InComm Benefits Research Highlights Employee Experience Gap in HSA Administration

InComm Benefits Research Highlights Employee Experience Gap in HSA Administration as new survey findings reveal that employee experience has become the leading factor influencing how organizations evaluate Health Savings Account (HSA) and spending account providers. The study, based on responses from more than 300 HR professionals, suggests that while employers continue expanding benefits programs, many employees still struggle to understand and use them effectively. The findings also indicate growing demand for AI-powered education, flexible benefits, and modern HR technology that reduces administrative complexity.

Organizations are placing greater emphasis on employee experience when selecting benefits technology providers, according to new research from InComm Benefits, a division of InComm Payments. The company’s latest report, The Spending Account Experience Gap, finds that HR teams increasingly expect spending account providers to deliver intuitive digital experiences, employee education, and responsive support alongside traditional account administration.

The survey reveals that 73% of HR professionals consider employee feedback the most important factor when reassessing spending account providers. Rather than focusing solely on pricing or compliance capabilities, employers are prioritizing technologies that improve benefit adoption and reduce confusion surrounding Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), and similar employer-sponsored programs.

The findings underscore a broader shift across the Human Capital Management (HCM) industry, where employee experience has become a strategic priority. As organizations invest in digital workplace technologies, HR leaders increasingly expect benefits platforms to match the usability standards employees experience with consumer applications.

Employee understanding remains one of the industry’s largest challenges. Nearly six in ten HR professionals reported receiving regular employee questions about spending accounts, including eligible healthcare purchases, reimbursement claims, account usage, contribution deadlines, and rollover rules. These recurring inquiries often place additional pressure on HR departments already responsible for recruitment, payroll, compliance, employee communications, and workforce administration.

The report suggests that many employees are not ignoring their benefits but instead lack sufficient guidance to navigate increasingly complex healthcare savings programs. As a result, HR teams frequently become the first point of contact for support, creating administrative workloads that technology providers are increasingly expected to address.

Improving education and digital accessibility emerged as recurring themes throughout the research. Fifty-five percent of respondents identified more flexible benefit options as the greatest opportunity to enhance employee experience, while 52% pointed to simplified education resources. Another 52% cited improved technology platforms as a priority, reflecting growing demand for modern benefits administration tools that reduce friction throughout the employee journey.

Artificial intelligence is also beginning to influence benefits management. According to the survey, 55% of HR professionals expressed optimism about AI adoption within HR, while 57% reported already using AI-driven tools to support benefits education or employee training. These findings mirror broader enterprise technology trends, where AI is increasingly being deployed to automate repetitive support tasks, personalize employee guidance, and improve self-service experiences.

Industry analysts continue to identify AI as one of the defining technologies shaping HR software. Gartner has projected that AI capabilities will become embedded across core HR platforms as organizations seek greater automation and improved employee engagement. Similarly, IDC has highlighted intelligent digital assistants and AI-enabled workflows as key investment areas for workforce management and employee experience technologies.

The research positions spending account providers within this wider digital transformation. Rather than functioning solely as financial administrators, providers are increasingly expected to offer educational content, responsive customer support, intuitive mobile experiences, and automation that simplifies benefits usage for employees.

To address these expectations, InComm Benefits has expanded its platform with features designed to reduce administrative complexity. These include Automated Purchase Sorting, digital education resources, faster reimbursements, simplified member experiences, and products such as the HSA Backup Account and 2% Cash Back HSA. The company also emphasizes dedicated account management to support employer clients as benefit programs grow more sophisticated.

The announcement reflects broader competition across the HR technology ecosystem, where vendors are integrating AI, automation, analytics, and employee-centric design into benefits administration platforms. Large enterprise technology providers such as Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, and Adobe continue investing in AI-powered workplace experiences, while specialized HR technology vendors focus on improving employee engagement, personalized communication, and digital self-service across benefits programs.

As employers compete to attract and retain talent, benefits administration is increasingly viewed as an extension of overall employee experience rather than a back-office function. Spending account providers that simplify education, improve digital accessibility, and reduce HR workloads are likely to play a larger role in helping organizations maximize employee participation and satisfaction.

The findings suggest that future innovation in benefits technology will be driven less by additional account features and more by intelligent automation, AI-assisted education, and seamless user experiences that enable employees to better understand and utilize their healthcare benefits.

Top Insights

• Employee experience has become the leading factor influencing HR decisions when selecting spending account providers, signaling a shift toward user-centric benefits administration.
• Nearly six in ten HR professionals regularly answer employee questions about HSAs and spending accounts, highlighting persistent education and usability challenges.
• AI adoption is accelerating within HR, with more than half of surveyed organizations already using AI to support benefits education and employee training.
• Employers increasingly expect spending account providers to deliver digital education, responsive support, automation, and intuitive technology beyond traditional account administration.
• Modern benefits platforms are evolving into employee experience solutions that reduce HR workloads while improving benefit utilization and workforce engagement.

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