A small business health insurance broker in Michigan should do more than send you a quote.
If you employ fewer than fifty people, the broker you choose decides how many options you see, how your renewal is handled and who answers when something goes wrong. CFH is an independent employee benefits consulting firm. Here is what a good broker does, how brokers are paid and what to ask before you sign. See small group health insurance in Michigan.
The job runs well past the first quote.
A broker works for you, but is usually paid by the insurance carrier. The useful ones earn that money by what they do every month, not just at renewal.
Shops the Market
Compares small group plans across carriers and tells you where the real differences are, in networks, cost sharing and the filed increase for your product.
Models Your Options
Tests fully insured, level-funded and ICHRA structures against your own census, so the choice is based on your numbers and not a default.
Runs It After You Sign
Handles enrollment, changes, billing questions and compliance, so the work does not land on you or on whoever is covering HR.
You pay the same premium either way.
For group health, a broker is typically paid by the carrier through a commission built into the premium, and some firms charge a flat fee. Federal law requires written disclosure of that compensation, and you are entitled to ask for it.
Commission
A percentage of premium, paid by the carrier. You do not receive a separate bill, which is exactly why it is worth asking what it buys.
Fee
A flat amount agreed in advance. Some employers prefer it because it does not move with the premium.
The Disclosure
Ask for the written compensation disclosure before you sign, and compare it with what the broker commits to do.
Three questions that separate a broker from a quote.
Who Will Work on Our Account
Ask for names and roles, and who answers when your contact is out. For proper coverage of an account we work in teams of five: an account executive, an account manager, a plan analyst, customer service and IT.
What Will You Do Before the Renewal
A renewal letter is only the start. Ask what the broker does before it arrives and what you would receive in writing afterward.
What Did You Do at Our Last Renewal
If you already have a broker, ask them to show what they did last year for the commission they received. The answer tells you whether to stay.
Small business health insurance brokers in Michigan: common questions.
Do We Pay More to Use a Broker?
No. Small group rates are filed with the state, so the premium for a given plan is the same whether you buy through a broker or directly.
Can a Broker Lower Our Rate?
Not by negotiating a filed rate. What a broker can change is the carrier, the plan design and the funding model, and how well your enrollment is handled.
How Small Can a Group Be?
A group can be as small as one W-2 employee, at any time of year, and no minimum employer contribution is required.
Broker or Consultant?
A broker places and services coverage. A consultant also advises on strategy, funding and compliance across the year. CFH does both.
Can We Change Brokers Mid-Year?
Yes. A broker of record change does not interrupt coverage, and your employees will not notice it.
When Should We Start Looking?
Ideally well before the renewal date, so there is time to compare options without a deadline forcing the decision.
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.
Switch to CFH. Unhappy with your broker? Your employees won’t notice. You will. →
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