Summit Benefit Solutions Division

Benefits Brokerage, Consulting and Administration 

Summit Benefit Solutions Division is a leading independent provider of benefits brokerage, consulting and administration services.  We serve both large and small employers, located in New England and nationwide.

We are truly partners with our clients, offering the expertise of a large benefits firm with the service level and flexibility of a boutique.  In an increasingly complex benefits marketplace, we add value by working with our clients to implement and manage creative, regulatory compliant, and cost-effective solutions.

Comprehensive Plan and Carrier Management

We partner with our  clients to design the most efficient, cost effective plans designed to meet each client’s unique organizational needs.  We design and implement plans including but not limited to

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Reimbursement Arrangements
• Health Savings Accounts
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short and Long-Term Disability
• Long Term Care
• Commuter Benefits
• Voluntary Plans (cancer insurance, life, disability, accident, etc),  

To help meet your goals, we follow a process which often includes the following steps:

• Evaluating current benefits/claims/population- historical data and future expectations, where available
• Evaluate against organization philosophy and budget, benchmarking where appropriate
• Designing a plan that meets the organization’s needs
• Evaluating carrier options as well as insured and/or self insured funding strategies to implement that plan
• Creating employee contribution strategy
• Partnering with the client to implement the plan and monitor ongoing

Compliance Support

Benefits laws and regulations continue to evolve.  Although Summit Benefit Solutions Division cannot provide you with legal advice, our staff has significant compliance expertise as well as significant experience in running benefit programs for other companies.  We understand where many of the “soft” spots are within organizations and we understand their impact. Sample areas for review include:

• Consistencies:  HR policies to benefit plan documents
• Filings: 5500’s,  Medicare Part D
• Communications:  Updated COBRA notice, ARRA subsidy, Women’s Health & Cancer Rights Act notice, Summary Annual Reports
• Processes:  COBRA processing, claims and eligibility exception review
• Other:  Same-sex marriage / domestic partner impact,  HIPAA privacy

Benchmarking Analysis

As a part of our renewal process, Summit Benefit Solutions Division can provide you with a summary of plan data illustrating how the provisions of your plan, premium rates, contribution strategy and other features of your benefit plan compare with businesses of similar size, type and location.  Data sources include the Kaiser Foundation annual survey, U.S. Department of Labor data and state specific employer statistical studies when available.

Benchmarking doesn’t stop with the presentation of data, however.  As part of our service, Summit can provide you with a customized “Report Card,” summarizing how your plans and benefits practices compare with other employers.  

Web Tools

Summit Benefit Solutions Division offers you a comprehensive on-line benefits tool for your administrative staff and your employees. There are several  packages to choose from, each offering different services and capabilities.  Some highlights of the capabilities include:

• Printable forms
• Eligibility and plan information for each benefit
• Links to carriers, provider directories and contact information
• Reports
• Calculator tools (includes tax savings under Section 125, 401(k) deferrals, Social Security)
• Benefits summaries
• Online administration for enrollment and changes
• Premium reconciliation

Customized Benefits Statements

Clients may elect to provide personalized benefits statements to their employees.  This statement highlights areas of compensation that many employees are unaware of or may take for granted.  Statements generally include the company-paid portion of such benefits as:

• Time-off
• Health Care
• Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Employer Social Security Payments
• 401(k) matching funds

Summit Benefit Solutions Division also can provide benefits confirmation statements to verify employee annual enrollments.

Wellness Program Design and Support

Employee Wellness Programs have gained in popularity as employers see the evident link between employee health and reduction in health care claims.  Providing employees with education and easy methods of adopting healthy lifestyles ensures the greatest success of an Employee Wellness Program.

Summit Benefit Solutions Division can provide you with advice, communications and plans for creating events, tools and communication materials that will help encourage employees to focus on improving their health.  An effective Employee Wellness Program can:

• Reduce worker’s comp and disability insurance costs by reducing risk exposure
• Reduce health insurance costs by increasing employees’ awareness and utilization of health insurance plan cost-control features (24 Hour Nurse Hotline, Prescription Drug programs, online Health Risk Assessment tools, medical websites, etc.)
• Increase employee morale through participation in Wellness events

Your Wellness Program can be a simple but effective communications campaign or it can be a robust program that includes health screenings, health fairs, onsite workshops for smoking cessation or weight loss, flu shots, ergonomic assessments, fitness benefits, one on one coaching, etc.

Benefits Administration Service

Summit Benefit Solutions Division offers a suite of services designed to support your organization’s administration needs.  Services are flexible and can be customized.  Sample services include:

• Claims problem resolution/filing assistance
• Assistance with adds/deletes/changes
• New hire meetings/open enrollments
• Direct employee assistance
• Full service COBRA administration
• Form 5500 & related schedules preparation

Client Education and Training

Summit Benefit Solutions Division serves as an extension of your team, helping you manage your employee benefits program.  As part of this partnership, we make sure that you have the tools information, and resources to do your job.

We can meet with you or your staff to provide you Benefits 101 training.  This includes information needed to operate an efficient and compliant benefits program.  We will provide communications to keep you up to date on legislation that may impact the administration of your benefits program.

We also conduct employee meetings onsite during Open Enrollment, health fairs, plan implementations or other special events.

Finally, we offer seminars and webinars covering topics of interest to our clients.

Human Resources and Other Services

Summit Benefit Solutions Division can also provide additional services by introducing you to some of our outside partners.  Some of these services include general human resources consulting and administration, payroll processing, and other professional services.  Services are customizable and can be tailored to small and large companies.  Support can be project-based or on retainer basis.