Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Benefitfocus,Inc. [BNFT] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
200 WEST STREET		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
07/17-04:00/2014
(Street)

NEW YORK, NY 10282		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
___ Form filed by One Reporting Person
_X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 07/17-04:00/2014   P   200 A $ 40.1 11,380,801 I See footnotes (1) (2) (3)
Common Stock 07/17-04:00/2014   S   200 D $ 39.57 11,380,601 I See footnotes (1) (2) (3)

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC
200 WEST STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10282		        
GOLDMAN SACHS & CO
200 WEST STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10282		        

Signatures

 /s/ Kevin P. Treanor, Attorney-in-fact   07/21-04:00/2014
**Signature of Reporting Person Date
 /s/ Kevin P. Treanor, Attorney-in-fact   07/21-04:00/2014
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) This statement is being filed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ("GS Group") and Goldman, Sachs & Co. ("Goldman Sachs," and together with GS Group, the "Reporting Persons"). Goldman Sachs is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GS Group. The Reporting Persons disclaim beneficial ownership of the securities reported herein except to the extent of their pecuniary interest therein, if any, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that any such Reporting Person is the beneficial owner of, or has any pecuniary interest in, such securities for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purpose.
(2) The shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the "Common Stock"), of Benefitfocus, Inc. (the "Company") reported herein as indirectly purchased and sold were beneficially owned directly by Goldman Sachs and indirectly by GS Group. Without admitting any legal obligation, Goldman Sachs or another wholly-owned subsidiary of GS Group will remit appropriate profits, if any, to the Company.
(3) Goldman Sachs and GS Group may be deemed to beneficially own indirectly, in the aggregate, 11,380,601 shares of Common Stock by reason of the direct beneficial ownership of such shares by certain limited partnerships (the "Limited Partnerships") because affiliates of Goldman Sachs and GS Group are the general partner, managing limited partner, managing general partner, managing partner, managing member or member of each of the Limited Partnerships. Goldman Sachs also had an open short position of 360 shares of Common Stock, reflecting a change due to an exempt transaction.

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