Why You Need a Broker   A good employee benefits broker – such as Optimum Benefits – can save your company money by getting the best coverage for the most competitive premium, and save you time by helping administer the plan. Today, the majority of small to mid-size companies (5 to 1,000 employees) utilize the services of a broker. But unfortunately, they focus too often on finding the lowest premium. A good broker shouldn’t stop there!  Bad benefits? High rates? Optimum Benefits can give you better options.   Saving You Time and Money   Most brokers do an admirable job of shopping the market for your company’s insurance to save you money in the long term. They determine your needs, evaluate the myriad of carriers and obtain competitive rates. But the ideal broker also saves you time.   Optimum Benefits vs. The Other Guys  The choice of a broker is even more important than the choice of insurance plan or carrier. How do you select a quality broker? The following are some criteria to consider. Shop around. You’ll find that Optimum Benefits exceeds all of these requirements:   Obtain client references. Persistency and retention are signs of a successful broker. If a broker can’t supply long-standing references, this is a big concern. Ask for his or her references from a few different carriers and clients. It will be an indication of their level of expertise. To request a copy of our references, please contact us.   Ask about their role. Ask the broker bluntly, “How do you define your role as my broker? What value can you add to typical broker services?” See if their description matches up with the services we offer.   Look into their background. What’s their level of experience in employee benefits? What’s their specialty? What systems are in place for providing good service? How many actual clients do they have presently? We have over 200 clients right now. Look to your left to learn about our many value-added services. For information about Optimum Benefits and our lead broker, click here. If you have any other questions, please contact us.   Inquire about liability. Do they have a minimum of $2 million in “errors and omissions” liability insurance? Optimum Benefits does. Anyone who values their work will be responsible and spend the extra money to insure themselves against any issues. A successful broker will also have the income available to invest in their business, as well as protect their assets.   Do you have a broker who meets these requirements?   Could they be doing more for you?   Would you like to obtain a quote with Optimum Benefits? Many companies can’t afford to spend their time explaining benefits to employees, dealing with claim problems, or reading their policy top-to-bottom every time a question arises. You need service! That’s where Optimum Benefits comes in – complete administration of all your benefits:   Health * Dental * Life * Vision * Disability * 401K  And Many More Products   We act as an extension to your in-house benefits department. When you appoint Optimum Benefits as your broker, you will receive the following services…   Annual Benefit Analysis     You don't have time to shop around to a dozen carriers! Let us do the work for you. Every year, when your benefits come up for renewal, Optimum Benefits will do a comprehensive analysis to let you know how your plan compares with the marketplace. The intention is not to change your benefits every year, but rather to make you aware of your options, so that you can make the most informed decision for your company. We do this for all our clients – because we feel it’s a big part of our job.   Our knowledge of multiple carriers allows us to obtain quotes quickly and meet underwriting requirements with ease. For instance, we may contact 8 to 13 different insurance carriers for quotes. You don’t have time to meet with 13 carriers! So we do it for you. If there’s a better plan out there, we’ll find it based on our research – or we’ll confirm that your current plan is still the best fit for you.   Optimum Benefits is proactive. We will meet with you 45 to 60 days prior to the plan’s anniversary date to present the analysis, so that if you change plans, it can be implemented in an orderly fashion. When a plan change is made late or with incomplete paperwork, it’s you who suffers. We plan ahead to make sure this doesn’t happen to you.   Employee Education   Upon implementation of a new plan, we will inform your employees how to use their benefits wisely – from why you need a referral to how to get precertification for certain procedures like CAT scans. By conducting employee seminars and answering questions as they arise, employees can maximize the use of their benefits and avoid pitfalls down the road. Help With COBRA and Other Regulations   We are dedicated to ensuring your compliance with COBRA. That’s why we provide COBRA administration services through CobraServ for all clients with more than 25 employees on benefits. Optimum Benefits can also help you maintain compliance with HIPAA, state continuation of coverage laws, the Family Leave Act and other insurance regulations.   When employees and their dependents enroll in your plan, or when they become eligible for COBRA, they must receive correct information and guidance – or else you could be liable. We lift the burden by helping you understand COBRA and other regulatory responsibilities.   As your broker, we will watch out for your interests by staying on top of new developments in insurance legislation. If a new state or federal law will impact your business, we’ll give you fair warning. If a contract dispute between a carrier and a provider occurs, or if a hospital is being dropped from a network, we will notify you when and why this is happening. How does your current broker assist you with these matters?   Solving Tough Problems Choosing the right employee benefits doesn't have to be a headache. Call Optimum Benefits. Is your broker terrific at renewal time, and then disappear after that? Optimum Benefits takes special care of its clients year-round. You need someone to go to bat for you when there is a problem – no matter what time of year it is. Claim confusion, billing errors, enrollment issues – Optimum Benefits won’t refer you to an 800 number. We’ll investigate the details, prepare the forms, and do the necessary follow-up to resolve the problem with minimal work interruption or employee frustration.   We’ll also respond to you in writing with the outcome, which will build a written history in case additional problems arise with a particular carrier or provider. If you have a tough problem that needs solving, visit our Problem-Solving Center.