Employee benefits help your team and your business.

Traditional group employee benefits insurance is the package of insurance products and related programs an employer offers to its workforce, typically including health, dental, vision, life, disability, and a range of voluntary coverages. Some core benefits are funded in part or in full by the employer, with employees often contributing through pre-tax payroll deductions. SandStone Insurance Partners works with employers to design benefits programs that fit each company’s workforce, budget, goals, and growth plans.

The cost of group health insurance for small businesses varies widely depending on the number of employees, the age and health demographics of the group, the plan design selected, the funding strategy used, and the geographic market. As a general benchmark, employers typically contribute between 50% and 80% of the employee-only premium, with employees covering the remainder through pre-tax payroll deductions. Dependent coverage costs are often shared differently and can vary significantly by employer. Because no two groups are alike, SandStone Insurance Partners begins every engagement with a thorough needs assessment and market analysis so employers have a clear, accurate picture of their options and costs before making any decisions.

Several variables influence what a business pays for group benefits coverage, including group size, the age and claims history of the enrolled population, plan design choices such as deductibles, copays, and networks, the funding strategy selected, and the industry the business operates in. Geographic location also plays a significant role, as carrier pricing and network availability vary by market. Employers that invest in proactive plan design, consumer-driven strategies, and workforce health and wellness initiatives often see measurable impact on their long-term cost trajectory. SandStone uses predictive intelligence and benchmarking data to help employers understand what is driving their costs and identify strategies to manage them without reducing the value employees receive.

Switching benefits brokers is simpler than most employers expect and can typically be done at any point during the plan year, not just at renewal. The process generally involves signing a broker of record letter, which formally designates SandStone Insurance Partners as your new advisor and transfers service responsibilities from your prior broker to our team. From there, SandStone conducts a full review of your existing plans, contracts, compliance posture, and renewal timeline so nothing falls through the cracks during the transition. There are no fees to switch, and employers do not need to wait until renewal to begin receiving better service, strategy, and support.

The timeline for setting up a group benefits plan depends on the size of the group, the complexity of the plan design, and the funding strategy selected. For small groups, a straightforward fully insured plan can often be quoted, selected, and implemented in two to four weeks. Larger groups or those exploring alternative funding models such as level-funded, self-funded, or captive arrangements typically require six to twelve weeks to allow for proper analysis, carrier negotiations, plan document preparation, and employee communication. SandStone recommends beginning the process at least 120 days before a desired effective date to allow adequate time for a thorough market review and a smooth implementation without last-minute pressure.

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) with 50 or more full-time equivalent (FTE) employees must offer affordable, minimum-essential health coverage to full-time employees who work 30 or more hours per week, or potentially face the Employer Shared Responsibility Payment. Employers under the 50 FTE threshold are not federally required to offer health coverage, but often do to be competitive and attract and retain talent. SandStone’s group benefits team helps businesses of every size understand what they are required to offer and what they should consider offering.

Common employee benefits include major medical, dental, vision, group life and AD&D, short-term and long-term disability, mental health benefits, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). Many employers also offer voluntary and supplemental benefits like critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident, cancer, pet insurance, identity theft protection, and legal services. SandStone builds benefits packages that combine core, executive, and voluntary coverages so employers can support a multi-generational workforce without overcomplicating the program. SandStone offers options for any size employer group and budget.

A benefits broker typically quotes and places coverage at renewal, while a benefits advisor provides proactive strategy, plan design, employee communication, compliance support, and cost-management guidance throughout the policy year. SandStone Insurance Partners operates as an advisory firm through our Collaborative Stewardship Process, which treats employee benefits as an ongoing program rather than an annual transaction. That deeper engagement, supported by predictive intelligence, benchmarking, and industry experience, is what we believe separates an advisor from a broker.

A fully insured health plan transfers all medical claim risk to an insurance carrier in exchange for a fixed premium, while partially self-funded plans have the employer pay claims directly using company funds, paired with stop-loss insurance to protect against catastrophic claims. A Level-funded approach blends both approaches by setting predictable monthly costs with the carrier or TPA maintaining the stop loss coverage and returning a portion of unused claim dollars to the employer at year-end. Utilizing predictive intelligence and benchmarking tools, SandStone evaluates a group’s unique risk, demographics, and risk tolerance to help decision-makers determine the best strategy.

A Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) is an employer-funded account that reimburses employees for qualified medical expenses, while a Health Savings Account (HSA) is an employee-owned, portable account that pairs with a qualifying High-deductible Health Plan (also known as a Customer-driven Health Plan) and allows tax-advantaged contributions from both the employee and employer. HSA balances roll over year to year and travel with the employee, while HRA design and rules sit with the employer. SandStone’s team helps employers compare consumer-driven plan strategies to find the right fit for their workforce. 

Benefits benchmarking compares your company’s benefits package, contribution strategy, and plan design against employers of similar size, industry, and geography, so you can see whether your offering is competitive. SandStone Insurance Partners is a member firm of United Benefit Advisors (UBA), which operates one of the nation’s most comprehensive employee benefits benchmarking databases. SandStone uses that data to help HR, finance, and executive leaders refine benefits strategies that attract and retain talent in a tight labor market.

Employers that offer group benefits face overlapping compliance obligations under the Affordable Care Act (employer shared responsibility and 1094-C/1095-C reporting for ALEs), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (plan documents, summary plan descriptions, and fiduciary duties), Form 5500 filing for welfare plans with 100 or more participants or those funded through a trust, and related rules including COBRA, HIPAA, and Section 125 cafeteria plan requirements. SandStone provides a structured compliance checklist and an annual review process so employers can stay ahead of these requirements rather than scramble during an audit.

Voluntary employee benefits (sometimes called ancillary benefits or coverages) are insurance products and services an employer makes available through the workplace and that employees elect and typically fund themselves through payroll deduction, often at group rates more favorable than the individual market. Common voluntary options include critical illness, accident, hospital indemnity, cancer, supplemental life, supplemental disability, dental, vision, pet insurance, identity theft protection, and legal services. Voluntary benefits provide additional financial protection for employees and their families. They also enable employers to expand the value of their benefits package without expanding the employer-paid portion, which is one reason adoption has grown across companies of all sizes in recent years.

Open enrollment is the annual window during which employees can enroll in, change, or drop their group benefits without needing a qualifying life event. Most employers run open enrollment for one to two weeks and optimally a month ahead of the plan’s renewal date. Today’s diverse, multi-generational, and multi-lingual workforces may require a variety of enrollment methods that leverage face-to-face, virtual, video, and online/phone-based/remote technologies. Employees who miss the window generally have to wait until the next plan year unless they experience a qualifying life event such as marriage, the birth or adoption of a child, divorce, or loss of other coverage. SandStone supports employers and employees through structured and timely open enrollment technology platforms, communications, and employee education sessions, reporting, and record keeping.