The lines nobody reviews are the ones that quietly stop fitting.
Dental, vision, basic life and disability tend to renew on autopilot while medical gets all the attention. We review them on the same schedule as medical, because a disability plan that no longer matches pay or a life benefit taxed in a way nobody expected is a problem you only discover at a claim.
Each line has one detail that decides whether it works when someone needs it.
The rate matters, but the contract terms matter more. We read each line for the provision that bites at claim time.
Dental
Annual maximums and waiting periods on major services shape what the plan pays when an employee actually needs work done. We compare them with the market, because a low rate on a plan that pays little is not a saving. For a quick estimate, use our free ancillary benefits cost calculator.
Vision
Exam and materials allowances, frequencies and the network decide whether employees use the plan or pay out of pocket at the store they prefer. We check the network against where your people actually go. Network checks make vision benefits worth offering. Try our free life insurance needs calculator to run the numbers for your own group.
Basic Life and AD&D
A flat benefit and a multiple of salary treat staff very differently. We review the schedule against pay, age reductions and conversion rights, so the benefit still means something when it is claimed. Reviewing the life insurance schedule keeps the benefit meaningful. Our free supplemental life insurance cost calculator turns this into dollars for your plan.
Short- and Long-Term Disability
The benefit percentage, the monthly cap and the definition of disability determine what an employee lives on. We test the cap against your higher earners, which is where coverage most often falls short. Testing the cap protects higher earners’ disability coverage.
How a benefit is paid for decides how it is taxed.
Core ancillary lines carry tax rules that are simple to state and easy to get wrong in payroll. We flag them in the review; your CPA confirms the treatment.
Life Above $50,000
Employer-provided group-term life above $50,000 creates imputed income for the employee under the IRS premium table. Salary-multiple plans cross that line quickly, so we check that payroll is reporting it. Correct imputed income reporting keeps group life compliant. Confirm payroll reports it on the W-2.
Who Pays the Disability Premium
When the employer pays or premiums are paid pre-tax, disability benefits are generally taxable when received; employee-paid, after-tax premiums generally make them tax-free. That choice changes what an employee takes home, which is why we raise it before the plan is set.
State Programs
Some states run statutory disability or paid leave programs. Your short-term disability plan has to coordinate with them, so employees are not double covered in one state and uncovered in another. State program coordination keeps disability coverage consistent. Avoid double coverage.
Reviewing ancillary with medical is how it stays competitive.
Ancillary contracts often carry multi-year rate guarantees. That is useful, until the guarantee becomes the reason nobody looks.
Rate Guarantees
We track when each guarantee ends and market the line in the year before, so a renewal increase never arrives without an alternative ready. Tracking rate guarantees keeps ancillary renewals competitive and ready before the guarantee ends. Market the line early.
Bundling
Placing several lines with one carrier can lower cost and simplify administration. It can also hide a weak line inside a good package, so we price the bundle and the parts. Pricing both bundle and parts keeps ancillary costs honest.
Employer-Paid or Voluntary
Some lines work best as employer-paid and others as employee-paid. We look at which way each line should go, because the answer changes tax treatment and participation. The funding choice shapes both taxes and participation. We look at each line on its own.
What employers ask about core ancillary lines.
Should dental be employer-paid?
If you want broad participation, often yes, because a voluntary dental plan tends to attract the people about to use it, and pricing follows. We model both before you decide. Modeling both approaches guides the dental funding decision. Participation drives pricing.
What happens to life coverage when someone leaves?
Most group life contracts carry conversion or portability rights with strict election windows. We make sure the notice process is in place, because a missed window cannot be fixed later. A reliable notice process protects life conversion rights. Missed windows cannot be fixed.
Is disability really necessary?
For most employees a long illness costs more in lost income than in medical bills. Disability coverage is what protects that income, so it belongs in the core, not at the edge. Disability coverage is core income protection for employees.
Related guides.
Group Life and AD&D Plan Design
Benefit amounts, imputed income and portability.
Group Vision Plan Design
Allowances, frequency and what the premium buys.
Group Dental Plan Design
Classes, maximums, waiting periods and network types.
Send us your renewal.
We’ll tell you whether it looks competitive, where we see opportunity, and the five questions we’d put to your carrier. No cost, and no obligation to move anything.
The renewal letter
Your current plan summary
Contribution split by tier
Enrolled counts by tier
Four documents — two more if your group is 50 or more. Nothing else; every extra one is a reason to postpone.
An independent employee benefits consulting firm. We look at the entire benefits program — cost, plan performance, risk and administration.
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