Delivering Custom-Built Insurance ERP Software

The Client

Options Plus is a US-based insurance provider offering affordable and comprehensive value-added benefits for individuals, employers, and associations. They collaborate with brokers to enhance clients' benefits packages, boost employee morale, and maintain a competitive edge.

Options Plus offers tailored insurance plans, with minimal participation requirements and eligibility for full-time, part-time, and 1099 workers. This makes their plans ideal for various industries, including hospitality, transportation, health clubs, and more.

Their offerings include low-cost, usable, and ACA-compliant MEC (Minimum Essential Coverage) Plans, virtual health services, ancillary products, and a wide selection of over 30 discount benefit plans. Options Plus is dedicated to providing affordable, usable, and customizable insurance benefits, ensuring that everyone can access the healthcare coverage they need to thrive.

From the initial planning stages to the final implementation, Binary Studio has demonstrated a deep commitment to our success.

Their team has gone above and beyond to understand our unique needs and deliver a tailored solution that has transformed the way we do business.

Delivering Custom-Built Insurance ERP Software-1

Brianna Manente

COO, Options Plus

Delivering Custom-Built Insurance ERP Software-2 USA

Objectives

The co-founder of Options Plus, a professional in the insurance industry, approached Binary Studio with the goal of developing a comprehensive web platform to be used internally within the company. The primary objectives were to automate operations, streamline the processes of insurance provision, and lay the foundation for future expansion.

Options Plus was seeking a reliable technical partner who could manage the entire development process, from planning and implementation to product release, transforming their ideas into a solid, tangible solution.

01

Building a web platform from scratch to automate Options Plus operations

The primary goal was to develop an insurance management web app tailored for use within Options Plus. It should serve as a centralized database and ERP system that enables users to seamlessly manage and execute various insurance-related tasks. The app should also automate critical processes, reducing manual effort and minimizing errors.
02

Expanding the insurance management app functionality and ensuring compliance with security standards

Once the app is released and actively used within the company, the objective is to expand its functionality to cater to the needs of different types of users within the insurance ecosystem. This expansion aims to provide more flexibility, create dedicated services for specific user groups, and ensure compliance with insurance industry standards and security requirements.

Solution and Outcome

The development of the Options Plus platform started with an inception phase, during which a software architect collaborated with the Options Plus founders team to build the product's architecture and infrastructure. They selected a tech stack consisting of Fastify for the back end, React for the front end, and PostgreSQL for the database.

Fastify

React

PostgreSQL

BILL

STEDI

Sendgrid

Twilio

Over the course of nine months, the Binary Studio team created an insurance benefit management platform from scratch, with the following key features:

Stage 1
User management: The platform serves three main instances - Groups (insurance recipients), Agencies (insurance providers), and Careers (insurance managers).
Database system: It serves as a centralized database for storing and managing all the data that supports the platform's business functions and workflows. This includes user information, insurance plans, policies, claims, financial records, and more.
Insurance plan management: The platform allows for creating, editing, and managing insurance plans. The system keeps a detailed change history for auditing purposes.
Invoicing and payments: The platform integrates with BILL.com, a payment management and invoicing system that was already being used by Options Plus. It allows for handling the generation of invoices for Groups based on their enrolled insurance plans and manages secure transactions and distributing the funds to the respective Agencies and Carriers. The platform also supports an invoice adjustment system, which is a common requirement in the insurance domain. Retroactive changes to invoices based on updated information can be made easily. The Options Plus app automatically calculates the adjustments and updates the corresponding financial records, eliminating the need for manual processing that was previously required.
Communication: Twilio Sendgrid is used to send automated email notifications to users for important events such as invoice generation, payment reminders, and plan updates.
The team followed the _Scrumban methodology_, using a combination of Scrum practices and Kanban principles. They maintained a detailed work-breakdown structure (WBS) in Jira, with tasks organized into 2-week sprints. Regular meeting and sprint reviews were conducted to ensure progress and address any challenges.
The Options Plus platform was now ready for internal use within the client's organization. The platform streamlined their insurance management processes, reducing manual effort and increasing operational efficiency.
Stage 2
Currently, Binary Studio is working on implementing a relay system to divide the application into dedicated portals for different user types, such as groups, agencies, masters, and sales. This segregation of user interfaces will provide a more tailored and focused experience for each user category, improving usability and productivity. Additionally, we are developing a request system that allows for external changes to be made to the platform. These changes will be subject to approval by a master user, ensuring that the platform remains secure and controlled while still being flexible and scalable.
To meet the stringent requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the team is implementing Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) files for secure data transmission between healthcare institutions, insurers, and patients. EDI files are standardized formats that enable the efficient and secure exchange of sensitive information in the healthcare industry. The Binary Studio team is using the STEDI platform to handle the complex process of generating, validating, and transmitting EDI files.
These ongoing developments are focused on enhancing the Options Plus app's user experience, ensuring compliance with industry regulations, and adapting to the evolving requirements of its users.

Building a Future-Proof Insurance Management App

Throughout the development process, Binary Studio has proven to be a reliable technical partner for Options Plus. By building a dedicated ERP system that automates and streamlines advanced insurance processes, from client and information management to payments, Binary Studio has demonstrated the expertise in delivering high-quality solutions on time. The team's strong sense of product ownership, technical leadership, and transparent communication has been greatly appreciated by the client.
The Options Plus platform helps the company on their mission to offer low-cost, value-added benefits to individuals, employers, and associations. Options Plus offers a wide range of benefits, including dental, vision, hearing, telehealth, etc.

About Binary Studio

Binary Studio is a boutique software development company, regularly praised for its unique blend of engineering excellence and product ownership that enables its clients to build robust and scalable software products.
With our development team made up of top 0.5% international tech talent, we build web and mobile platforms using Node.js, .NET, React Native, Flutter, and integrating AI and ML. We also offer full-cycle QA and project management services to ensure the efficient delivery.
Our clients see us as a trusted partner dedicated to turning visions into great products. This is proven by 200+ delivered projects, more than two decades of business excellence, and stellar customer reviews.

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