Group Benefits for Employers
Benefits built around your workforce —
not one expensive plan.
Most employers get shown a single quote and asked to say yes or no. We start the other way around: understand your headcount, budget, networks and what your people actually complain about — then compare the strategies that fit.
Start here
Which of these is actually your problem?
Employers rarely have a “benefits problem.” They have one of these five, and the right strategy depends entirely on which one it is.
Cost
Renewals keep climbing and the budget doesn't. You need to see what the alternatives to a traditional fully insured plan actually look like.
Participation
You offer a plan and nobody takes it. Usually a signal that the employee share is too high, or the design doesn't match what your workforce needs.
Retention
Good people leave for a competitor with better coverage. Benefits are the quiet reason more often than employers realise.
Recruiting
When the pay is close, benefits decide it. “No health insurance” loses candidates before the interview.
Administration
Enrollment, new hires, terminations, billing reconciliation. The plan may be fine; the workload around it isn't.
Network
The plan is affordable but the hospital your people use isn't in it. Network fit is often the real objection hiding behind “too expensive.”
We compare the approaches first and pick the carrier second. Doing it the other way round is how employers end up overpaying for a plan nobody uses.
The options
Four strategies, not one product
Which of these fits depends on your size, budget and how much variation your workforce needs. Most groups end up with a combination.
Traditional group coverage
A single employer-sponsored plan covering the whole eligible group. Predictable, familiar, and easiest for employees to understand. Pricing is driven by group characteristics and renews annually.
Best when budget allows and you want one simple plan
Alternative group programs
Programs built for employers who've been priced out of traditional group coverage. These typically offer a menu of PPO plan designs across multiple national networks, with HSA-compatible options available on some designs.
Best when traditional renewals have become unworkable
Individualized employee coverage
Rather than one group plan, each employee is placed in coverage suited to their own household and income, with the employer contributing. Often reaches employees who decline a traditional plan because their share is too high.
Best for hourly, high-turnover or widely varied workforces
Ancillary & supplemental benefits
Dental, vision, life, short-term disability, accident and critical illness. Comparatively inexpensive, highly visible to employees, and often the fastest way to strengthen a package without moving the medical plan.
Best as a add-on, or a first step if medical isn't ready
And one more, if you already offer coverage
If your employees already carry qualifying health coverage, a Section 125 cafeteria plan can reduce your payroll tax liability without changing the medical plan you have. It sits on top of what you already offer rather than replacing it.
What the plans look like
Example plan designs
A representative range, so you can see how the tiers differ before we quote anything. These are illustrations of plan structure — not an offer, not pricing, and not a statement of what your group will be approved for.
| Tier | In-network deductible | Out-of-pocket max | Typical fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richest PPO | $0 / $0 | $1,250 / $2,500 | Lowest member exposure |
| High PPO | $1,000 / $2,000 | $3,500 / $7,000 | Strong benefits, moderate cost |
| Mid PPO | $3,000 / $6,000 | $6,000 / $12,000 | Balanced cost sharing |
| HSA-compatible | $6,000 / $12,000 | $7,000 / $14,000 | Pairs with a health savings account |
| Minimum-benefit | $5,000 / $10,000 | $9,000 / $18,000 | Entry-level — see the note below |
Figures shown as individual / family.
What members typically see
- Primary care and specialist copays with the deductible waived on applicable office visits, commonly ranging from about $15–$50 primary and $40–$75 specialist depending on tier
- Urgent care copays broadly in line with the specialist copay
- Telemedicine covered at 100% with the deductible waived on several designs
- Retail prescription tiers on the PPO designs commonly show $0 generic, with preferred, non-preferred and specialty tiers priced above that
Read the minimum-benefit tier carefully
Entry-level designs are not equivalent to the PPO tiers above them. On the design we've reviewed, there is no out-of-network coverage, and prescriptions are handled through a discount card rather than copay tiers, with no specialty drug coverage.
It can still be the right answer for an employer offering something for the first time. But we'll tell you exactly what it does and doesn't do before you put it in front of your staff.
The important caveat
Plan designs, benefit levels, networks, availability and pricing vary by group size, location, plan year and carrier, and are subject to underwriting and plan terms. Some designs are structured to meet minimum essential coverage and minimum value standards — whether a specific plan does is stated in that plan's own documents. The plan document and Summary of Benefits and Coverage always control over any summary on this page. We'll give you the actual documents before you decide anything.
Networks
Network fit is usually the real question
A cheaper plan is worthless if your people can't keep their doctor. Depending on the program and your group, plan designs may run on national PPO networks including PHCS Extended PPO, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare network options.
We check your providers first
Give us the hospitals, physician groups or clinics that matter and we verify network participation before you see a proposal — not after.
Group size affects the options
Some programs allow only a single network for groups under 100 enrolled employees. Larger groups may have more flexibility. We'll tell you which bucket you're in early.
Timing matters
Some programs require enrollment by the 15th for a first-of-next-month effective date. If you have a target date, tell us and we'll work backwards from it.
How it works
From first call to employees enrolled
Discovery call
Headcount, budget, current coverage, contribution strategy, payroll frequency, network needs and target date. Usually 15–20 minutes.
Census
We collect what's needed to quote the group. Sensitive medical information is gathered individually rather than on a shared spreadsheet — your staff's privacy shouldn't be a side effect of getting a quote.
Strategy and proposal
We compare the approaches and bring you a short, curated set of options — not twenty plans. Too much choice is how enrollment stalls.
Your contribution decision
A fixed dollar amount, a percentage of a base plan, or another structure permitted by the product. We model what each option costs you and costs your employees.
Employee launch and enrollment
We run the meetings, explain the choices in plain language, enroll your people and document elections. Bilingual — English or Spanish.
Service through the year
New hires added, terminations processed, billing reconciled, and a real renewal review — not an auto-renewal notice in the mail.
Group benefits review
Tell us about your group
The more of this you can answer, the more useful the first conversation is. Anything you're unsure about, leave blank — we'll cover it on the call.
- No cost, and no obligation to move your plan
- We'll tell you if your current plan already beats what we'd write
- Answered within one business hour during business hours
- Your information is never sold or shared with other agents
Submitting this form is not an application for insurance and does not bind coverage. Quotes are subject to underwriting, plan terms and carrier availability in your area.
Carrier access
We shop the market, not one company
We work with major national and regional carriers, including UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, Ambetter, Oscar, and many others.
We're an independent agency and compare across carriers and programs rather than pushing a single product. Carrier and program availability, plan designs, networks, benefits and pricing vary by state, by group and by eligibility, and are subject to underwriting and plan terms. Naming a carrier does not imply endorsement by that carrier.
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