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Assembling Our First Assembling Our First Voluntary Benefits Survey
Finding the Right Benefits Package for Your Clients
1.Please list the voluntary/employee-paid benefits that you offer along with the minimum group size for each offering:
Aflac: All of the following have a 3-life minimum:
• Short Term Disability
• Personal Cancer Plan
• Specified Health Event
• Critical Illness & Cancer Lump Sum
• Accident Indemnity
• Hospital Protection
• Hospital Intensive Care
• Dental
• Vision
• Life
American General: STD, UL, TL, Acc, Cancer, CI–10 enrolled minimum
Ameritas: Ameritas Group offers dental, eye care and hearing on a voluntary basis. Dental and eye care begin at 10 lives and hearing at 50 lives.
Anthem Blue Cross: Anthem Blue Cross/Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company’s (Anthem) Voluntary dental is available for both small and large group employers. Voluntary life and AD&D are available for both small and large group employers when Basic Life is offered. The minimum group size for voluntary dental, life and AD&D is 2. Anthem’s Voluntary vision, short-term disability and long-term disability plans are available for our large group customers (51+). The minimum group size for vision is 10 employees and the minimum group size is 51 for our disability products.
Assurity Life Ins.: UL minimum 25 employees, HI, DI, CI, Accident, Cancer - minimum of 5 lives per product.
Cigna Voluntary: Limited-benefit health plans, Accident, Supplemental Medical.
Colonial Life: As few as three employees up to thousands of employees. Our product portfolio includes individual and group voluntary products for short-term disability; term, whole life and universal life; hospital confinement; limited benefit medical plan; cancer; critical illness; and accident.
Golden West Dental & Vision: DHMO dental, minimum 2 enrolled; PPO dental, minimum 5 enrolled and 25% participation.
Guardian: Guardian’s comprehensive employee benefits portfolio includes the following voluntary/employee-paid benefits:
• Dental (minimum of 5 enrolled).
• Vision (minimum of 5 enrolled).
• Life (minimum of 10 enrolled).
• Short-Term Disability (minimum of 10 enrolled).
• Long-Term Disability (minimum of 10 enrolled).
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment (minimum of 10 enrolled).
• Critical Illness (minimum of 10 enrolled)
The Hartford: Our products are available for groups with four
or more employees. We offer:
• Group Life insurance plans.
• A new program called Life Conversations from The Hartford that bundles our existing EstateGuidance, Beneficiary Assist, and Travel Assistance with our new Everest Funeral Concierge Planning services. This is offered to our Basic and Supplemental Life customers with 10+ employees for no additional cost of insurance services.
•Group STD insurance plans.
•Group LTD insurance plans.
• Health and Productivity Services including return to work, FML administration, employee assistance programs, and research and education resources that are designed to make your workforce more productive.
• Employee Assistance Services.
• Tax Services.
Health Net: Health Net offers voluntary dental, voluntary vision and voluntary term life coverage to groups of 2 or more. Voluntary term life is offered as a buy-up option to basic group term life coverage.
Humana: The minimum group size for the voluntary products is five lives. Humana is pleased to offer a comprehensive suite of products that includes: life, disability, accident, critical illness, cancer and supplemental health.
John Hancock: Four choices in group long-term care insurance: CareChoice –over 1,000 employees or for employers with 500 or more employees, with employer funding. It is the best product for employers that have widely dispersed populations. Highlights include:CorporateChoice -- 200 to 1,000 employees or for employers with 25 or more employees, with employer funding.
Corporate Solutions -- seven to 3,000 lives.
Sponsored Group -- at least five employees.
MetLife:
• Group Auto and Home – 500 or more employees.
• Group Legal – 10 or more employees through Hyatt Legal Plans.
• Critical Illness 500 or more employees.
• Long Term Care – 10 or more employees.
• Pet Insurance (500 or more employees.
• Disability – 10 or more employees.
• Life – 10 or more employees.
• Vision – 500 or more employees through EyeMed.
Unum:
• Individual disability and individual long-term care -- 3+.
• Accident, specified critical illness, MedSupport, term life, interest-sensitive whole life, universal life, group voluntary short-term disability, voluntary individual short-term disability, and group voluntary long-term disability – 10+
• Group voluntary long term care – 15+
• AD&D -- 25+
VSP: As few as 10 enrolled for voluntary; 2 for core.2. Do you have any benefit offerings for employees that work fewer than 40 hours a week?
Aflac: Yes.
American General: Yes, they must work 20 hours or more per week to qualify.
Ameritas: All of our benefits can be customized to accommodate work hours less than 40 per week.
Anthem Blue Cross: Yes, Anthem’s Voluntary Life and Disability offering is available for employees that work a minimum of 20 hours per week; and a minimum of 30 hours per week for Voluntary Dental and Vision.
Assurity Life Ins.: Yes, all health goes down to 30 hours.
