One Duckling After Another...

Customized Benefit Program Offerings:

Medical including Managed Care and Consumer Directed Healthplans
Prescription Drug
Behavioral Health
Dental
Life
Vision
Disability
Accidental Death and Dismemberment
Business Travel Accident
COBRA/FSA/Transit
Section 125 Plans
Employee Assistance Programs
Wellness Programs
Voluntary Benefits
Retirement Plan Consulting

Don’t see a specific program you’re looking for? Visit our web site for in-depth information.Better yet, give us a call or e-mail us with your questions. We’ll arrange a free consult to discuss your company’s needs. Then we’ll design a customized program for your company, delivering exactly the benefits you desire and saving you some serious money in the bargain. NEXUS Benefit Consulting Are your ducks all in a row?

Does your Benefits Consultant take care of you like we do? We partner with your organization to identify issues of concern and develop strategies that bring about fundamental and lasting cost savings. Our approach enhances both individual and group performances, creates a motivating environment, and improves productivity and operational effectiveness.

Click Here for a Comparison Chart of Services

Small Businesses (2 to 50 employees)

Nobody knows the challenges of managing employee benefits ducks more than a small business! On a given day a small business owner might trade hats between personal director, benefits advisor, secretary, sales manager and the list goes on and on. Don’t you think you could use some help organizing your ducks? More importantly, by not having the right partner what is it costing your business?

We help small business owners and entrepreneurs eliminate their frustrations by helping them sort through the maze of different Insurance programs so they can make the right decision for their business and employees.

We find that the 3 biggest problems small business owners confront when trying to buy health insurance are:

Affordability – Although they want to, many business owners cannot afford to insure all their employees with proper plans
Restrictions in Coverage – When business owners do insure their employees, many times it’s with a general plan that does not provide the affordable benefits their families need and creates resentment.
Administrative burdens – Managing their insurance policies in addition to running business in today’s competitive environment has become extremely challenging
Communication and Advocacy – Most brokers only come around to collect premiums and don’t communicate with their policyholders to make sure their getting the care and coverage they need. Brokers almost never advocate against large insurance companies for their clients and employees.

As a matter of fact, 80% of the employees we poll are either confused or unhappy with their health insurance and often blamed the company instead of the broker.

What makes the Nexus experience so different? We take a strategic approach to your program’s, our consultants have been trained to have an extensive preliminary conversation with our new clients to map out a long term strategy for your benefits. We will not just run out and gather quotes! When is the last time your broker asked you “where do you see your benefits program in 5 years?” We provide big company service on a small company’s budget.

Once we establish a plan we have numerous proprietary strategies and solutions to developing programs at significant savings. Our average new client saves 20% in their first year with Nexus!

We believe that no stone should be left unturned and no two stones are alike. Our associates are trained to constant strive for an out of the box approach to our clients needs. Ask one of our associates how a Nexus Benefit Card program can save up to 30% in first year savings.

Here are some of the strategies we employ, don’t be surprised if one of our associates suggests them as a solution to your benefit concerns:

Nexus Benefit Card
HealthInsuranceGeeks.com - proprietary quoting systems for 2-51 employees. Think you're paying too much? Get a free medical quote HERE
Personalized Benefits Websites for clients
PEO’s- reduced overhead lower insurance premiums
HDHP strategy- 30% savings!
Nexus Discount programs- vision, dental, Gym, etc...
Benefit Essentials- Award winning resource center for HR issues
Advocate service- the nation’s leading advocacy and assistance program for employers and employees

Isn’t it about time that to see if there is a better way to handle your benefits programs? Not convinced? Send us an email and we will send you our white paper on the top ten strategies to reduce your employee benefits spending.

Are your ducks in a row?

Larger Businesses (50+ employees)

Let Nexus Introduce You to a New Concept in employee benefits consulting; ‘The Nexus Way’

The most satisfying solution scenarios are where unbeatable quality and affordability incredibly converge, exceeding all expectations. Think about it.

