Overview

Dated expressions are calculation rules stored in your data base. They are mini-programs with calculations specific to your company : your benefits, your time bank rules, etc.

• Your dated expressions are usually created during the implementation of Umana. You (a Umana administrator) will update them as your rates evolve over time.

A dated expression as a black box. It can receive arguments, can access the date base, and returns a value.

Two features make them special

1. A rule can have multiple versions, as rates evolve over time. (For example, insurance rates that change annually.) Each version has an effective date, which enables Umana to find the version based needed at each moment.

   That means you can enter future dated changes, which will come into effect at just the right moment.

2. They separate the values (coefficients, which evolve over time) from the calculation (a mini-program, which is more complex but changes less often).

   So when you create a new version with the new year's rates, you can just change the coefficients, without looking at the code. (If needed, the code can change as well.)

In the data base

Your date rules are stored in your data base. Every rule has an ID and one or versions, including the calculation (code), and the coefficients.

To view and update them: Menu-bar > Administration > Dated Expressions

• Dated expression are physically stored in the RATE table in the data base, with RA_TYPE='EXPR'.

Using a dated expression

The most common use for a dated expression in a benefit plan (BPLAN) to specify a premium calculation.

Let's see how that works:

1. Where you specify the employee or employer share in the benefit plan, you instead call the dated expression and return the value from it.

2. During the payroll run, Umana needs to calculate each employee's premium. So for each employee that dated expression will be invoked (called). The dated expression will have access to the employee's information.

Rateval() function

To invoke (call) a dated expression use the RateVal function. You pass it 3 or more arguments.

Example: Rateval("PENSION", -1, ldAsof, "EE")

The arguments are

1. The ID of the dated expression ("PENSION" in the example above)
2. A default value in case the expression is not found or causes an error (-1 in the example above)
3. The effective date; typically ldAsof. This tells Rateval() which version to use. (ldAsof in the example above)
4. 5, 6,... Arguments to be passed to the date expression code ("EE" in the example above)

Rateval("PENSION", -1, ldAsof, "EE")