If you’re like most employers, you find insurance, especially Business Health Insurance, very confusing. Don’t worry….most insurance agents also find it confusing. If an agent’s specialty is not Health insurance, be careful. They are most likely not current on pricing, strategies, and most of all, Dept of Labor mandates. Business Health Insurance is a niche product, that’s just how it is. Similar to finding a specialist in other industries, Health Insurance is the same thing. Although with Business Health Insurance, you don’t pay any more for a specialist than a General Practitioner. In fact, you don’t pay anything at all, the broker commission is built into the premium, whether you use an agent or not.
Health Insurance and Business Health Insurance is a niche product, do you have a specialist?
Since the broker’s commission is built into the premium of the Health Insurance plan, there is really no reason not to seek the advice of a Business Health Insurance specialist. We are trained in the Health Insurance industry (as dysfunctional as it is), and know strategies and issues that most agents would ever think of. Whether it’s Brauer Insurance or some other Bay Area Employee Benefits professional, I urge you to use one of us to help you navigate the crazy waters of the Affordable Care Act and all of the mandates by ObamaCare and the Dept of Labor. I’ve been in so many businesses over the last few years and always ask the owner, Controller, or HR Director, if they have specific plan documents on file as required by law. When I get the blank stare or stammering, I know that they are completely exposed and may pay the price if they end up in a Dept of Labor audit.
The Dept of Labor is not playing around….you better have your mandated Health Insurance documents in order
If an HR professional or a company owner has gone through an audit, they know what I’m talking about. The first thing they ask is “can I please see your Employee Handbook”….or “Can you show me your SBCs that you have distributed to the employees”. If either of those requests are met with the look of “uh oh”…it goes downhill from there. That is what I’m talking about with having a Business Health Insurance specialist rather than just an insurance agent. Any insurance fool can throw plan around and help you enroll, that takes no skill at all. If your insurance broker knows what an SBC is or a SPD, you should probably keep them. If not….call us! Brauer Insurance is one of the Bay Area leaders in Employee Benefits and Business Health Insurance for companies of 2-500. We are a family owned and operated Independent Insurance agency specializing in Health Insurance and Business Health Insurance.