...strategies in a constantly changing environment.
410-420-2828
866-808-4393
ga@groupbenefitstrategies.net
Fax: 410-420-8488
21 Powell Avenue
Bel Air, MD 21014
866-808-4393
Fax: 410-420-8488
Bel Air, MD 21014
Choosing the right group insurance and employee benefits package can affect your company’s hiring, retention, compliance, budget, and employee satisfaction. Group Benefit Strategies, LLC helps employers compare group health insurance, employee benefits, funding options, voluntary benefits, HR support, payroll consulting, compliance resources, and renewal strategies.
Based in Bel Air, Maryland, Group Benefit Strategies works with small businesses, growing companies, multi-state employers, and organizations that need hands-on support before, during, and after plan implementation.
Call Group Benefit Strategies at 410-420-2828 for an employee benefits assessment or contact us online to discuss your group insurance needs.
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Group Benefit Strategies offers a wide range of group insurance and employee benefit options, including group medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care insurance, voluntary benefits, and executive/key person insurance.
We can also help employers evaluate different funding strategies, including fully insured plans, partially self-funded plans, level-funded plans, self-funded options, and ICHRA plans as an alternative to traditional group insurance.
Additional benefit and employer support options may include HRA, HSA, FSA funding accounts, voluntary worksite benefits, pet insurance, identity theft protection, prepaid legal, minimum essential coverage, health and wellness programs, ERISA compliance support, PEO options, captive products, payroll consulting, HRIS systems, TPA coordination, and GA support.
Related internal links:
Group Health Insurance
Yes. Group Benefit Strategies can help employers compare fully insured, level-funded, partially self-funded, and self-funded health plan options where available. We review plan design, monthly premiums, claims exposure, administrative requirements, potential savings, risk tolerance, employee impact, and long-term suitability.
This helps employers understand whether a traditional group health plan or an alternative funding strategy may be a better fit for their company.
An ICHRA, or Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement, allows eligible employers to reimburse employees for individual health insurance premiums and certain qualified medical expenses under specific rules.
An ICHRA may make sense for employers that want an alternative to a traditional group health plan, have employees in multiple locations, or need more flexibility in how health benefits are offered. Group Benefit Strategies can help employers review whether an ICHRA is appropriate based on company size, employee needs, budget, and compliance requirements.
Yes. Voluntary benefits can help employers offer additional coverage options without necessarily increasing employer-paid benefit costs. Employees may choose coverage based on their own needs and budget.
Voluntary benefit options may include life insurance, accident insurance, critical illness insurance, cancer insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, dental, vision, and other worksite benefits.
For more information, visit: Voluntary Benefits
Yes. Group Benefit Strategies works with small businesses and growing companies. The 2–50 employee small group market is a specialty area for GBS, but the agency also assists larger employers, multi-location businesses, and companies with more complex employee benefit needs.
Group Benefit Strategies works with small businesses, growing companies, mid-sized employers, and larger organizations. The right benefit strategy depends on the number of employees, budget, industry, location, participation levels, contribution strategy, and the type of coverage the employer wants to offer.
Yes. Many GBS clients have multiple locations or employees in different states. In many cases, the plan is designed around the situs state or headquartered state, while coverage may be available to eligible employees in other states depending on the carrier, network, and plan design.
Group Benefit Strategies can help employers review carrier options, provider access, network considerations, and benefit structure for employees across multiple locations.
Yes. Group Benefit Strategies can help employers evaluate benefit options for remote employees, hybrid teams, and out-of-state employees. This may include reviewing provider networks, state availability, payroll coordination, enrollment logistics, and plan designs that can support a distributed workforce.
For service area information, visit: Service Area
Group Benefit Strategies helps employers manage open enrollment through live meetings, virtual meetings, employee benefit explanations, online enrollment options, and application-based enrollment support.
At renewal, GBS provides information comparing current rates, renewal rates, carrier alternatives, plan options, and available products. The goal is to help employers evaluate affordable coverage options while giving employees the information they need to make informed benefit decisions.
Employers should ideally begin reviewing group health insurance renewal options 60 to 90 days before the renewal date. This gives enough time to review renewal rates, compare alternate carriers, evaluate funding strategies, prepare employee communication, and avoid a rushed open enrollment process.
Group Benefit Strategies helps employers control rising employee benefit costs by reviewing plan design, carrier options, contribution strategies, renewal alternatives, funding options, wellness programs, voluntary benefits, HRA/HSA/FSA strategies, and network considerations.
When appropriate, GBS may help employers evaluate level-funded, partially self-funded, self-funded, or alternative plan structures. The goal is to balance cost control with employee access, coverage quality, and long-term benefit stability.