Cigna Voluntary: Yes
Golden West Dental & Vision: Yes, we offer all our products down to 30 hours per week.
Guardian: Yes, Guardian benefits can be offered to em-
ployees that work less than 40 hours a week.
The Hartford: Yes, The Hartford offers benefits to those who work less than 40 hours a week. The definition of a regularly scheduled workweek is determined by the employer, and can typically range from between 20 and 40 hours per week. Please note, however, that The Hartford does not provide benefits for seasonal or temporary/contract employees.
Health Net: Yes, Health Net allows coverage for full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week.
Humana: Yes, many of our groups have associates who work 20 hours a week. We are also pleased to offer solutions for various groups and classes within one employer group.
John Hancock: Yes.
MetLife: Yes, MetLife and its affiliates work with each employer to determine the eligibility requirements for the employee population. However, we also adhere to all applicable laws and regulations concerning eligibility, which, in some states, exclude those not working more than 24 or 30 hours a week.
Unum: Yes, our offerings are available to employees who work 20 hours.
VSP: We can accommodate benefit offerings for part-time employees, regardless of number of hours worked. Through VSP, employers have the flexibility to set their own guidelines for benefit eligibility.3. Do you offer flexible enrollment data, billing capabilities and processes that work with the employers’ systems instead of the other way around?
Aflac: Yes.
American General: We can provide some flexibility, such as custom file feeds, formats, frequencies, etc.
Ameritas: We offer many flexible solutions that work with our customers’ systems.
Anthem Blue Cross: Yes, Anthem offers flexibility to our clients, but the level of flexibility is determined by case size. For example, we provide more enrollment, billing and benefit flexibility to larger employers, but we require smaller employers to follow more standard business rules and processes.
Assurity Life Ins.: Not right now.
Cigna Voluntary: Yes
Colonial Life: We can enroll employees, face-to-face, at any business location, any work shifts. We can also give employers daily enrollment reporting, such as which employees have been seen and what they’re buying. The employer can assess the enrollment’s progress daily and make any necessary adjustments. Electronic services allow businesses to receive their bill online, make payments online, and make any necessary billing adjustments online.
Guardian: Yes, Guardian offers electronic eligibility files, online, and paper enrollment as well as billing options, such as online, paper and electronic fund transfer.
The Hartford: Yes, The Hartford coordinates and implements enrollment events and tracks enrollment results. We offer an electronic billing and payment service through our employer website, Employer View. The Hartford offers a self-service website, electronic billing, booklets, reports, claims inquiry, medical underwriting status, online forms, case plan information, and more. Eligible employees can file claims and check claim status and history or check on medical underwriting. The site also contains educational resources and interactive tools, presented in clear and concise language, to help employees make sound benefits choices.
Health Net: Health Net has a variety of enrollment and billing options, including electronic eligibility data transmission and Web-based tools. The company also offers a standard format for electronic eligibility transmission. If a client has a preferred format, Health Net will accommodate employers’ preferred formats whenever possible.
John Hancock: The scope of our customization is greatest with our true group products, CareChoice and CorporateChoice, and becomes more limited with our retail-based products, Corporate Solutions and Sponsored Group.
Humana: Our goal is always to put the customers’ needs first. Enrollment data can be captured and transmitted via paper or most EDI files. Billing can be set up as a self bill or list bill and the client can remit payment via check or electronically online.
MetLife: Yes, MetLife is able to work with virtually all types of payroll systems.
Unum: Yes.
VSP: No4. Do you offer the flexibility to conduct enrollments through one-on-one benefits sessions, group meetings, call centers, and online self-enrollments?
Aflac: Yes to all of the above.
American General: We support all methods except for Web.
Ameritas: Ameritas Group offers many different ways to enroll depending on the needs of the customer. All options above are involved depending on the number of lives being enrolled.
Anthem Blue Cross: Yes, Anthem offers flexibility around enrollment strategies and logistics. We allow our broker partners to employ their best practices around the enrollment process and support their communication needs with a variety of voluntary marketing and enrollment materials. We also have the flexibility to work with external enrollment companies that provide these services.
Assurity Life Ins.: Enrollments are conducted by the broker. Group meetings, one-on-one, are the most popular. We do not have any brokers using call centers or online self-enrollments.
Colonial Life: Colonial Life has a national team of local, professional benefits counselors. Our Harmony enrollment system helps us educate and communicate benefits to employees face-to-face so they can make better benefits decisions. For hard-to-reach employees, we can offer the same benefits communication and education experience by co-browsing with an employee on the Internet, meeting through a call center or setting up online
Cigna Voluntary: Yes
Golden West Dental & Vision: Yes.
Guardian: Employers can offer online self-enrollment and paper enrollment kits that can be personalized to each employee (in English & Spanish). Guardian offers additional support services, such as group meetings conducted by a certified enrollment specialist, toll-free benefits hotline in over 50 languages, and turnkey employee communications at no additional cost to ensure the enrollment process is simple and easy for employers and employees.
