As of data collected in 2019, the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics highlights that one of every ten workers in the country belongs to a union. Employees in the Taft-Hartley industry (labor markets and other unionized sectors) tend to have more comprehensive health benefits, contribute less to premiums, and face lower overall expenses than nonunionized workers. And yet, in a changing global economy, unions and their employers have also been feeling the pinch of surging healthcare costs that outpace their profits, productivity gains, and wage increases. These organizations need the help of experts in fund administration who also have the technical knowledge and experience of working exclusively in the Taft-Hartley industry. In this niche marketplace, Innovative Software Solutions, Inc. (ISSI) has emerged as a leading solution provider and trusted partner with its state-of-the-art technology and commitment to personal service.

With over 250 Benefit Fund Offices and Third Party Administrator (TPA) clients in the U.S. and Canada, ISSI is a leading provider of Benefits Administration computer systems and services to the Taft-Hartley industry. “Our company services the needs of Taft-Hartley fund administration and our software allows administrators to aid union workers with their essential insurance and pension benefits,” says Stephanie Doyle, Director of Claims Operations of ISSI. The firm provides an affordable solution that allows small, medium and large labor funded organizations to provide and administer medical benefits to their employees while saving expense and improving efficiencies to combat the rising cost of healthcare. A relatively recent example of how ISSI helped its clients save money is when it prepared clients for tests during the onset of the COVID pandemic. Even after the CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes were created for accurate reporting of diagnostic tests, many companies were caught off guard and incurred losses in these tests’ payments. However, ISSI quickly passed information among its client base from New York and New Jersey to the Midwest and helped prepare their organizations to handle the upcoming influx of COVID tests for their employees.

ISSI’s swift response to the COVID-19 tests is a testament to its vast industry knowledge gleaned from a large client base.

“Using our know-how, we help clients target their inefficiencies and guide them using the best industry practices to achieve cost optimization,” says Stephanie. Dedicated to its clients’ well-being and understanding the operational structure of multi-employer benefit funds, ISSI does not force them to upgrade or transition off of platforms that they are comfortable using. Although the company educates its partners on the available paths to upgrade their processes, it allows them to make the final choice. “We’ve retained a significant amount of our customers because we support them and don’t push them to move to a more expensive higher-end platform,” continues Stephanie.

ISSI offers flexible, dynamic, and easy-to-use solutions to fund administrators, allowing them to manage operations securely, and adapt quickly to new legislation and evolving standards without costly upgrades or service disruptions. For instance, the company’s pragmatic solutions helped clients establish the right telehealth benefits across the board during the pandemic. ISSI worked with clients who had either not covered their employees’ insurance or were facing difficulties with the carriers and helped them revamp their telehealth policies without a complete overhaul of their systems.

Stephanie emphasizes that although ISSI does not function as a formal consultant, it is not merely a software vendor. ISSI works in hand with its clients and aims to establish long-lasting partnerships where both organizations can benefit from sustained growth. Soon, ISSI will also launch a new product line that allows their clients to gain insights into their claims management further. With this new claim data analytics technology, ISSI aims to provide clients with unparalleled services at an exceptional value.