If you could find a way to afford having Emeril prepare your meals based on your dietary preferences and needs, Ralph Lauren design and tailor fit your clothing, get Bill Gates to work on your computer and the Jeff Gordon pit crew take care of your car you would, wouldn't you?

Nexus Benefit Consulting specializes in creating customized and integrated risk management solutions for mid-sized companies. Mid-sized and smaller employers have traditionally used insurance brokers to meet their HR needs because they have had no other choice. As commissions-based sales professionals, these insurance brokers are focused on their own bottom line. Their effectiveness is further impacted by their limited menu of products and services and complete lack of actuarial training.

Often for less than what they are paying in brokers' commissions, mid-sized companies can have NEXUS provide the actuarial analysis required to create and tailor-fit health and welfare benefits programs to meet their unique corporate needs and goals.

Plus, drastically increase the ROI of your current policies by working with a “Full Service” benefits firm with a “loaded bench” of services “baked-in” to the everyday services we provide.

In a nutshell, Nexus Benefit Consulting has your best interests at heart! Nexus works on your behalf as an independent consultant. This gives us the leverage that we are solution-oriented – not product-oriented. Not only are we unlimited in the products and services we can offer your company, we can create the best "tailor fit" possible.

Nexus is able to provide "A-team" services often at less than half the cost of larger health and welfare benefits companies, such as Mercer and Hewitt Wyatt, who often must assign their "B- or C-team" level personnel to service their client companies of under 500 employees. Ensuring optimal health and welfare benefit plans, while controlling costs, can be a daunting task.

Making a switch may generate significant savings! The larger your employee base, the more likely a consultant can help you maximize the scope and creativity of your health & welfare benefit plans while minimizing your plan expenditures.

Consider the Differences:

Services	Your Broker	The NEXUS Way
How They Are Paid	Premium-based commissions ranging from 2% to 10% of premium, depending on the group and the product. Paid as part of premiums	Hourly or project-based fees. Hourly fees can range from $50 to $350 per hour depending upon the level of support required.
Their Background	Sales	Actuarial, underwriting, Human Resources or Legal, Technology
Their Focus	Selling products.	Solving problems.

Consider the Objectives:

Your objective is to control health and welfare benefit costs, yet a reduction in your costs (premiums) lowers your broker's commission income. Our objective is to add value, to help you save money -- not spend it!

Consider the Options:

The scope and complexity of available benefit designs and funding options increases dramatically you need to reach beyond the simple "let's go out to bid" approach to problem-solving.

Our associates are better positioned to help you take advantage of the most up to date:

Approaches (flexible benefits) Nexus Benefit Card strategy, Consumer directed
Products (point-of-service plans, executive benefit plans, voluntary/optional benefits, Consumer Directed, etc.)
Funding arrangements (minimum premium, self-funding)
Insurance carrier flexibility- Nexus has representative on the benefits boards of most major carriers. We are your voice.
Service: Our associates average 15+ years of experience
Actuary Experience
HR Compliance and legal advice (HR AdvisorTM,
Technology: Fully functioning “single click” benefits portal for employees and employer

Consider the Costs:

Broker commissions may increase as employer groups grow in size; but consultant fees do not rise in direct proportion to the size of your group. Thus, consultant fees are comparatively low as the size of the group increases.

The chart below shows average estimated annual employer costs for broker commissions vs. consultant fees for covered employees by company size.

Did you know that broker commissions can be negotiated and even carved completely out of most products? Broker commissions are paid by insurance companies as part of your premiums. They can be returned to you and used to subsidize consulting fees -- giving you greater control over your consulting dollars and possibly generating significant savings.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

Who is most skilled to help me assess my alternatives and implement/manage the best benefit strategy for my organization?
Who is most motivated to help me achieve my financial and employee relations objectives?
Who can I trust to look out for my best interests?

The Bottom Line:

For those employers with 250 or fewer employees, broker commissions are lower and the scope of alternatives is less broad; thus, brokers are a suitable choice for smaller employers. However, when employer groups exceed 250 employees, consulting fees are much lower and the scope of cost control and design alternatives is much greater; a consultant is the best choice.

Whether it's commission dollars or consulting fees, it's your choice...because it's your money.