Search Results ben_opt_f

Overview

The BEN_OPT_F table is a core data object within the Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) Advanced Benefits (BEN) module. It serves as the master table for storing the definition of benefit options. An option represents a specific choice or plan type that an employee can select during an enrollment event, such as a particular medical insurance plan, a dental plan tier, or a level of life insurance coverage. As a tracked table (indicated by the '_F' suffix), it maintains full version history, allowing for changes to an option's definition to be effective-dated. This temporal tracking is critical for accurately determining which option rules and attributes were applicable at any historical point in time, supporting complex benefits administration and compliance reporting.

Key Information Stored

The table's structure is designed to manage the lifecycle and definition of a benefit option. Its primary key consists of the OPT_ID and the EFFECTIVE_START_DATE, uniquely identifying each version of an option record. The EFFECTIVE_END_DATE defines the expiration of that version. While the provided ETRM excerpt does not list all columns, standard practice for such tracked tables in Advanced Benefits indicates it will store descriptive and control attributes for the option. This typically includes columns for the option's name, a business group identifier (BENEFITS_GROUP_ID), a code, and flags controlling its eligibility and enrollment behavior. The table forms the foundation for linking options to specific plans, coverage types, and the rules that govern them.

Common Use Cases and Queries

This table is central to benefits configuration and enrollment processing. Common operational and reporting use cases include generating a list of all active benefit options available for a given plan or during a specific enrollment period, auditing historical changes to an option's configuration, and troubleshooting enrollment issues. A typical query pattern involves joining BEN_OPT_F to other key benefits tables like BEN_PL_F (Plan) or BEN_PGM_F (Program) via intermediary mapping tables, while filtering for a specific effective date using SYSDATE between EFFECTIVE_START_DATE and EFFECTIVE_END_DATE. For example, to find currently valid options for a plan, a query would join BEN_PL_F to BEN_OPT_F through the appropriate relationship table, applying effective-date logic to both tables to retrieve only current records.

Related Objects

BEN_OPT_F is a pivotal table with numerous relationships within the Advanced Benefits schema. It is directly referenced by the primary key constraint BEN_OPT_F_PK. It will have foreign key relationships with many child tables that store details specific to an option, such as contribution rates, eligibility profiles, and enrollment results. Key related objects typically include:

• BEN_PL_F (Plan): Options are associated with one or more benefit plans.
• BEN_PGM_F (Program): Options are grouped into benefit programs.
• BEN_OPTD_F (Option Designation): Likely links options to plans and coverage types.
• BEN_ENRT_RSLT (Enrollment Result): Stores the final employee elections, referencing the specific OPT_ID.
• BEN_ELIGY_PRFL (Eligibility Profile): Defines who is eligible for the option.

Queries and data maintenance scripts must always consider these relationships and the effective-dating model.