Related internal links:
HSA/HRA/FSA Accounts
Yes. Group Benefit Strategies can help employees understand their benefits through live meetings, virtual meetings, benefit summaries, enrollment support, and year-round assistance. Employees may need help understanding ID cards, claims, prescriptions, provider access, coverage details, and plan changes.
Clear employee education can reduce confusion, improve enrollment participation, and help employees use their benefits more effectively.
No. Group Benefit Strategies is an independent brokerage agency. This allows GBS to review available products and carriers in the states and markets it serves for small and large employers.
GBS also maintains strategic carrier relationships, including with UnitedHealthcare. This should be presented as an added relationship while still emphasizing that GBS is an independent brokerage agency.
For carrier information, visit: Insurance Carriers
Yes. Group Benefit Strategies can help companies that want to change brokers. Many businesses switch brokers when they are not receiving the service, communication, renewal support, employee assistance, or strategic guidance they need.
GBS can become the broker of record and help provide hands-on service, plan review, renewal support, employee assistance, and added-value resources.
After a group insurance plan is implemented, Group Benefit Strategies follows up to help make sure the process is completed correctly and employees are enrolled. GBS continues to support HR personnel and employees with insurance cards, claims questions, billing inquiries, carrier coordination, provider issues, pharmacy questions, and customer service needs.
This hands-on support continues after enrollment so employers are not left managing benefit issues alone.
Group Benefit Strategies provides hands-on service, direct communication, renewal support, employee education, plan comparisons, and year-round assistance. Employers receive support before, during, and after implementation rather than only hearing from their broker at renewal.
GBS also emphasizes a no-cookie-cutter approach and takes time to understand each business before recommending employee benefit strategies. The live site uses this same positioning across its pages.
Group Benefit Strategies can help employers coordinate compliance support for ACA and ERISA-related needs. GBS works with third-party administrators and provides access to client portal resources that may help employers manage certain compliance responsibilities.
GBS may also assist with ERISA Wrap SPD documents for a small fee when the document is created for the client. Employers should consult their legal, tax, or compliance advisor for formal guidance on legal obligations.
For more information, visit: ERISA Compliance
Yes. Group Benefit Strategies provides payroll consulting support and has partnership agreements with several payroll companies, including ADP, Paychex, Kelly Payroll, Paylocity, and ProLiant.
Many payroll vendors and TPAs offer HRIS systems that can help coordinate employee benefits, payroll, enrollment, deductions, and administrative processes.
For more information, visit:
Payroll Services
Group Benefit Strategies supports HR managers throughout the year by answering questions, providing timely information, assisting with employee benefit issues, and helping coordinate resources as needed.
GBS also offers access to HR support tools, including a toll-free HR Hotline with a certified SHRM professional, 24/7 online access to HR tools, HR apps, a content library, LMS resources, OSHA reporting support, handbook support, notices, compliance resources, ERISA help, and online HR tools.
For more information, visit: HR Services
Yes. Group Benefit Strategies may be able to assist with Section 125 Premium Only Plans or ERISA Wrap SPD documents when those services are needed and not provided by the carrier, payroll company, or plan materials.
There may be a small fee for certain documents or administrative services. Employers should confirm pricing and should consult appropriate legal or tax professionals when formal guidance is needed.
In many cases, the cost for working with Group Benefit Strategies is paid by insurance carriers in the form of commissions. However, GBS may occasionally charge a small fee if a company requests additional services not provided by the carrier or payroll company.
Examples may include assistance with a Section 125 Premium Only Plan or an ERISA Wrap SPD document if the carrier does not provide the materials needed within the plan design, certificate of coverage, or contract.
H3: What information should we have ready before requesting a group insurance review?
Helpful information may include your current benefit plan details, renewal date, employee census, current rates, employer contribution strategy, locations where employees work, payroll system, current carrier, employee concerns, and any goals related to cost control, recruitment, retention, compliance, or benefit expansion.
You can get started by contacting Group Benefit Strategies by phone or through the website. GBS can review your employee benefits, HR, payroll, renewal, or group insurance needs and help determine the next best step.
Group insurance decisions affect your budget, employees, HR team, compliance responsibilities, and long-term business planning. Group Benefit Strategies can help you compare employee benefit options, review renewal alternatives, evaluate funding strategies, support open enrollment, and provide year-round service after implementation.
Call 410-420-2828 for an employee benefits assessment or contact Group Benefit Strategies online.
Content reviewed for clarity, insurance relevance, and employer usefulness by Group Benefit Strategies, LLC, an independent insurance brokerage located in Bel Air, Maryland. Group Benefit Strategies helps employers evaluate group insurance, employee benefits, HR support, payroll consulting, compliance resources, and renewal strategies across Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic region.