How to Find Benefit Providers

Once you've decided which benefits you want to offer, you must begin the process of talking with benefit providers. Trying to figure out who to contact can be confusing. There are a few different ways that you can approach this:

• look online or in the phone book
• talk to an independent insurance agent
• ask other employers
• hire a consultant
• investigate purchasing alliances

Health care reform. The enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and related legislation institutes benefit and coverage mandates. To assist small employers with the decisions they have to make regarding insurance choices, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers a customized web tool to search for health care options.

Beginning in 2014, small businesses will be able to purchase private health insurance through a state-based insurance exchange program specifically designed for them. The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) aims to allow small employers to offer employees a variety of health plans.

Regardless of the method you're going to use, you'll need to prepare some information for the vendors you end up talking to so that they can give you a quote for your group's monthly premiums. You'll also want to figure out in advance what information to ask them for.

Once you've contacted those vendors and they've given you some quotes, you can begin the negotiation process.