Sunlife is now part of Rippling's Preferred Carrier Program to simplify benefits administration for small and mid-market employers

WELLESLEY, Mass., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunlife U.S., a leading provider of employee and government benefits, has joined Rippling's Preferred Carrier Program. The move expands access to a more connected benefits experience for small and medium-sized employers and their employees. Rippling is an AI-native workforce management platform that brings HR, IT, payroll and benefits administration together in one system. 

Smaller companies often lack the extensive teams required to handle the time-consuming manual process of managing employee data, such as absences and leave, benefits enrollment and payroll. Joining Rippling's Preferred Carrier Program is part of Sunlife's growing focus on products and capabilities designed to serve mid- and small-market employers, which also include benefits solutions in stop-loss and group coverages.

"Today's employers expect more from their benefits carriers than just insurance coverage," said Ted Phillips, assistant vice president, BenTech Partnerships, Sunlife U.S. "Employers want a simple, connected experience that provides meaningful benefits for their employees, but beyond that, also offers technology solutions that make those benefits easier to manage and use."  

"Our work with Rippling will help us create a seamless benefits experience for smaller employers by integrating coverage, administration and technology, giving substantial time back to HR teams and enabling employees to access the care and coverage they need," added Phillips.

As part of the preferred carrier program, Sunlife and Rippling will work together to:

• Support more automated exchanges of benefits data, including eligibility, enrollment and coverage information.
• Reduce manual data reconciliation and improve accuracy.
• Ultimately deliver a more simplified benefits experience, resulting in HR teams getting time back to focus on their people and business priorities.

"Working with preferred carriers like Sunlife is an important focus for Rippling because we want our clients to know they are accessing meaningful benefits that meet the needs of their employees," said Jessica Slabaugh, head of Benefits Marketplace, Rippling. "Bringing our technology and operating teams together will help create a more connected, reliable benefits experience for employers and their people." 

Rippling's Preferred Carrier Program offers a collaborative approach to improving the benefits experience, including:

• Working with participating carriers to co-develop direct integrations. 
• Establishing shared operating standards.  
• Continually adding capabilities over time.

The program initially focuses on direct enrollment connections and is intended to expand automation across the benefits administration lifecycle. 

Sunlife's work with Rippling builds on its broader benefits technology strategy and portfolio of API connection solutions, known as Sunlife Link. These connections automate benefit data exchanges between Sunlife and employer technology platforms, reducing repetitive work and improving accuracy across functions, including plan setup, absence management, enrollment and eligibility, evidence of insurability and billing. 

Behind the digital solutions and connectivity are the core benefits and services that support employees when they face a health event. By making benefits easier to administer and access, Sunlife and its technology partners can help employers spend less time navigating processes and more time helping their employees access the coverage, health services and support that can contribute to better health outcomes and greater financial security. 

About Sunlife

Sunlife is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sunlife has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of June 30, 2026, Sunlife had total assets under management of C$1.70 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Sunlife U.S. is one of the largest providers of employee and government benefits, helping approximately 48 million Americans access the care and coverage they need. Through employers, industry partners and government programs, Sunlife U.S. offers a portfolio of benefits and services, including dental, vision, disability, absence management, life, supplemental health, medical stop-loss insurance, and healthcare navigation. Sunlife employs nearly 8,300 people in the U.S., including associates in our partner dental practices and affiliated companies in asset management. Group insurance policies are issued by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Wellesley Hills, Mass.), except in New York, where policies are issued by Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.) (Lansing, Mich.). For more information visit our website and newsroom.

Media Contact
Devon Fernald
Sunlife U.S.
[email protected]

SOURCE Sun Life U.S.