Munich Re and EightbyZero partner to address the HRIS connectivity challenge for group carriers

_{July 21, 2026}
 

As disability and absence programs become more complex, carriers are under pressure to deliver faster, more efficient experiences for employers and employees. Yet one challenge continues to slow progress for many group carriers: access to timely, accurate data from employer HR systems (HRIS).

HRIS data supports everything from eligibility verification and claims intake to leave administration and return-to-work coordination. Historically, obtaining that data has required carriers to build and maintain individual integrations across a fragmented landscape of HR, payroll, time and attendance, and benefits administration platforms.

As employers increasingly expect streamlined data exchange, many carriers have been left to tackle the connectivity challenge on their own, investing significant time, money, and resources into custom integrations that can take months to implement and require ongoing maintenance. With employers using dozens of different technology platforms, achieving broad connectivity has remained both costly and difficult to scale.

Recognizing that carriers across the group insurance industry are investing significant time and resources to solve the same connectivity problem independently, Munich Re Life US identified an opportunity to meet an unmet market need. Working closely with EightbyZero, Munich Re helped inform the development of a solution designed specifically to address the industry's growing need for scalable HRIS connectivity.

Through this first-of-its-kind strategic collaboration between Munich Re and EightbyZero, EightbyZero is enabling carriers to simplify data exchange between employer systems and insurance platforms. The solution provides a cost-effective and scalable way to connect to multiple HRIS platforms while reducing implementation complexity.

The solution is particularly relevant for disability and absence carriers, as access to critical information can support decision-making, streamline workflows, and enhance the experience for employers and employees. However, the benefits extend to any carrier seeking a more efficient way to access and exchange critical HRIS data.

"Munich Re has been a key collaborator since the very beginning of our journey, and we could not be more excited to bring this to market with their support. What sets Munich Re apart is its ecosystem view of the challenges carriers face. Data interoperability is the pain point holding the industry back, and is the single biggest hurdle to digitizing the benefits experience for carriers of all sizes. Addressing that challenge has the potential to remove a significant barrier to digital transformation across the industry," said Sam Kasle, CEO and co-founder of EightbyZero.

“Our clients continue to tell us that accessing and exchanging HRIS data remains one of the industry's most persistent operational challenges," said Dawn McMaster, 2^nd Vice President of Business Development, Munich Re Life US. "We are pleased to support both the work of simplifying connections with employer systems and the seamless experiences that employers and employees increasingly expect.”

In an industry that has long relied on costly, one-off integrations to access employer data, this partnership represents a new approach. Through its collaboration with EightbyZero, Munich Re is helping expand access to solutions that can simplify data exchange and support greater efficiency across disability and leave management.