Here are some things to look for in an Employer Benefits Broker!
(1) During the quoting process your agent/broker should show you all carriers available to you, with premium rates. Your agent/broker should also limit the number of plans they show (unless otherwise requested) to 3-4 plans per insurance carrier maximum. At Tiger’s Eye Insurance we first find out what you have now, what you like about it, what you don’t and where you are looking to go with your employee benefits packages. We limit the plans we show to our clients because too many plans is often overwhelming and confusing to our clients. They come to us to know the best plan options for their needs.
(2) If you are looking to offer insurance to 5 or more employees your agent/broker should at the very least mention the Self-Insured options available to you. At Tiger’s Eye Insurance, we know that it is one of the most effective ways to save premium dollars without sacrificing benefits.
(3) If your employees have service or benefit related questions who do they go to? An Agent/Broker should supply you with all the materials you need to relay critical benefit information to employees as well as ways for them to access their member portals. At Tiger’s Eye Insurance, we extend to our employer groups that if at any time their employees have questions they can come to us directly for answers and help! We have the tools and resources to service large and small groups seamlessly.
(4) Who handles the day to day service issues with your employee’s medical benefits? If someone moves are you the one who calls the insurance carrier to change their address? What if your employee lost their ID cards? Again your Agent/Broker should supply you with all the resources you need to either make these changes directly or for your employees to handle these changes on their own. At Tiger’s Eye Insurance, we simply need an email or phone call to handle these service related employee issues, therefore freeing up more time in your day to run your business.
(5) Putting a Face with the name. When was the last time you had a face to face meeting with your agent/ broker? Have you ever met them face to face? Do you often get notifications that you have been assigned a new agent? Is your annual renewal meeting done exclusively via email or phone? An agent/broker should make an effort to see you at your place of business. At Tiger’s Eye Insurance, we feel it is imperative to see our clients face to face, to see the business they run everyday. We build relationships with our clients beyond the insurance policy. We want to see you flourish and are here to help insure your employee benefits package will support your business goals and objectives.
(6) Does your agent/ broker service all of your needs? If your agent/ broker is currently servicing your employee benefits package and your property & casualty needs, are they servicing both equally well? Look for an agent/ broker who has the ability to service both equally well. If it is primarily a property & casualty agency do they have designated personnel that handles only employee benefits packages? At Tiger’s Eye Insurance, we do not currently offer property and casualty insurance but we do have many trusted agencies that we work with who do. This allows us to stay very well informed on what is happening in the health insurance market place.
(7) Do you trust your agent/broker? It’s a simple question and will usually come with a simple answer. At Tiger’s Eye Insurance, we strive for transparency in our relationships with clients and carriers. If we have made a mistake we will be open and honest and find the solution to fix it.
Contact us today to see how we can transform your Employee Benefits Package!