Did you know that there’s a quick and easy strategy to figuring out which small business health insurance plan works best for your practice, no matter what your needs are?
Kidding, of course.
But hey, just because buying health insurance for your practice and employees is complicated, doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing! It’s complicated because there are lots of options, and the more options there are, the more chances you have to find the policy or program that fits your practice’s needs.
It’s just a matter of figuring out where to look and finding the right partner to help you. So, what should you look for in a broker?
First, decide what’s important to you – is it someone that knows your business, your staff, and their needs as it relates to health insurance? Or is it someone who’s local?
In today’s complex health insurance environment, having someone who really understands your business is key. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and what works well for one type of business might not work well in an animal hospital. Your staff have unique needs as it relates to health insurance, and someone who specializes in working with veterinary practices might give you an advantage when it comes to structuring your program. Chances are, they’ll already know what works well, and can help you avoid certain mistakes.
While having someone local used to be deciding factor, with today’s technology, most communication between broker/client happens over the phone or via email, and educating employees about their benefits via webinar or recorded video presentation is often more effective than in-person town-hall-style meetings.
When looking for a broker, here’s what you need to ask:
- How much experience do they have working with animal hospitals?
- How will they support your practice and staff?
- What resources do they make available for employee education, technology, and compliance?
- How responsive are they, and will you have dedicated administrative support?
- Do they know your local market (this is not the same as “are they themselves local”)?
Just like there’s specialists in the veterinary profession, there are insurance brokers who are highly-specialized, and Alera Veterinary has more experience working with animal hospitals than any other broker nationwide. To learn more about how our team can help you, contact Cory Friedman at cory.friedman@aleragroup.com or 847-457-3041.