A conversation about the messy middle of benefits tech: a product leader’s take on what’s next
There’s a certain kind of perspective you only get by being in the weeds. Not just overseeing strategy, but actually doing the work. Processing enrollments. Troubleshooting carrier files. Supporting clients, learning their pain points. Building implementations from scratch. Fixing what breaks (and seeing what breaks…a lot). That’s the lens our Director of Product, Lacy Southerland […]
Benefits guidance, meet benefits administration
Millions of employees already trust ALEX to make smart, confident benefits decisions. ALEX Home has extended that experience into a year-round, AI-powered platform—giving employees a consistent place to go for all things benefits. ALEX Home is now taking the next step into full benefits administration. Instead of sending employees somewhere new right when they’re ready […]
Navigating a more connected benefits experience with ALEX
Friendly reminder: Friends of ALEX is our customer community—made up of HR leaders who are in the day-to-day, using ALEX and navigating the same challenges you are. It’s a space to share what’s working (and what’s not), swap ideas, and help shape what we build next. You’re already using ALEX to help employees make confident […]
Fewer employees are using HSA and HRA plans: here’s how to fix that (and what’s new in ALEX)
Enrollment in HSA and HRA plans are dropping, and a growing number of employees don’t even remember being offered one. That’s not a plan design issue. It’s a visibility issue. Recent data shows enrollment in consumer-directed plans fell to 15% in 2025 (down from 18% from the year before), and 14% of employees couldn’t even […]
Early-Onset Cancer Is On the Rise. Here’s How HR Can Encourage Early Detection.
Not long ago, most people thought of cancer as something that primarily affected older adults. You got your colonoscopy at 50, maybe started paying closer attention to screenings in your 60s, and that was that. But lately, that assumption has started to change. Doctors are seeing more cancer diagnoses in adults under 50 than they […]
Leading Clients Through AI in Benefits: Practical Guidance Without the Hype
Your clients are hearing about AI everywhere: headlines, boardroom conversations, IT trainings, and vendor pitch decks promising sweeping “AI transformations.” But AI that shows up everywhere isn’t the same as AI that works—especially when benefits are involved. What’s often missing is clear, practical guidance on how AI fits into a benefits strategy without creating unnecessary […]
AI in HR Without the Guesswork: What to Automate, What to Avoid
AI is already part of everyday work. But when it comes to healthcare, finances, fertility, mental health, or leave—this isn’t just workflow efficiency. These are deeply personal decisions with real consequences. And employees are increasingly turning to general-purpose AI tools for answers, often because they’re fast, familiar, and always available. And updates like ChatGPT Health […]
Brokers don’t need another point solution. They need something that actually holds everything together
If you’re a broker today, you’re not short on solutions. You’re surrounded by platforms that promise engagement, communication, utilization, personalization, year-round benefits support—often all at once. And to be fair, many of them do something useful. The problem isn’t quality. It’s sprawl. Plans live here. Voluntary benefits live there. Tools, portals, PDFs, policies, microsites, vendors—all […]
From firefighting to strategic: what HR leaders are prioritizing in 2026
“I’m hopeful, but I’m exhausted.” It’s one of the most common sentiments we’ve heard from HR leaders as we head into 2026. Another top issue? How HR is constantly asked to ‘elevate the employee experience’ in the same breath as eliminating headcount and cutting budget. And after a chaotic year of rising healthcare costs, nonstop […]
Why we’re building ALEX Home: where benefits finally live together
ON-DEMAND WEBINAR https://vimeo.com/1168622875/a640bea8d9?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci AI is everywhere right now. Very little of it is actually helpful. In HR and benefits, where people’s health, finances, and wellbeing are on the line, “AI everywhere” isn’t the same as “AI that works.” And piling more technology onto already-fragmented benefits stacks hasn’t made things any easier for employees, HR teams, […]
Benefits tech won’t survive an AI world–ALEX Home will
Meet the new ALEX Home. ALEX has evolved into a connected, AI-powered benefits platform that brings every plan, program, and resource together into a single, intuitive experience. It’s everything employees already trust about ALEX—now expanded to guide them year-round, across every corner of their benefits. What’s new (and built on what already works): Smarter […]
HR Trends and Challenges: How to Recenter in a Shifting Landscape
Here we are, deep into Q4. And if you’re an HR pro, it might feel like the ground is moving right beneath your feet. From an unpredictable recruitment market to tight budgets, ever-climbing healthcare costs to increasingly ambiguous government regulations, this year has felt like one big tectonic shift. And despite all of the HR […]