Pacific Blue Cross has rolled out a digital platform aimed at cutting the time and cost of setting up small business employee benefits — with coverage now possible in a single day
Pacific Blue Cross has launched a digital platform designed to make small business employee benefits faster and less expensive to set up in British Columbia and the Yukon. The platform, called EasyBlue, allows employers to get from quote to active coverage within 24 hours.
The Burnaby-based not-for-profit, which covers one in three British Columbians, built EasyBlue to handle quoting, plan selection, onboarding, and employee enrolment in a single digital process. Plans start at approximately $50 per employee per month.
What the platform does for plan administrators
For HR professionals and benefits advisors managing small business employee benefits, EasyBlue removes several manual steps that typically slow enrolment. Employers can onboard staff with a single action, and employees receive digital ID cards automatically once coverage is confirmed.
The platform gives advisors digital quoting and plan customization tools for their small business clients. Pacific Blue Cross said this reduces the time advisors spend on administration.
“Blue Chip powered by EasyBlue simplifies the process from quote to coverage by combining plan selection, onboarding and enrolment in one digital experience,” said Brooke Moss, SVP and chief strategy & transformation officer at Pacific Blue Cross. “Once a plan is selected, employers can onboard employees with a single click and have coverage in place in as little as one day.”
Why this matters for talent retention
The launch comes against a backdrop of persistent pressure on small employers to offer health coverage. A 2023 Blue Cross study surveyed 2,086 Canadian small business decision-makers and employees. It found that 80 per cent of workers in BC would check a company’s health benefits before accepting a role.
The same study found that 76 per cent of employees without benefits would leave their current job for one that offered a health benefits plan. Nearly three-quarters of employees with benefits said they would stay with their current employer even if offered a higher salary elsewhere.
Cost has historically been the main barrier. The study found that 39 per cent of small business owners cited cost as the primary reason for not offering a plan.
The total average plan cost was approximately $3,644 per employee per year, with employers paying roughly half — around $1,822 — at a typical 50 per cent co-pay. Benefits advisors working with smaller plan sponsors will recognize that figure as the key objection to address.
As BPM has reported, small businesses are managing higher benefits costs by looking for more flexible and affordable plan structures. EasyBlue enters that space with a fixed-price entry point and a simplified setup process.
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80% of employees in BC would check a company’s health benefits before accepting a new role |
76% of employees without benefits would leave their current job for one that offered a plan |
73% of employees with benefits would stay even if offered a higher salary elsewhere |
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Source: 2023 Blue Cross Small Business Benefits Study, Blue Cross of Canada |
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What benefits professionals should know
EasyBlue is currently available to businesses in BC and the Yukon only. It operates on top of Pacific Blue Cross’s existing Blue Chip group health plans. The platform covers:
- digital quoting
- plan customization
- employer onboarding
- employee enrolment
- ID card delivery
For advisors who place small business employee benefits with Pacific Blue Cross clients in BC, the platform replaces the manual onboarding workflow. Pacific Blue Cross said advisors can now manage the full setup digitally, reducing the back-office load per client.
Sarah Hoffman, president and CEO of Pacific Blue Cross, said the platform is designed to help employers spend less time managing benefits and more time on their core operations. Pacific Blue Cross said it continues to invest in solutions that make group health benefits more accessible for Canadian small businesses.
For the latest news, analysis and insights on employee benefits in Canada, visit BPM’s benefits section
