For small and mid-size employers, managing ever-rising employee benefits costs is a constant challenge. While underlying health risks are the main driver of premium rate increases, other factors sharply impact health insurance costs, such as: state and federal regulations, a lack of market competition, technological advances in treating chronic illness, and increased utlization from an aging population.

Insurance carriers have responded to cost pressures and deteriorating risk by revamping plan offerings and benefits to promote better consumerism, demanding aggressive discounts from participating providers, expanding claims utilization management and wellness initiatives, and structuring prescription formularies to promote the use of lower cost generic alternatives.

​Healthcare providers are struggling to comply with increased demand coupled with reduced reimbursments from carriers, cutbacks from state and federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the adminstrative burden of privacy laws and care management.

We help businesses, like yours, to stay abreast of these industry trends and the evolving products that address them, to provide the best value to employees. Because the right employee benefits plan not only manages risk . . . it manages expectations. 


PLAN SELECTION CONSULTATION

Since every client is unique, we perform a thorough needs assessment to design and implement a group benefits package within a defined budget, from specific coverage components, to building a comprehensive portfolio:

  • medical insurance: HMO, EPO, POS, PPO
  • prescription coverage
  • health savings accounts (HSA)
  • healthcare reimbursement arrangements (HRA)
  • flexible spending accounts (FSA) and Section 125 plans
  • dental plans
  • vision plans
  • ancillary coverages, including: life, accident, and disability
  • voluntary products (employee paid)

Compensation disclosure: 
For employers with 2-51 employees, we provide carrier-direct pricing on all products, and we charge no additional fees. We are paid standard broker commissions by carriers to service our clients, while carriers handle billing and most plan adminstration functions.


PLAN MAINTENANCE

We stay with you throughout the year to assist with any issues that may arise by providing the following services:

  • claims resolution assistance
  • enrollment assistance
  • benefit inquiry assistance
Group insurance
"the right employee benefits plan not only manags risk . . . it manages expectations"
© 2012, Avalon Strategies Group, LLC. All rights reserved.