Health Net: Health Net provides on-site support, including bi-lingual representatives if needed, to assist employer groups with new case and renewal enrollment meetings. Additionally, our Customer Contact Center is available to answer any questions from current and prospective members and clients.
Humana: One of our key selling points is the ability to offer comprehensive enrollment solutions. As part of Humana’s consumerism philosophy, our goal is to effectively educate the employees about the products and services available to them and their families. A typical enrollment scenario may include payroll stuffers, enrollment posters, email blasts, then a face-to-face enrollment with the ability to capture any other associates through our call center or online enrollment capabilities.
John Hancock: Yes, depending on the product, we provide the following:
• Meetings to train benefit personnel.
• Enrollment meetings and planning seminars for employees.
• Meetings conducted by John Hancock employees or fully-compensated professional trainers.
• Virtual group-conferencing.
• Meetings can include videos featuring testimonials from individuals who have experienced long-term care situations
• Enrollment meetings and planning seminars for employees at major company locations, which are generally conducted by the producer on the case although enrollment services are available and can be conducted by professional trainers.
• Agent-driven enrollment processes. John Hancock provides all filed and state-approved communication and enrollment campaign materials and assists producers in developing a detailed marketing plan to promote and educate the population, before and during the enrollment period.
• Online Enrollment.
• A co-branded informational website that is similar to our current John Hancock LTC consumer site (http://www.johnhancocklongtermcare.com). This site serves as a lead generator to producers as all email questions can be directed to the producer of record.
MetLife: Yes, MetLife and its affiliates conduct enrollments/application processes through group meetings, our call center, and online. We work with the broker and employer to determine which enrollment/application channels will provide the best experience for a particular employee population.
Unum: Yes.
VSP: No5. Do you honor broker-of-record letters?
Aflac: Yes.
American General: No.
Ameritas: Yes, with the exception of producers participating in our Special Producer Compensation program.
Anthem Blue Cross: Yes, Anthem just needs it in writing from the client. For large group, the change will be effective immediately. For small group, brokers become effective the first of the month following date of receipt.
Assurity Life Ins.: Yes.
Cigna Voluntary: Yes.
Colonial Life: Yes.
Golden West Dental & Vision: Yes.
Guardian: Yes.
The Hartford: Yes.
Health Net: Yes.
Humana: Yes we do. Additionally, all of our broker contracts are vested.
John Hancock: Yes.
MetLife: Yes.
Unum: Not applicable to voluntary.
VSP: Yes6. Do you offer simple and hassle-free account billing and payment processes?
Aflac: Yes.
American General: Yes.
Ameritas: Yes, our goal is to take the burden off of our customers. Our billing and payment processes are in constant change to reflect the needs of our customers.
Anthem Blue Cross: Yes, Anthem offers traditional billing capabilities and processes, but we also offer clients additional capabilities within our Employer Access employer Web portal platform.
Assurity Life Ins.: Yes
Cigna Voluntary: Yes
Colonial Life: Yes, businesses can receive their bill online, make payments online, and make any necessary billing adjustments online. Colonial Life also offers Ez Billing, where we reconcile the bill for the account.
Golden West Dental & Vision: Yes.
Guardian: Yes, Guardian offers a range of billing and payment options from online to paper to electronic fund transfer to help meet the varied needs of employers and ensure ease of administration.
The Hartford: Yes, The Hartford offers self-administered (self--accounting) and list billing as options to meet various customer needs. We assign a designated team member to the client to support billing needs. Following implementation, The Hartford will conduct a review so that premiums that are reported and paid are in line with expectations. We help resolve any issues, thus significantly reducing the need for reconciliations. The Hartford can accept premium payments and other payments electronically. The Hartford provides an individual to serve as the banking contact and we will request that you identify a contact person in your organization in the event that there are questions.
Health Net: Yes, Health Net offers simple, hassle--free account billing and payment processes including Web-based tools to assist our clients and their brokers.
Humana: Once a case is sold, it will be implemented by a dedicated account installation manager. Each case will also be assigned a dedicated billing representative who will assure that the monthly bill is timely accurate.
John Hancock: Yes.
MetLife: Yes.
Unum: Yes
processes?
VSP: We have online billing and eligibility management available.7. Does your billing system allow plan administrators to make online deletions and changes to their plan account?
Aflac: Yes.
American General: No.
Ameritas: Yes.
Anthem Blue Cross: Yes, employers can handle their eligibility maintenance needs through Anthem’s online Employer Access portal.
Assurity Life Ins.: Not yet.
Cigna Voluntary: Yes.
Colonial Life: Colonial Life offers online billing capabilities. A plan administrator can change and update employees’ coverages and general information.
Golden West Dental & Vision: These may be emailed to our accounting department.
