepts every benefits professional must master: premiums, deductibles, cost-sharing, networks, and plan types.
3 lessons · 24 min
ERISA and the Federal Regulatory Framework
How ERISA shapes employer health plans, what it requires, and why federal preemption is a strategic advantage.
3 lessons · 24 min
Benefits Strategy and Total Rewards
How to align benefits design with business strategy, workforce demographics, and total compensation philosophy.
3 lessons · 21 min
Open Enrollment and Plan Administration
Best practices for running open enrollment, communicating plan changes, and managing ongoing plan administration.
3 lessons · 21 min
Ancillary and Voluntary Benefits
Dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary benefits — how they work, what they cost, and how to position them.
3 lessons · 21 min
Claims, Utilization, and Cost Drivers
How claims are processed, what drives healthcare costs, and how to use utilization data to manage plan performance.
3 lessons · 22 min
Mental Health and Behavioral Health Benefits
Mental health parity, EAP design, behavioral health networks, and the business case for mental health investment.
3 lessons · 21 min
Wellness Programs and Prevention
Designing effective wellness programs, HIPAA wellness rules, incentive structures, and measuring ROI.
3 lessons · 20 min
Pharmacy Benefits Basics
How pharmacy benefits work, PBM fundamentals, formulary design, and the growing impact of specialty drugs.
3 lessons · 21 min
Stop-Loss Insurance and Risk Management
How stop-loss insurance protects self-funded employers, contract terms, and risk management strategies.
3 lessons · 21 min
Benefits Communication and Employee Engagement
Strategies for communicating benefits effectively, driving engagement, and measuring communication ROI.
3 lessons · 18 min
Benefits Technology and HRIS Integration
Benefits administration platforms, HRIS integration, enrollment technology, and the digital benefits experience.
3 lessons · 18 min
The Advisor Role, Compensation, and Transparency
How benefits advisors are compensated, transparency requirements, fiduciary considerations, and building a differentiated practice.
3 lessons · 20 min
The U.S. Healthcare System and Reform Landscape
How the U.S. healthcare system works, why it costs so much, and the reform movements reshaping employer benefits.
3 lessons · 21 min
Earn Your Certificate
Complete all modules, pass the module quizzes, and score 80% or higher on the 50-question final exam to earn your certificate of completion and 5.0 certificate hours.