Employee Benefits

You don't have to look far or listen very hard at most organizations to see or hear that the company's most important assets are its people. And nothing could be truer. Successful companies understand the foundation of high performance is built from employee recruiting, retention, satisfaction and loyalty. Employee benefits are a critical part of that foundation and in our ever-changing health and welfare benefits industry it can be challenging to secure the right plan. How do you minimize costs while maximizing employee satisfaction?

The Schwendeman Agency has been helping organizations solve this challenge for more than 80 years. Over this time we've learned what works and what doesn't. Through our ongoing tracking and training regarding the dynamic benefits market we stay on the leading edge of new developments.

The Schwendeman Agency is a full-service Employee Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Agency. Over our long history in this business we have developed strong relationships with carriers and partners that allows us to develop comprehensive and customized strategies and plans at competitive costs. We represent all major carriers in our market and have productive partnerships with TPAs, Stop Loss carriers, Captives and third party administrators.

The Schwendeman Agency can help you with a broad range of insurance offerings:

Health Insurance, including Health Savings Account plans and other Consumer Directed Health Plans
Dental
Long-Term Disability
Short-Term Disability
Voluntary Benefits
Vision
Health Reimbursement Arrangements
Life Insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts
Medical Expense Reimbursement Plans

We take pride in our ability to bring Fortune 500 solutions to our mid-sized markets with the values and intimacy of a family business. We would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about how this could work for your organization.

Advisory Services

The Schwendeman Agency has developed a disciplined process that is efficient, effective and thorough. Our Benefits Blueprint Solution™ can save time and money through a streamlined process that results in an employee benefits plan consistent with your organization's objectives. It is a step-by-step coaching process divided into four distinct stages:

Stage I - Discovery (no charge)

We help you assess your current situation and develop a clear and powerful vision for your benefits/incentive programs.
The first step is to rate the effectiveness of your company's employee benefits program by completing the Benefits Blueprint Scorecard™ followed by a 90-minute Discovery Workshop™ session.

Stage II - Planning

We hold two sessions with HR and benefits management to develop a strategic benefits plan.
- The Benefits and Systems Assessment Session--a detailed assessment of your current employee incentive programs, systems and technology.
- The Benefits Blueprint Session--helps you develop a step-by-step blueprint for the appropriate products, strategies and time required to achieve your goals.

Stage III - Implementation

This stage consists of all the necessary steps to make the right vendor and product selections, insure a smooth and successful rollout, and put in place the appropriate resources for ongoing support.
- Benefits Analysis and Recommendations Report--a report containing a detailed cost and bid analysis of the required products and resources.
- Benefits and Systems Rollout--professional resources and assistance to insure the effective implementation of your plan.
- Benefits Support and Administration--on-site Benefits Administration Manager™, Benefits Administration Team™, COBRA administration, and Form 5500 preparation.

Stage IV - Review

Finally, we provide periodic reviews to make sure your current programs and plans are still in synch with the business as it grows and changes:
- Wrap-Up Review
- Mid-Year Review
- Pre-Renewal Review

Completing the Benefits Blueprint Solution™ assures you achieve all the gains that effective planning can provide:

Reduced liability through outsourcing and dealing more effectively with regulatory issues.
Efficient and effective systems in place.
Ability to data-mine and find meaningful information to generate reports and carry out planning.
More time to initiate strategic and productive projects; work on training programs; and build a more productive workforce.
Multi-year benefits strategy and benefits philosophy that supports your business plan.
Happier employees who appreciate and understand your benefits program.

Click here to download The Benefits Blueprint Solution™ brochure (pdf).

Group Health Benefits

Group health does not have to be complicated. Whether your business employs 2 or 2,000, we can secure comprehensive and competitive plans. We work with programs that include those fully insured or self-funded, association plans, as well as captive and consortium plans. Group Health benefits can also include Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Arrangements.

Other Group Benefits

With the broad range of carrier relationships we maintain, the Schwendeman Agency can plan and implement the right program with the right portfolio of benefits to meet your specific objectives including life, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, and voluntary benefits.

Companies are increasingly turning to wellness programs to improve the lives and health of their employees. Through our partnership with UBA® (United Benefits Advisors), the nation's leading employee benefits advisory organization, the Schwendeman Agency provides a complete health-management solution designed to reduce risks, improve employee health, and increase productivity.

