What does a broker do?
Why should I use a broker?
How many health plans are available for small businesses?
What carriers do you work with?
What different lines of coverage do you offer?

A broker and his or her staff act as client advocates when dealing with insurance companies. Top-notch brokers have extensive and longstanding relationships with many insurance carriers and can typically handle claims and billing issues far faster than an employer dealing with the insurance company alone. A good broker is a client focused resource and advisor, educating clients on current and future trends so that they benefit first from changes in the industry. And, finally, a good broker brings a suite of value added services at little or no cost, helping to make their clients' businesses more productive.
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Each insurance carrier only provides information on its own products and plans. A qualified broker is able to help a client choose the best plans for the client's particular needs from a variety of insurance carriers. Often, employers wonder if "going direct" to an insurance carrier will save them money. In actuality, the premiums for most plans are the same whether a broker is used or not. Part of the cost of insurance is the day-to-day service of accounts. Insurance carriers structure their premium costs to cover this service whether in-house or through a broker. Carriers value the work of brokers and reward brokers by paying them commissions for servicing policies and acting as liaisons between employers and insurance companies. Employers benefit by using insurance brokers.
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In the greater Sacramento region there are over 150 different health plan choices available for small businesses. In addition, each plan may have varying benefit levels and rates. At BIS, we listen to our clients to understand their objectives for coverage, cost and the needs of their employees. We are then able to guide the client's choice of plans from the many that are offered.
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Some brokers only do business with a small handful of insurance providers. This saves them time but doesn't always provide their clients with the best coverage available. The brokers at BIS don't think that's fair. We work with over 100 separate benefit providers to find the absolute best benefit solutions for our clients. We employ a full-time staff of proposal specialists whose job it is to maintain relationships with all our carriers. As a result, our brokers can provide the widest selection of coverage and the best fit for your business. You can see a partial list of the providers that we work with here.
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Simply providing medical insurance to your employees can be challenging enough. Dental, vision, life and disability benefits add to the difficulty, but the list of options for employers doesn't stop there. There are drug benefits, spending accounts, chiropractic, 401k plans, EAP, COBRA administration, business travel accident and Medicare supplements to consider. BIS manages all of these and more. We make it our business to know what's out there, what works and what doesn't. That expertise translates to you getting the right information in an easy-to-understand format, allowing you to create a well-rounded package of benefits.
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