Guardian: Yes, Guardian’s website offers a one stop source for plan administrators to manage their account online, including submitting eligibility changes that impact their bill. Plan administrators have the flexibility to re-calculate their bill online to take into account any eligibility changes so they can adjust payments accordingly.
The Hartford: No, The Hartford does not have an online system that allows for deletions and changes to be made to the plan account. The electronic billing option allows clients to update invoices on-line, perform real-time calculations, and print actual invoices through our secure employer website. To make it easier and more convenient for our customers to pay bills, we have added an electronic payment option to the electronic billing function on Employer View. Group policyholders can pay their premiums on-line. Payments are processed through an automated clearinghouse transfer from the employer’s financial institution.
Health Net: Yes, Plan administrators may make most enrollment changes online.
Humana: Currently, the system permits groups who have purchased group term life to make such edits, but functionality for the voluntary benefits will not be available in 2011.
John Hancock: No, John Hancock reconciles each account so ongoing administration is not required by an employer.
MetLife: Yes, through our online billing system.
Unum: Yes.
VSP: Yes.8. Does your billing/payroll deduction process make it easy for the employer to offer multiple products?
Aflac: Yes
American General: Yes.
Ameritas: Yes, making it easy to offer multiple plans is our expertise.
Anthem Blue Cross: Yes, with Anthem’s billing system, employers can offer fully insured Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and Disability in a combined bill format. In addition, employers can pay their combined bill online through our Employer Access system.
Assurity Life: Yes, if they are our products.
Cigna Voluntary: Yes.
Colonial Life: Yes, Colonial Life can enroll an employer’s core and voluntary benefits and provide the employer enrollment data on all employee elections in an easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet.
Golden West Dental & Vision: Yes.
Guardian: Yes, Guardian offers a single bill (online or in the mail) for all Guardian coverages to ensure the payment process is easy to manage.
The Hartford: Yes, many clients offer multiple products to various groups of their employees. During the initial case set-up process, we build the plans within our systems, clarifying and aligning each of the plans, benefits and employees groups, for ease of billing administration.
Health Net: Yes, Health Net offers consolidated billing for medical, dental, and vision products so that they appear on a single statement. Life insurance is billed separately.
Humana: Yes, we offer an integrated bill so that the employer can see all the core and voluntary products electronically online.
John Hancock: Yes, we can send our payroll feed to whoever is easiest for an employer whether that be the employer directly or a TPA.
MetLife: Yes, we can allow for a single deduction for numerous benefits or separate deductions for each benefit on one bill.
Unum: Yes.
VSP: We don’t handle payroll deduction; they’re done through the employer.9. Does your system offer online searches for employee policy status, coverage effective dates and policy/coverage type?
Aflac: Yes
American General: No
Ameritas: Yes
Anthem Blue Cross: Yes, those functions are available online through Anthem’s Employer Access portal.
Assurity Life Ins.: Yes.
Cigna Voluntary: Yes.
Colonial Life: Colonial Life’s Ez Administration system offers online searches for employee policy status, coverage effective dates and policy/coverage type.
Golden West Dental & Vision: N/A
Guardian: Yes, Guardian’s benefits website offers a one stop source for plan administrators to manage their account online, including look ups for an employee’s policy status, coverage effective date and policy/coverage type.
The Hartford: Yes, The Hartford offers Employer View, a secured website designed specifically for employer customers. This website is available at no extra cost and gives employers quick, easy access to the information they need including the following:
• Case Information
• Reports
• Medical Underwriting
• Claims Inquiry
• Contact Us
The Hartford also offers interactive voice response (IVR) for our disability programs. You can also transfer directly to a customer service representative. This service is available in all five of our disability claim offices.
Health Net: Employees/members may confirm their coverage effective date and policy/coverage type online or by calling Health Net’s Customer Contact Center.
Humana: The employee can go online to view any EOBs pertaining to any of the health-based products.
John Hancock: No, we don’t provide personal information on the Web because we take the issue of customer privacy seriously. We have privacy-related policies, compliance with new privacy legislation, and the safeguarding of customers’ personal information. Insureds are directed to call into our call center.
MetLife: Our online billing system allows the employer to sort the bill
by different criteria.
Unum: No.
VSP: Yes.
10. Do you offer downloadable claim forms?
Aflac: Yes.
Ameritas: Yes.
American General: Yes
Anthem Blue Cross: Yes, claim forms are available for download from the broker section of anthem.com.
Assurity Life Ins.: Yes.
Cigna Voluntary: Yes.
Colonial Life: Colonial Life provides claim forms on its web site at www.coloniallife.com that policyholders and plan administrators can download and print.
Golden West Dental & Vision: Yes.
Guardian: Yes, Guardian’s benefits website offers a one stop source for plan administrators to manage their account online, including the ability to download claim forms or e-mail a claim form directly to someone.
The Hartford: Yes; The Hartford provides downloadable claim forms on both our Employer View and The Hartford At Work websites.”
Health Net: Yes, Employees/members can find claims forms on www.healthnet.com.