The Wellness Works program is simple and easy to understand for you and your employees. It eliminates guesswork by combining the right programming, effective communications, meaningful incentive strategies, and ease of administration to make a wellness program successful in your organization. Key features of the program include:

Wellness Assessment
Helps each person identify specific health risks and establish steps for improving health and changing at-risk behaviors.
Healthy Living Programs
A series of six-week personal programs designed to help individuals make lifestyle changes and achieve their health objectives in key targeted areas.
Population-Based Health Action Activities
Includes challenges and seminars that address the major health improvement needs of your employee population.
Content-Rich Online Tools
Available 24/7, and includes Chronic Care Guides, Prescription Drug Database, Medical Encyclopedia, Healthy Recipes, Virtual Trainer, Health News, and much more.
Incentive Tracking and Program Management Tools
A convenient, accurate tracking system for plan participation that also creates useful reports for monitoring results.
Easy-to-Use, Pre-designed Communications
Includes posters, flyers, brochures, and other ready-to-brand communications.
Nurse-Based Decision Support and Referral
Gives users 24/7 phone access to licensed RNs who offer guidance and answers to healthcare questions, in addition to serving as the triage into other appropriate health-action activities.
Telephonic Wellcoach Program
Personal coaching support for six substantial prevention programs: Weight Loss, Get in Shape, Stress Relief, Healthy Heart, Diabetes Fighting, and Smoke Free. This high-touch support complements the Healthy Living Programs available online.
Telephonic Chronic Disease Management Program
The industry's most comprehensive personal coaching for individuals with high-cost, lifestyle, and chronic conditions, such as asthma, congestive heart failure, pulmonary disease, diabetes, and coronary artery disease.
Onsite Blood Screenings
Includes blood pressure measurements and finger-stick biometric screenings

Click here to download Wellness Works Fact Sheet (pdf).

Administrative Services

Regulations allow for increasingly popular programs like Section 125, also known as a cafeteria plan, which allows employees to make decisions regarding what benefits they want to include in their plan. COBRA provides the right for employees to continue coverage in a group plan for a limited time. Setting up these programs and meeting regulatory requirements can be difficult. Some plans could involve federal, state and IRS requirements.

We can help set up the right plan for your business and its employees, assuring it meets both your needs and regulatory requirements. Talk to us about how our administrative services could make these program set ups faster and easier for your business.

Employee Benefit Center

Statistics show that most employees don't know the basics about their benefits until they need them. Most HR staffs know that traditional methods of benefits communication have not been very successful. An Employee Benefit Center (EBC) is an effective solution.

The EBC is an online employee benefits handbook powered by technology that simplifies many time-consuming tasks for HR staffs, improves employee communications, and saves time, money, and energy. We can help you with a customized EBC for your organization.

Click here to download the Employee Benefit Center Fact Sheet (pdf).

HR Insider

Our constantly changing business environment demands that HR be more strategic to enable the company to achieve its core objectives. Policies and procedures, contracts, performance management, labor relations, training and development, among other daily requirements can challenge any HR staff, regardless of its size. There is little time, but a critical need for keeping up with the dynamic benefits and HR landscape. If this sounds familiar to you we should talk about the HR Insider(SM)

The HR Insider(SM) is a web-based resource designed to keep employers informed about and compliant with the benefits and HR requirements. Its high-quality content and easy-to-navigate layout keep you “in the know,” freeing you and your staff to work more efficiently, effectively, and strategically. Its featured content includes:

Major Federal Benefits Legislation
ERISA
Other Federal Benefits Legislation
Taxation of Payroll & Benefits
Federal Employment Laws
Healthcare Expense Reimbursement Table
Resource Center

Click here to download the HR Insider(SM) Fact Sheet (pdf).

Retirement Planning

Climbing to the top of a mountain is considered by some to be a great achievement. However, the real goal of climbing is not simply to reach the top, but to reach the top and return safely. Since 80% of all climbing accidents occur on the descent, it's the second half of the journey that presents the greatest risk.

It's the same for retirement income planning. For years people work hard and focus on accumulating enough assets to retire comfortably. However, the biggest risk occurs during the income distribution phase when one starts to live on the retirement savings.

The Schwendeman Agency uses the R.I.S.K. Process™ to help assure your financial climb results in a safe descent. It's an effective, time-tested approach that simplifies the complexity in retirement planning and guides you through the process of building a Retirement Income Survival Kit™.