Frequently asked questions

The Optum employer portal is used by employers to manage their employees' consumer-directed health and commuter accounts. The Optum employer portal is an integrated point-and-click account management system that lets you manage employee benefits throughout the account lifecycle. Its easy-to-navigate dashboard diminishes the time it takes for busy benefits teams to serve all audiences, from employees requesting immediate changes, to executive requesting performance metrics. Administrators will have access to an easy-to-use dashboard that provides one-click access to key performance indicators (KPIs), automatic contribution calculations and digital resources, historical view of changes and analytics and insights.

Useful data summaries and built-in navigation to important information; quick navigation and access to key functions throughout, detailed reporting insights complete with account balance, contributions, account utilization, claim activity and funding reports; easy updates to employee records, account funding and plan setup; ability to increase claim auto-substantiation rates by entering in copay costs; user roles allowing segmented access levels, so your finance and human resources departments can quickly access important information; ability to select required data and create, save and send custom reports with ease.

Elections, Contributions, Claims, and CIP are common tasks managed within the tool. It also includes powerful reporting which allows employers to act on payroll reconciliations, claim payment statuses, claims settlement, billing and more.

Claims information is only available for reimbursement accounts such as flexible spending accounts and health reimbursement accounts. Claims information for health savings accounts are not available due to privacy and regulatory compliance agreements.

Everything from understanding CIP status across your employee base, to claims history, to forfeitures at risk can be found here. In each repository, you'll find a standard data set with useful information already presented. You are also able to change the criteria and modify the analytic view to customize data sets to your needs.

The first step is to validate your account profile information is correct in the employer portal. To access your account profile, select your username in the upper-right corner of the screen, then select "Account Management" from the options list. Once in Account Management, please review your company details, payroll cycles, common copays for benefits offered, and bank account information. If any changes need to be made, you must be in an admin role, then select the “Update” hyperlink to the right of each category to unlock the information and make required changes.

The dashboard provides quick and easy access to the data points needed to successfully manage your employees’ Optum Financial benefits. The "Access Participants" tab lets you quickly search active participants, add new employees, make demographic updates and manage the Customer Identification Program (CIP*). The reporting tab is the key to your account data views. Reporting includes a repository of prebuilt data sets for your specific business needs, such as reconciling payroll or notifying participants of funds at risk for forfeiture. The “Status Dials” on the homepage provide a quick reference to current activity on all benefits, including CIP status, total claims paid, year-to-date contributions, average balances and card activation status.

*CIP is applicable to HSAs only.

Either search for the participant directly from the dashboard by name or SSN/EIN; or click "Manage Participants" and find your employee there.

Employers can add new users and assign roles for each of their administrative users by accessing the User Access Management function. Select the “View Role Descriptions” link to see all the roles available. The “Admin” role has full access to the entire tool including all functions and reports. The “View Only” role does not have the ability to modify any participant information. Additional roles include: Paysite Admin, Finance, Insights, and File Upload.

Once the employer admin adds a new user, the user will receive an email that will include a 6-digit access code and a link for them to continue to registration.

Employers can resend the registration email for a particular user by using  “Take Action” carat and selecting "Resend Registration Email" from the menu to perform this action.

Access the Tools tab and select “Census, Enrollments & Contribution Files” to initiate a bulk file upload. Employee information that is available for upload into the Optum employer portal includes: Census demographics, Enrollment, Contributions, and Dependents. After you’ve selected the type of bulk upload you want to perform, the Optum employer portal will guide you through what is needed to upload each unique file type. A template is provided during this process to help guide you in uploading all required information for a successful upload.

The Optum employer portal lets you manage account information in one centralized location, making it easy to update vital information like company contacts and banking information. Employers can manage their account preferences by clicking on their username in the upper-right corner of the screen. Once in the Account Management screen, you can make changes to company and contact information and more.

You will first need to upload your participants' information to establish accounts and fund the payment cards. This can be done through a multi-participant file upload option under “Access Tools” tab for a group of employees. You may add one employee at a time using the “Add Participant” or “Manage Participants” icons from the dashboard page, or while in a participant’s profile.

This screen gives administrators the ability to dive into a participant's profile and make changes as updates are needed. A participant's profile can be accessed individually using the search feature at the top of the screen or by selecting an individual from the list. Additional features, such as access to manage Group contribution invoices, can also be accessed here.

Once in Account Management, admin users can select the "Update" hyperlink to the right of each category to unlock the information and make required changes. Your update will automatically be saved within the Optum Financial system and applied to your account.

To manage you participant data, access the "Take Action" quick keys, then select the "Access Participants" tab and click on the "Manage Participants" icon to get to a full list of your active participants. To search for an individual participants using name, employee ID or Social Security number use the "Search Participant" feature within the "Access Participants" tab.

Accessing insightful claims data for your population about Claims Management can be completed at the individual or group level. Administrators can do a deep dive into historical claims analytics within Optum employer portal reporting. Employers can manage participant claims by clicking on the "Manage Claims" icon under the "Access Participants" tab located on the dashboard.

Clients who offer health savings accounts, medical flexible spending accounts or dependent care flexible spending accounts will need to review and validate their employees’ contributions each pay period. Approval of funding amounts is a critical function for those clients who have dependent care benefits and/or health savings accounts, as it is required before contributions are added to a participant’s usable balance. This validation is highly time sensitive and must be done within three days of the payroll cut-off date.