Humana: Yes, PDFs of all claim forms can be downloaded from
the website.
John Hancock: Yes, we have a claim website that an insured is informed of if they wish to download forms.
MetLife: Yes, for several product offerings that require claim forms. MetLife Auto & Home even accepts towing claims online for many states.
Unum: Yes.
VSP: No claim forms are required for in-network services.11. Do you require carrier reps. to have a comprehensive knowledge of all of the products they deal with?
Aflac: Yes.
American General: Yes.
Ameritas: Yes, our reps are subject matter experts on all products they sell.
Anthem Blue Cross: Yes, each of Anthem’s Sales representatives and Account Managers are required to complete a Specialty Products Certification program. This program provides a comprehensive look at all aspects of our Specialty business, including voluntary products. This in-depth knowledge allows our Sales associates to better educate our broker partners on our products and the industry.
Assurity Life Ins.: Yes
Colonial Life: Colonial Life has a 7,000-member organization of benefits professionals spread out all across the nation. They receive thorough product training through Colonial Life College on all products. A major part of our mission is to help employees understand their benefits program, help them uncover their insurance needs and help them select the coverage they need to protect their financial risk.
Golden West Dental & Vision: Yes.
Guardian: Yes, Guardian sales representatives achieve a high-level of comprehensive knowledge of the Guardian products they present through intensive and ongoing training. According to an independent survey conducted by JHA, producers rated us as exceeding the industry standard in the measurement of sales rep knowledge or product.
The Hartford: Yes, The Hartford’s account executives receive extensive training on and have comprehensive knowledge of all the products they deal with.
Health Net: Yes, Health Net’s Sales and Account Management teams must have a comprehensive knowledge of all Health Net products that they offer and support.
Humana: Yes, each sales representative must go through an extensive “Sales Learning Academy,” pass multiple tests, and continue to be accredited each year.
John Hancock: Yes.
MetLife: Yes, our licensed reps. specialize in voluntary benefits and many have extensive experience in designing benefit programs.
Unum: Yes, we have an extensive training process and sales reps are expected have an extensive and comprehensive knowledge of our group and VB products. They’re first year is dedicated to development, with a 9-month self-directed process of activities and testing.
VSP: Absolutely. They are all licensed and well-trained.
12. How does your company support a good working relationships between brokers and carrier reps?
Aflac: We have a team of broker focused executive associates (tenured, trained, & certified) led by our Broker Development Coordinator whose responsibility it is to serve as a liason to the broker community. There is also a broker specific portal on the web and a dept. that is fully dedicated to broker issues and resolution.
American General: Single point of contact, professional sales collateral, web capacities.
Ameritas: Relationships are key with our producers. Our service is not just at the beginning of a sale; it remains throughout the process and for the life of the case. This takes great relationship skills between all partners.
Anthem Blue Cross: Anthem’s representatives live and work in California and are available to meet with our broker partners and provide them with continuous communication and assistance with the selling process. We offer regular updates on product offerings and other industry/company news through our monthly broker newsletters and frequent broker meetings. And, we can provide our brokers with CE courses on dental, vision, life and disability, as well as voluntary insurance.
Colonial Life: Colonial Life’s team of benefit professionals works with insurance brokers to help solve their clients’ benefit challenges. We also have a national team of benefit counselors who can meet face-to-face with each employee to educate employees on their benefits choices, identify coverage needs, and select the insurance plans to meet those needs. In addition, Colonial Life’s home office staff works closely with brokers, employers and policyholders to provide superior enrollment and customer service support.
Golden West Dental & Vision: Our Outside Sales and Service team is available for ongoing training and support with clients.
Guardian: With one of the longest-tenured sales forces in the employee benefits industry, Guardian has a history of understanding the needs of growing businesses, which strengthens good working relationships. Guardian’s promise is to give brokers more ways to take good care of their clients. Our flexible and comprehensive product portfolio and responsive, personalized service support local relationships in delivering on this promise.
The Hartford: The Hartford works diligently to establish and maintain excellent working relationships between brokers and our account executives.
Health Net: To support the needs of our brokers and reps, Health Net has a dedicated account management team. We give small business group brokers direct access to account management teams responsible for specific territory and broker assignment/relationships. Brokers also have immediate, toll-free access to the Account Management team during business hours. In addition, our Account Service Unit within Health Net’s Customer Contact Center can provide claim and benefit information quickly.
Humana: Humana has a long history of strong relationships between brokers and our internal representatives. Brokers are integral to the success of our business and we provide opportunities, such a field advisory counsels, as a way for brokers to help develop the framework for developing new products and services that they believe are important to our employer groups. It is through these continued initiatives that we create a partnership between our sales associates, our brokers, employer groups and ultimately the employees.
John Hancock: We view brokers as an extension of an employer and as a client of John Hancock we want to make sure they are having their needs met. We also offer very competitive compensation programs.
