An employer-funded benefit provided by most American employers, an EAP is a voluntary counseling program generally available to full-time employees at no charge. Managers, supervisors and family members can also recommend that you receive EAP support if you are abusing substances such as alcohol, narcotics or prescription drugs. Employees in the program can continue to work and receive their full pay. Due to ongoing needs of individuals, participating organizations offer an around-the-clock EAP crisis telephone line. All services are provided through trained independent external vendors. Key organizational benefits of EAP are increased employee productivity, less work related injuries or accidents and an overall increase on return on investment.
Employee Benefits
Employee Benefits
HEALTH PLANS FOR EMPLOYER GROUPS
Health Care Reform has greatly impacted emploiyer offered health plans. Employers are now getting more creative with plan options that they offer to their employees and their dependents. Group health plans can be funded in one of three ways: Full Funded, Partially Self-Funded, and Self-Funded. In most cases, groups under 100 participants should be full-funded. In general terms, the group pays the premiums for the specific plan design and the insurance company is responsible for funding the eligible claim payments. For groups that have greater than 100 employees, consideration should be given to Partial Self-Funding. In general terms, the group pays for stop loss coverage. With stop loss coverage, the company takes on some responsibility of funding for some of the potential claims expense. However, the carrier providing the stop loss coverage provides blanket coverage to protect the employer from the larger claims that are above a specified deductible. Self-Funded plans are reserved for very large groups that can sustain the potential large claims risk.
DENTAL PLANS FOR EMPLOYER GROUPS
Dental coverage is available to employer groups as either group insurance or on a voluntary payroll deducted basis. When an employer-provided group dental plan is put in place, most dental providers require that a substantial percentage of the employees participate on the plan. In many cases, Jolles Insurance is able to design a dental program that is cost effective to both the employer and the employees. Additionally, in most cases, Jolles Insurance can structure a dental program that will provide several options allowing for employees to select the most appropriate coverage for their personal needs.
Jolles Insurance, as an independent agency, represents many of the leading group dental programs available to companies with 2 to 200+ employees. Among the carriers we represent are: Guardian, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, MetLife, Delta Dental. Call us for information about tailoring a program that meets your needs.
There are a lot of alternatives to designing group dental plans. As in group health, dental can be structured as PPO’s, HMO’s and POS. Additionally, multiple plans can be offered. For more information on selecting dental coverage for your group,
GROUP LIFE & DISABILITY PLANS
Group life insurance is very similar to individual life insurance. There are several advantages to group life over individual life insurance. First, group life does not generally require any medical questions and is guaranteed issue up to a specified amount. Second, because all eligible employees are provided coverage regardless of their health history, administration of the group health plan is very simple.
Contrary to popular belief, group life insurance is rarely less expensive than individual life insurance for a health person. This is largely because, when underwriting individual life insurance, the insurance company has the ability to look closely at the proposed insured and fully evaluate the risk. Therefore, if you are healthy and want to get the best deal on life insurance, we recommend that you apply for an individual life policy. Most advisors recommend an amount between 5 to 10 times your salary. We can assist in evaluating how much coverage you might need and research the market for the most advantageous policy
OWNER AND KEY EMPLOYEE COVERAGE OPTIONS
Structure and Benefits
Handling Work and Life Issues
EAPs are generally located on-site at the business or agency. EAP counselors provide help for work productivity issues such as marital and family problems, stress and dealing with workplace violence or trauma. They also deal with psychological disorders, gambling addictions, substance abuse and financial difficulties. To help employees deal with major events like company mergers, acquisitions and large scale layoffs, employers can ask EAP counselors to provide lunch-and-learn sessions on the types of services they offer. The goal is to encourage employees to seek guidance if they have difficulties as a result of these major company events.
Provider Guiding Principles
EAP counselors should provide a private, safe and clean meeting environment and allow clients to control their care. Meeting sessions should focus on delivering effective and efficient services with clients until their condition improves. Counselors are trained professionals who treat clients with respect and dignity.
Confidentiality
Issues that are discussed with an EAP counselor during private one-on-one meetings are kept confidential. Regardless of your rank or level at the organization where you are employed, your manager or supervisor will not see your EAP record or even know that you sought counseling unless you request in writing that they be made aware of the situation. You cannot be forced to sign a release of information. Records are required to be separately maintained from other client health and insurance files.
EAP Counselors
EAP counselors often have experience as human resources professionals, licensed psychologists, drug and alcohol therapist or social workers. According to the Employee Assistance Professionals Association, most counselors have experience in the behavioral health sciences field. They should also understand EAP core technology which includes consultation, confidentiality, problem identification and assessment, constructive confrontation, motivating clients, case monitoring and the impact of employee assistance on the organizations that you provide services for. Many EAP providers employ only counselors who are certified by the EAPA.
Key Employee Benefits
As a small business owner, all your employees are valuable. But the contributions of a select few might be uniquely important to your company. You understand how important it is to attract and retain in-demand talent – providing additional value for these invaluable employees. Our team can help you develop tailored employee benefit plans that your key employees will find hard to refuse.
Not only will Jolles Insurance design an employee benefits package for you that attracts and retains talent, we’ll design a package that protects your interests as well. We’ll help you build tax-advantaged life insurance, disability insurance and deferred compensation benefit packages that can entice key employees to join your team and stay there.
Small businesses understand small businesses, and Keating & Associates is just that – a small, established firm that packages optimal benefits for its closely held business clients. We’re experienced and innovative, and the employee benefits packages we develop prove it.
Life Insurance
Life insurance can be so much more than a death benefit. In addition to protecting your business by compensating you at the loss of a key employee, it can be used to fund supplemental retirement plans and salary continuation plans – appealing benefits to employees or prospective employees. Because these benefits are funded through an insurance package, they are tax-advantaged, which benefits all parties. We can help you design a plan that is suitable for everyone.
Disability Insurance
Key employees need to know that they will be taken care of should they become disabled. For most employees, the immediate risk of disability is even greater than the risk of death. Through well-designed disability plans, we can help mitigate the loss of business growth as the result of losing a key employee to a disability, while ensuring that the employee and his or her family are protected.
Deferred Compensation
If you’re looking to retain key employees and eventually reward them for years of dedicated service, setting aside additional compensation for a future date is a great benefit. We tailor deferred compensation plans that target your employee’s interests and help to ensure you have the money to pay them when the time comes. The promise of tax-deferred supplemental benefits can be a key to ensuring that your most valued employees stay with you for the long haul.
Long-Term Care Insurance
One of the most flexible employee benefits — long-term care insurance — can be offered to a select group of your employees allowing you, in some cases, to deduct the entire cost of the premium. By providing financial assistance to fund expenses for assisted living, nursing care or home healthcare, this benefit can help protect against the need to use the employee’s assets – funds which may be depleted by the cost of healthcare when faced with a chronic health condition
Health Insurance Company links:
Aetna/Coventry
Carefirst
Cigna
Group Benefit Services (TPA)
Kelly Associates (TPA)
Kaiser Permanente
United Healthcare
Ancillary (Dental/Vision/Life/Disability) links:
Assurant Employee Benefits
Dearborn National
Dental Network
Lincoln National
Metropolitan Life
Mutual of Omaha
Standard Life Insurance
SunLife FinancialUnited Concordia
Unum