Employee Benefits
To Protect and to Serve
Employee benefits for employers should not cost you a fortune. Whether it’s medical, dental, vision, or life, we can help you maximize your dollars and help you maintain the team you’ve worked hard to build. When you and your employees view health benefits as an investment, it becomes a different conversation. With benefits being just under wages for the most expensive item for companies, a good strategy partner is essential. For our clients we offer a wide range of value-added services at no cost to them:
- Online benefits platform (EASE): makes open enrollments and managing benefits a breeze
- Federal COBRA Administration: we have a third-party that handles the compliance notifications for incoming and outgoing employees to relieve you of the liability
- In-house HR Attorney, to help groups with employment issues that arise
Group Health Insurance
Due to the complicated and consuming nature of the health industry, we decided to focus solely on health benefits. Those benefits include medical, dental, vision and life insurance. While group health plans are typically expensive, we work to maximize every dollar spent.
Group Medical Plans
Group Health Plans are usually structured in one of several ways:
- PPO(Preferred Provider Organization) PPOs are well suited for employees who want the freedom to choose their own doctor. As a PPO subscriber, you have the choice of using either an “in-network” or “out of network” doctor. By staying in-network, you receive the biggest benefit, lower copays, and less out of pocket costs. PPOs are typically less expensive than HMOs.
- EPO (Exclusive Provider Organization) EPOs are newer to the market and offer better pricing, but there are some drawbacks. With EPOs, there is no out of network benefits, which can limit people in their choices. The cost savings is typically 5-10% over a full-network PPO plan.
- HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) HMOs are designed in such a way that employees are restricted to HMO doctors and hospitals only, except for emergency services. HMO copays are usually lower but the monthly cost is usually much higher. Kaiser is one of the more popular HMO type platforms.
- HSA(Health Savings Account) or HDHP (High Deductible Health Plan) HSAs and HDHPs can be an added benefit to your health plan. Typically Bronze or Silver plans, the HSA part is a tax free savings account, sometimes referred to as a “medical IRA.” The HSA allows the employees to have a savings account to pay for qualified out of pocket expenses on a tax free basis. The HSA account can be funded by the company or the employee themselves. Contributions are limited every year and those limits are usually around $3500 for a single person, and $7000 for a family. Any money not used by the end of the year “rolls over” year to year with no limits. This tax free money can be used for things like dental procedures, eye glasses, chiropractic work, massage, acupuncture, orthodontics, prescribed medications, etc.
- HRA(Health Reimbursement Arrangement) HRAs are very similar to HSAs. The biggest difference with an HRA is that when an employee has a medical expense, they are “reimbursed” by the employer. HRA Health Plans are very flexible and the benefit structure can be tailored to the needs of each company. The pricing of HRAs vary widely.
Other Popular Employee Benefits
- Group Dental Insurance. Group dental can vary widely in coverage and cost. Offering employer-sponsored group dental plans can be a key feature in employee retention. It may seem like a small matter, but people love their dental plans! Also remember there is usually a direct correlation between the price of the benefit and the quality of the benefit. Some of the top companies include: Delta Dental, MetLife, Guardian, Principal and United Healthcare. We shop around to see what works best for your company.
- Group Vision Insurance. Like dental insurance, vision is another key component to a complete benefits package. We usually recommend the vision benefit allow for lenses, frames, and exams every year (12/12/12). Vision benefits can be as little as $9/mo per employee.
- Group Disability Insurance. Disability coverage is purchased for protection in case an employee gets injured and is unable to work. The disability can be either classified as Short Term Disability or Long Term Disability. The coverage is based on the employees income, the benefit payout, and the “waiting period” before benefits start. The coverage can be structured to include both on and off the job injuries.
- Voluntary Benefits, Gap Insurance. This insurance is typically associated with companies like AFLAC & Colonial Life. When you have accidents or hospital stays, they will pay you money to help cover expenses. Pairing a gap plan with a Bronze or Silver medical plan can give employees peace of mind on and off the job.
Employers are always looking for ways to attract and retain quality employees. A comprehensive benefits package will give you the competitive edge you need in today’s marketplace.
What a Clients Think
"If you are a small/medium size business owner and are looking for an experienced, trustworthy and reasonable Group Insurance provider, the Brauer team are fantastic to work with! Family owned and operated, they treat their clients like family and always have your best interest in mind, vs. a larger carrier who may just care about making a buck. They offer personalized attention and assistance in navigating all of the sticky and tricky new changes for healthcare. It can be a very confusing process, but Brauer Insurance makes it easy and does the navigating and research for you. I highly recommend them and it is always a pleasure to work with Steve!"
Michelle H. San Jose
"I’m responsible for the HR functions of our company of 35 employees. We met Steve and Bonnie from another business owner that had raved about them. Since taking over our account, they have helped us get compliant with all of the ObamaCare mandates and also saved us a ton of money at renewal."
Christina B. CA
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