MetLife: Our reps. work closely with brokers to help provide solutions that meet the needs of their clients.
Unum: Yes, Unum has strong relationships with its sales partners throughout the United States, with 40 field offices that provide local sales and service support. Unum provides broker training opportunities throughout the year, including CE course offerings; publishes a quarterly newsletter for brokers; and welcomes brokerage firms to its home offices for information sessions and tours of its claims and service operations.
VSP: We are broker-centric, and make a point to be easy to do business with. We have our Account Executives sell and renew our largest accounts to support the brokers.13. Do you offer marketing materials that are easy to present and simple for clients to understand?
Aflac: Yes.
American General: Yes.
Ameritas: Yes, Ameritas Group has re-branded all marketing material with the major objective to be easy to understand. This is maintained throughout all our material, including correspondence.
Anthem Blue Cross: Anthem’s Voluntary product Marketing materials include pieces that serve to explain the product portfolio to employers, as well as those for educating their employees on the value of adding voluntary plan. For instance, in our long-term disability slick, we explain why employees should not rely solely on Social Security for their long-term disability needs. We offer a variety of materials to assist with open enrollment, including worksite posters, payroll stuffers and e-mail messages employers can send to their associates. We also offer benefit summaries with further detail on each plan design, information on how to find a provider and how to contact us for more information.
Assurity Life Ins.: Yes.
Cigna Voluntary: Yes.
Colonial Life: Yes, we have worked to make our marketing materials easy to understand so employers can make better decisions on changes to their benefit programs and employees can better understand their insurance needs and make better choices to meet those needs.
Golden West Dental & Vision: Yes.
Guardian: Yes, the foundation of Guardian’s communications is centered on being easy to present and simple for clients to understand -- from marketing materials shared with brokers to bound enrollment kits personalized to each employee and beyond.
The Hartford: Yes, The Hartford stands ready to support enrollment with in-person, print and Web-based communications that will make a genuine difference to employees, from on-site meetings to enrollment kits to a single well-placed postcard.
Health Net: Yes, Health Net takes great pride in the ease of use of our marketing materials. For example, Health Net has received tremendous positive feedback from brokers on “the plan wheel,” a visual aid that helps small business group brokers better understand our full portfolio of plans.
Humana: Yes, we have a comprehensive suite of materials that brokers can present to employers and another set of materials that are designed specifically for the employees. Our research has shown that employees want benefits that are concise and easy to understand and our marketing materials reflect their needs.
John Hancock: Yes, The John Hancock CareChoice and CorporateChoice GLTCI communications strategies will utilize a combination of print, website technology, employee meetings, and video. For the Corporate Solutions and Sponsored Group, John Hancock provides all filed and state-approved communication and enrollment campaign materials and helps producers develop a detailed marketing plan to promote and educate to the population, before and during the enrollment period.
MetLife: We have marketing material that is easy for the employer and employee to understand and see the value of voluntary benefits.
Unum: Yes.
VSP: Absolutely.14. How do you track the quality of the customer service you provide to employers? For example, you do set annual service goals, measure, and report results?
Aflac: We schedule regular service visits with the employers to ensure a measure of excellent customer service throughout the plan year.
American General: Yes, but we generally report only when asked
Ameritas: All of Ameritas Group’s customer service is measured through metrics down to the individual customer service person. The tracking, which is done through our own systems, is based on all the major drivers of satisfaction for our customers. All metrics are integrated into our associates’ salaries to assure common drivers of service.
Anthem Blue Cross: Anthem’s customer service metrics are tracked for each of our product lines, and include things like average speed of answer and claims turnaround time. We set our own goals as well as review industry benchmarks, and are currently exceeding our goals for dental, vision, life, and disability metrics. In fact, for life and disability, we are among the industry’s best with claims turnaround and telephone service. According to a 2007 LIMRA study, we start paying approved life insurance claims 3.2 days faster than other companies.
Assurity Life Ins.: Yes, we set time service goals and track processing time and report in-house as well as to a broker if requested.
Colonial Life: Yes, Colonial Life provides superior customer service to all of our customer groups: brokers, employers and policyholders. We set internal annual customer service goals, measure our results quarterly and report the results on our web site. We also work with LIMRA to conduct quarterly or semiannual surveys of our plan administrators and policyholders and report those results.
Guardian: Yes, Guardian sets service goals, and tracks and reports the results each year.
The Hartford: Yes, The Hartford conducts an annual customer satisfaction survey of employers and producers for the Group Life and Disability products as well as satisfaction with specific operational and service areas. The Hartford also surveys clients and employers insured through a Group Life and Disability carrier other than The Hartford. This competitive benchmarking study measures our performance, as compared to our competitors in the marketplace. The Hartford is continuously tracking the satisfaction of our STD and LTD claimants through our ongoing Disability Claimant Satisfaction Survey. The results are analyzed on a quarterly basis to monitor performance trends. This process enables the company to monitor claimant satisfaction throughout the claim process. The results from each of these surveys are used to develop training and identify process improvements within The Hartford’s service areas. Clients are asked to provide feedback about their overall satisfaction with The Hartford on an annual basis. Survey results are used to develop training and identify process improvements within The Hartford’s service areas.