To complete your review and submit your approval of funding, follow the steps below prior to each pay period.

1. Go to the "Manage Participants" icon;
2. Click the link "Process Group Contributions.";
3. Select "Open Contribution Invoices" to see any that require approval for that pay period;
4. Determine if you want to establish the approval method as “Automatic” or “Manual” and then save your desired approval method. This setting may be turned to default and may not be editable;
5. Click on each "Invoice number" hyperlink to review;
6. Review/Edit each participant's contribution amount; 7. Click "Approve Amount" to submit.

To manage the CIP process*, access the “Access Participant” tab and select the “Manage CIP” icon from the dashboard page to view and act on participants that have not yet cleared CIP. From the “Manage Customer Identification Program” page, you will see a summary bar across the top of the page that provides an illustration of your participants and the status of their CIP verification. Features include: Participant search, Update information, and Document review. 

*CIP is applicable to HSAs only.

From the “Manage Participants” page, administrators can use the convenient “Take Action” quick keys to edit and make changes to a participant’s profile. From the result list displayed on the “Manage Participants” page, you will find a column called “Take Action.” These are quick links that take you to specific processes that are available for the respective individual. If you are expecting to see a button that is not present, there may be a step that needs to be completed for that participant. For example, you will not see “Manage Contribution” for a participant that is not enrolled in any accounts.  Available "Take Action" keys include: "View/Edit participant", "Process enrollment", "Manage Contributions", "Terminate participant", and "Add a one-time contribution."

The “Manage Participant” screen gives administrators the ability to dive into a participant’s profile and make changes and updates as needed. A participant’s profile can be accessed individually using the search feature at the top of the screen or by selecting an individual from the list. Additional features such as access to manage Group Contribution invoices can also be accessed here. Use the "View/Edit participant" from the Take Action menu to view participant employment status, pay site, division, demographics, dependents and banking information. Some fields can be edited by selecting “Update.” Expand account sections to see deduction information and account balance (not available for health savings accounts).

The ability to schedule contributions is no longer available. However, there is an alternative method using a file upload process that allows you to submit contributions. Below are step-by-step instructions for submitting contributions.

Step-by-step instructions

• Login to the employer portal.
• Click Dashboard to view the home screen.
• Click Access Tools.
• Click on Census Enrollment and Contribution Files, and then click Continue.
• On the File Manager page, you will be prompted to enter the file type you are uploading. Choose your file type, e.g., Contribution, and click the blue arrow.
• Additional fields will display. Click the View file data requirements link.
• This will open a new tab to show you which fields are required within the file, including Social Security number, Payroll Identifier and Payroll Deduction Amount.
• Back in the employer portal, click the dropdown to select Pay Site.
• Tip: If you are uploading for weekly vs. bi-weekly employees, you will need two contribution file uploads – one for each pay site they are assigned to.
• Under the Contribution Date dropdown, select the date you want to bes tamped with the contributions for your upload.
• Under Payroll Identifier, all client-specific payroll identifiers will be listed that will correspond to the spreadsheet you need to fill out to upload contributions.
• Click Download Excel Template. Open the template and fill out all required fields.
• Tip: Make sure the employer identifier you add to the spreadsheet matches the payroll identifier displayed within the employer portal.
• Next, save the template to your computer.
•    Important: Do not change the file format of the file you downloaded. Make sure it is not read-only and do not change the file type.
• Go back to the employer portal and click Continue.
• On the File Manager pop-up, review the summary and click Choose File.
• Find the Excel file template you saved to your computer and select it. Click Validate.
• It will take you to a new screen to view file details including number of records and if any errored out.
  • If any errors were identified, you will be unable to proceed until theyare corrected.
  • The Contribution Error summary will show you which recordnumber(s) have errors.
  • Re-do the file to fix errors.
• Once all records are correct, an invoice ID will display on the screen which means it will successfully process. Click Submit.
• A success page will display confirming the file has been submitted and will process shortly. It will take about a day for any notional accounts to process, and up to two full business days for HSAs for funds to settle and invoice to generate.
• You may now Exit or select Process a New File.
• An invoice email will generate and be sent to you.

To add a one-time contribution to a participant’s payroll, such as for an annual bonus or to correct a past contribution, select “View/Edit Participant” to view their participant information. In the upper-right corner for the screen, select the hyperlink labeled “Add a One-Time Contribution.” Select the account type to which you would like to add the contribution by selecting the respective green arrow. Enter the tax year to which the contribution should be applied, the amount and the payment date.

For a group of employees, your account must be set up by Optum Financial to allow a group one time contribution.  Access the Tools tab to manage bulk uploads and changes to your employee population. After you’ve selected the type of bulk upload you want to perform, the employer portal will guide you through what is needed to upload each unique file type. A template is provided during this process to help guide you in uploading all required information for a successful upload.

Yes. There are four different options for uploading: Census demographics, Enrollment file, Contributions, and Dependents.

Yes. After you’ve selected the type of bulk upload you want to perform, the employer portal will guide you through what is needed to upload each unique file type. A template is provided during this process to help guide you in uploading all required information for a successful upload.

Reporting is the data and analytics command center where you can easily find data sets that will be used throughout the lifecycle of your accounts. Simply click on the reporting icon to launch, set data filters to narrow views and click the green arrow to go.

Comprehensive payroll reconciliation details, contribution funding details, invoice history, paid claims, participant accounts and claims, payroll and contributions.