The census is the employer's list of who's eligible and enrolled. It drives your enrollment, your invoice and your member counts. Ask for the same columns in the same format every month, and check each new list against the last one before you bill.
Columns to ask for
- Employee ID, or another number that stays the same.
- First and last name.
- Date of birth, to tell apart people with the same name.
- Email and phone, for enrollment.
- Status: active, on leave or terminated.
- Eligibility date: when coverage starts.
- End date, if they've left.
- Coverage level: employee only, with spouse, with children, family.
- Location or department, if pricing or reporting depends on it.
For dependents
- The employee's ID, to link them.
- Name, date of birth and relationship.
- Start and end dates.
Leave these out
- Social Security numbers. You don't need them to bill an employer.
- Salary or pay rate.
- Anything about health.
The less sensitive data you hold, the less you have to protect.
Set the rules
- The census arrives by a set day, like the 20th, for the next month's invoice.
- It comes as a spreadsheet in the same column order every time.
- It's sent through a secure method, not plain email, if your attorney or IT advisor recommends it.
Check every list
Compare the new census with last month's before you bill. Look for new names, missing names, changed coverage levels and changed dates. In a made-up example, last month had 48 employees, this month has 50. That could be three new hires and one departure, not two new hires. Find each change by name. This post covers the monthly match.
What I'd do this week
- Make a census template with these columns and send it to each employer.
- Set a census due date in each contract.
- Delete any Social Security numbers you already hold that you don't need, following your records policy.
Common questions
What if the employer sends a different format each month?
Send your template back and ask them to use it.
Can I use the census for marketing?
I wouldn't. Use it for enrollment and billing only, and say so in your contract.
How long should I keep old census files?
Keep them as long as the invoices they support. Ask your CPA and attorney for a records schedule.
Want every invoice built from a checked census?
We reconcile every account every month and send your P&L and Balance Sheet by the 15th, so decisions like this start from real numbers. If that's what you need, apply to work with us.