Health Net: Yes, Health Net sets goals and tracks performance against key service metrics. We also conduct customer satisfaction surveys about Health Net’s services and support. Information is also gathered on customers’ perceptions of other health care insurers to provide Health Net with competitive benchmarks.
Humana: Humana has established metrics for each division of the company. For example, our service goal for customer service is 98% and in 2008 our actual number was 99.7%. Our average claim time for disability claims is five days or less. We constant audit all calls and look for ways to improve our metrics to exceed our customers’ expectations.
John Hancock: Yes, we track the quality of our customer service in a number of different ways. First of all, we have service level guidelines for call center performance. Our goal is to answer 80% of the calls in 30 seconds or less with no more than 4% abandonment. We also manage quality through an aggressive call monitoring program -- management listens to actual calls, follows along on the appropriate administrative systems, and rates the quality of the call with respect to accuracy, appropriateness of tone and language, ability to quickly assess the nature of a caller’s inquiry, overall helpfulness, etc. All long-term care service consultants must maintain a 98% quality score to be in good standing. Similarly, we track quality by examining random samples of transactions processed by associates such as billing changes, address changes, and benefit changes. Again, a 98% quality score must be maintained for an associate to remain in good standing. Lastly, we have a rich on-going training program for veteran associates. We have a comprehensive set of data to continually improve and innovate our service model.
MetLife: We provide utilization and participation reports to employers at their request. We also monitor our customer satisfaction levels through our call center on an ongoing basis.
Unum: Yes, We set goals around responsiveness and accuracy of service. We also have a quality assurance program that checks to see if we delivered our services in a timely and accurate manner as well. Additionally, we survey customers several times each year to better understand how they view their Unum experience.
VSP: Yes, we do quarterly client satisfaction surveys and share the results back to employers.
15. Do you have an established local sales and service team that can provide critical service in the same cities that the broker’s clients are in?
Aflac: Yes.
American General: Depends on the location – generally no.
Ameritas: Ameritas has both local and remote service teams to provide all critical service. If claims information is needed after hours, our customer connections department is open until midnight central standard time.
Anthem Blue Cross: To support the unique needs of our California brokers and clients, Anthem has dedicated large and small group sales representatives located throughout the state. For large group, our Account Management team is located in our eight large group sales offices. Our small group Account Management team is located in our Newbury Park office.
Assurity Life Ins.: No, we have Regional Sales Managers that live in their territories.
Cigna Voluntary: Yes.
Colonial Life: Colonial Life has a national team of 7,000 benefits professionals who provide local enrollment support and service for our broker partners’ clients. For example, we have an account with 7,000 employees in 150 locations across the country. Our benefits counselors meet locally with employees at each location and conduct individual counseling sessions. Because those benefits counselors live nearby, they can be on hand to help out with next year’s enrollment and any ongoing service needs. The goal is for our benefits counselors to build strong relationships with employees in the account.
Golden West Dental & Vision: Yes.
Guardian: Guardian has over 55 local sales offices nationwide to support the needs of brokers and their clients.
The Hartford: Yes, We maintain a local service model with 33 local offices throughout the United States to address your needs. The Hartford diligently measures and monitors our service results, consistently achieving outstanding satisfaction ratings.
Health Net: Yes, Health Net has several regional sales and service teams throughout California to support brokers and their clients.
Humana: We have account managers in most of our sales office (approximately 50 offices around the country) who can handle most calls as part of our single point of service. The claims and customer service team is primary in our Lancaster, South Carolina office, where 450 people are dedicated to our workplace voluntary benefits.
John Hancock: While we have regional representatives around the country the primary source of service is in our home office complex in Boston. Approximately 700 experienced full-time John Hancock staff members support our long-term care Insurance products. Key elements of this support include plan administration, ongoing customer service both during enrollment and thereafter, individualized care coordination, and efficient claim processing. The majority of our support staff is located in Boston, Massachusetts, supplemented by resources located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
MetLife: Yes, we have representatives that specialize in voluntary benefits located in major cities throughout the U.S.
Unum: Yes, Unum has 40 local sales and service offices located throughout the U.S. with 4 locations in California.
VSP: Everything is done telephonically. Representatives work in the same time zone as the regions they service. For example, our east coast representatives are available 8am -5pm ET.16.Do you have both a sales rep. and a service rep? (The sales rep helps the broker market and position products, manage blocks of business, and develop target markets and the service rep. helps implement and fulfill account enrollments.)
Aflac: Yes.
American General: No.
Ameritas: Yes.
