5
documents required by law
By law, there are five documents you must have on file before you even offer a group health plan. Not after. Before.
An Unbiased Guide for Your Employee Benefits Program
Hidden benefit mistakes are costing your company thousands
Overpaying for your health plan? Missing a notice you're legally required to send? I find the costly mistakes and show you how to fix them.
Keep your broker. Use me as your unbiased guide.
Don't have a broker? You need this even more.
No sales call. I read and answer every question myself, usually within a few hours.
The renewal lands. The number went up again. You're told to sign by the end of the month, you're not sure what to ask, and you're worried switching plans will start a revolt in the break room.
Most small employers don't have the resources for a dedicated benefits manager. That means a non-benefits person is guessing at what needs to be done.
And that, my friend, can cost you.
The part nobody told you
Did you know…
$1,443
fine — per participant
There are 10+ notices you must give your enrolled employees every year. Skip just one — the Summary of Benefits and Coverage, the plain-English rundown of what your plan pays for — and that's the penalty. Multiply it by your headcount.
Reports you may not know you have to file
CMS Part D. RxDC. Gag Clause Attestations. Each one gets filed with a government agency, and the filing is your responsibility — even with a fully-insured plan, the standard setup where you pay a premium and the carrier takes the risk. Most employers assume the carrier handles all of this. Not all of it.
25–50%
what you may be overpaying
If fully-insured is the only way you've been shown to pay for a health plan, that's the likely range.
Who's telling you this
Over 30 years administering employee benefits, all of it on the administration side.
Here's what I've learned: big companies don't have better insurance. They have someone whose entire job is watching the plan.
You have a payroll person who got handed benefits administration on top of everything else. Maybe that person is you.
I don't sell insurance, and I earn no commission on your plan. I just know where the mistakes hide.
That gap is expensive. It's also fixable.
How it works
Three steps. No sales call.
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1
Ask your question
A renewal that doesn't add up, a notice you've never heard of, a report you didn't know you had to file. Plain English is fine. It's the only kind I speak.
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2
Get a straight answer
If it's a quick one, I'll tell you. If I need to look at your documents for a deeper dive, that's a Benefits Review.
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3
Fix it and move on
You walk into your next renewal knowing what to ask, what you're paying for, and what's missing.
What I help with
Slash rising premium costs, sloppy admin and iffy compliance
Slash Rising Premiums
Fully-insured and hope for the best isn't the only way to fund a health plan. I introduce you to the alternatives nobody mentioned — so next year's renewal is a decision, not a reflex.
Clean Up Sloppy Administration
Many employers' benefits administration runs on memory, sticky notes, and good intentions. I give you the process and templates to catch the costly errors before they add up.
Shore Up Iffy Compliance
Compliance stays invisible until you're asked for a document you didn't know you needed. Worse if the Department of Labor asks why you didn't file a report. I show you what's required, how to cover the gaps and avoid the fines.
Leave it alone
- You sign the renewal because the deadline says so.
- A missed notice turns into a fine.
- Employees keep saying the insurance is bad, when really nobody explained it.
Fix it
- Renewal is a decision, not a reflex.
- Your paperwork is where it should be.
- Your employees understand what they have, and stop complaining about it.
Got a benefits question? Start there.
Ask your benefits questionSend it over. General questions get a straight answer, free.
If I need to look at your documents for a deeper dive, that's the Benefits Review: $500, one fee, no retainer. I read everything first, we meet for 45 minutes, and you get a one-page written summary. You'll know the price before you commit to anything.
No broker at all? Then nobody is watching your plan, and this matters more, not less — on most fully-insured small group plans you're funding a broker's commission whether you use one or not.
I don't sell insurance. There's no pitch waiting for you at the end.
Free download
Not ready to ask? Start here.
15 Questions to Ask Your Broker Before You Sign the Renewal. Six pages. Print it, bring it to the meeting, write down what your broker says. Then a few short emails through renewal season.
I don't share your email address, and you can unsubscribe at any time. No hoops. No hassle.