Bay Area Health Insurance Marketing, Inc. Frequently Asked Questions

(650) 273-0330
2882 Sand Hill Road, Suite 19
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(L to R): Scott Rollandi, John Langridge, Alyce Cohn and Bob Vinal
Q: How can I lower my insurance premiums?
A: "There are a variety of ways to lower insurance premiums. First, you should shop around and see what other carriers have to offer. You can also try moving to a high-deductible plan or adding a health reimbursement or savings account. We can negotiate with your insurance company to keep cost increases down. Since we handle a large number of clients, we have more negotiating clout than our clients do individually."
Q: Is my company required to offer employee health insurance?
A: "Not at this time, but regulations regarding health insurance mandates are always changing. Part of our service is keeping our clients up-to-date on the latest changes."
Q: How many employees do I need to qualify for group insurance?
A: "You only need a total of two employees to qualify for group insurance."
Q: How much does my company have to contribute to employee insurance plans?
A: "There’s no mandatory level, but most insurance companies aren’t willing to offer a group plan unless the company pays at least 50 percent."
Q: Can you help my company manage its insurance plans?
A: "Yes. We’ll work with your employees, explain the benefits to them and make sure they’re enrolled in the right plans. We do the same with new employees and additional family members (in the case of a marriage or birth). And if you have to terminate an employee, we’ll work with them to make sure everything is processed correctly."
Q: Can employee contributions be taken out pre-tax?
A: "Yes, but it’s not a straightforward process. You need to implement a Section 125 premium conversion plan. We can help set that up for you."
Q: Do I need to provide COBRA coverage for my employees?
A: "If your plan covers 20 or more employees, you need to be COBRA compliant. We’ll work with you to make sure you meet all the regulatory requirements."