Anthem Blue Cross: We have several groups of representatives to assist brokers with their Anthem business. Our large and small group sales representatives are there to help our broker partners with target market strategies and product positioning for new business opportunities. Our large group account management team ensures that our customers receive exceptional service, and they assist our brokers with the renewal process. Small group brokers can work with our Broker Services team on any service issues that arise, as well as renewals and quotes for additional products, such as voluntary. As an added value to our small group ACE brokers, they will be assigned a specific small group Account Manager who can assist them directly.
Assurity Life Ins.: Yes.
Colonial Life: Colonial Life’s national team of benefits professionals have specialized roles they fulfill during the enrollment process. Benefit professionals work with brokers and their clients to help develop voluntary benefits strategies that will help clients’ solve their benefits challenges. Account coordinators help manage the enrollment logistics and report. And benefit counselors meet with each employee individually to educate them on their benefits, help them uncover any needs, and select insurance plans to meet those needs.
Golden West Dental & Vision: Yes.
Guardian: Yes, Guardian has over 250 local sales representatives to help brokers market, over 120 benefit advisors dedicated to supporting enrollment efforts, and customer services representatives available to serve the distinct needs of brokers and their clients.
The Hartford: Yes, The Hartford has Account Managers, implementation Managers and Voluntary Enrollment Consultants who will work with the Account Executive to implement and fulfill account enrollments.
Health Net: Yes, Health Net has both sales and service representatives to assist brokers and their clients.
Humana: Humana provides a dedicated team of account managers, renewal specialists, and account installation managers to each case. We realize that much of the work begins after the case is sold and our goal is to provide dedicated resources for our clients for the duration of the case.
John Hancock: Yes.
MetLife: Yes, we have a sales team and service team that work closely together to meet the needs of our brokers and customers.
Unum: Yes, Unum has more than 500 sales professionals across the country, backed by a local service force of 1,000 professionals. The service team includes those who support Unum Enroll, our in-house enrollment team that supports voluntary benefits enrollment for employer groups of fewer than 500 lives.
VSP: Yes, we have account executives that work in a sales rep role, supporting the brokers in selling the business and positioning. Our client managers help to service and renew smaller groups.
17. Do you specialize in voluntary benefits?
Aflac: Yes.
American General: Yes.
Ameritas: Ameritas has been providing voluntary benefits since 1990. We consider ourselves specialists in that arena because of our extremely high satisfaction levels from our customers and our constant systems evolutions to accommodate the needs of our customers. To specialize in voluntary benefits, we believe this is critical to achieve a win/win for all.
Anthem Blue Cross: Although Anthem is most well known as a medical carrier, we also offer a wealth of expertise in dental, vision life and disability. Our Life Insurance Company has been a specialist in Group Life and Disability coverage for more than 50 years, and through our affiliated companies, we are the number one carrier in small group life nationwide. We have more than 35 years of dental plan administration experience, and our vision company has grown to 2.9 million members in just eight years. That experience in Specialty plan administration forms the strong foundation for our voluntary plan offerings. Anthem Blue Cross is the trade name of Blue Cross of California. Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Association. ® ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross name and symbol are registered marks of the Blue Cross Association.
Assurity Life Ins.: Yes
Cigna Voluntary: Yes
Colonial Life: Colonial Life, founded in 1939, began by selling accident death coverage to individuals. In fact, the company pioneered the concept of offering voluntary benefits at the worksite in the 1950s. Colonial Life has always marketed only voluntary benefits, and during the 70 years it has been in business, the company has developed strong expertise and experience in the voluntary benefits industry.
Golden West Dental & Vision: Yes.
Guardian: Yes, Guardian’s industry leading range of voluntary products is backed by multi-channel support, like enrollment kits personalized to each employee, online enrollment and multi-lingual benefit hotlines, that serve to maximize employee participation while ensuring ease of administration for clients who offer them.
The Hartford: Yes.
Health Net: Health Net does not specialize in voluntary benefits. However, Health Net does offer the types of voluntary plans that are most commonly requested by our health plan customers.
Humana: Yes, Humana acquired Kanawha Insurance Company in 2007. Kanawha has been providing voluntary benefits for 50 years and is a licensed insurer in 48 jurisdictions.
John Hancock: Group Long-Term Care Insurance is our only group insurance product at John Hancock. We have strong positions in both the group and individual long-term care markets, with over 1.1 million individuals insured. Private long-term care insurance is a core offering at John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company, and central to its mission as a quality provider of insurance and investment products. We view meeting the financial needs of an aging population as an important corporate and national priority.
MetLife: Yes, we and our affiliates have been offering voluntary benefits for over 30 years and have a broad suite of market-leading products.
Unum: Yes, Unum is No. 2 when it comes to in-force premium in the voluntary benefits market as reported by Eastbridge Consulting Group, 2008. Unum leads the voluntary market in sales of universal and whole life and of critical illness insurance.
VSP: We are able to accommodate both core and voluntary, but 50% of new business is voluntary.