Create a Custom Report for Benefit Elections

The article provides a guide for creating carrier-specific reports using the Benefit Elections dataset in BambooHR. It explains that benefit carriers may require enrollment data in specific formats, which standard reports may not fulfill. Users can create custom reports by accessing the new report builder, provided they have Benefits Administration. The guide details steps for building the report, including selecting the appropriate dataset, adding required fields, and applying filters to refine the data. It emphasizes the importance of updating the Coverage Effective Date when saving reports and offers tips for sharing reports with others. Users are advised to check permissions if data appears missing. Overall, the guide ensures accurate and efficient benefits data sharing.

  • Jul 8, 2026
  • Knowledge

Title
Create a Custom Report for Benefit Elections
Article Text
Benefits Administration is only included as an add-on.

Some benefit carriers ask for enrollment data in a specific format, often with their own templates or field requirements. While standard reports in BambooHR may contain much of this information, they might not include every field a carrier is asking for. With the Benefit Elections dataset in custom reporting, you can build a report that aligns with carrier requirements.

This guide walks you through how to set up a carrier-specific report, so you can share accurate benefits data efficiently.

Table of Contents

Who can create this report

You can create this report if you are using Benefits Administration and have access to the new custom report builder. If you are using Benefits Tracking only, the Benefits Elections dataset will not be available.

How the benefit elections dataset works

Before building your report, here's what to know about this dataset:

  • Each row = one benefit election.
  • Employees and dependents may appear more than once.
  • Data reflects elections as of the Coverage Effective Date you set.
  • Reports include employees only by default, but you can include dependents.

Employees and dependents are not automatically grouped together in this dataset. If you need to review employees alongside their dependents, consider adding the Employee # as a field and sorting the report by that column. This helps keep dependents directly under the corresponding  employee for easier review.

Steps to build the report

Start a new custom report

  1. Go to Reports.
  2. Click New Custom Reports.
  3. Select +New Report.

Choose the Benefit Elections dataset

  1. Name the report.
  2. Select the Employee dropdown menu.
  3. Choose Benefit Elections.

Once you switch the dataset, BambooHR will automatically include the following fields:

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Plan Name
  • Enrollment Status

Add carrier-required fields

You can remove, rearrange, or expand on the auto-populated fields based on what's needed. Click Fields to include any fields the carrier needs. You can also rename fields by clicking the gear icon, which can be helpful when a carrier provides a template or requires specific column headers. Common ones include the following:

  • Carrier Name
  • Coverage Tier
  • Coverage Effective Date
  • Plan Type or Category
  • Coverage amounts for employees or dependents

If you need to do reconciliation, you can include the following fields:

  • Employee Pays (Monthly or Per Paycheck)
  • Company Pays (Monthly or Per Paycheck)
  • Total Premium (Monthly or Per Paycheck)

Apply filters to narrow the data

Go to the Filters tab to apply any necessary filters, such as Coverage Effective Date, Relationship, Carrier Name, and Enrollment Status. These filters help narrow down your results to just the data that is relevant.

By default, this dataset pulls all carriers into the report. If a carrier needs a carrier-specific report, you will need to apply a Carrier Name filter or create a separate report for each carrier. 

If a carrier only needs data for individuals who are actively enrolled, use the Enrollment Status filter to include only Enrolled elections.

By default, new reports only show employees to help with loading speed.

To include dependents, follow these steps:

  1. Edit the Relationship filter.
  2. Add values like Spouse, Child, or other relationships.

Including dependents may cause reports to load more slowly, especially for larger groups. If you want dependents listed under the corresponding employee, you can sort the report by Employee #.

Save and rerun the report

Give your report a clear name and click Save. You can return to this report anytime. When returning, always check and update the Coverage Effective Date as it is saved with the report and may need to reflect a new time period.

Share the report

After saving the report, you can share it with other users, such as brokers who help manage benefit enrollment. Sharing allows others to access the report without needing to recreate it. Click here to learn how to share a report.

If the report is shared on a recurring schedule, keep in mind that the Coverage Effective Date does not update automatically. You will need to manually update this date to ensure the report reflects the most current elections.

Notes and tips

  • Coverage Effective Date stays fixed.
    • Always review and update this date when rerunning the report. It determines which elections are shown.
  • Each person may appear more than once.
    • That is expected; each row represents one election (employee or dependent).
  • Missing data? Check permissions.
    • If a report shows blank or errors, the user may not have access to all needed fields. You will need to review the user's access level settings.
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