No matter the size, your business deserves a full range of benefits
With Ernstam & Lewis, companies of 1 to 1,000 (or more) get access to affordable rates and premium customer service.
Ernstam provides access to employer-sponsored benefits in California including:
Beyond Benefits: Service and Support
Benefits savings for the agricultural industry
Ernstam’s access to the insurance marketplace has yielded unique savings for California’s agricultural employers. Compared to standard rates for all industries, agricultural employers can save 10-20% on health insurance costs. Contact us about employee benefits for agricultural employees.
Employee health insurance
Employers understand health insurance is essential, but how do they find affordable options in California?
Ernstam & Lewis surveys the market to find the best rates and health insurance for employers in our state. All plans are not created equal. And a plan that fits Employer A may not be ideal for Employer B. We gather the data, but you decide. Of course we’re here to consult all along the way.
Although you could do all this work yourself, we do it for you. And we charge employers nothing. You’ll get the same rate as if you called the insurers yourself. Securing health insurance is a challenging endeavor. You don’t have to go it alone.
Employee dental insurance
No one looks forward to going to the dentist, but nearly every California employee wants dental insurance. According to business surveys and insurer data:
Dental insurance is employees’ third-most requested benefit.
87% of employers surveyed feel dental benefits are essential or a differentiator when hiring and retaining employees.
When dental insurance is offered by an employer, the program has high employee participation. Sixty-eight (68%) percent of eligible employees enroll in dental plans when they’re offered.
In addition, dental insurance costs are significantly lower than other benefits. Plans are flexible and can be adapted to fit your budget and workplace needs. The importance of dental care is widely recognized:
“While younger employees are often hesitant to sign up for employer-sponsored medical coverage ... most people will go to the dentist twice a year (or at least know they should) and understand the value of dental insurance coverage.”
Employee life insurance
Life insurance is a benefit that provides a high level of comfort and security. However, only about half of Americans are covered. Part of the reason for this may be that the context of life insurance is unpleasant. We generally don’t like to consider our mortality, even if doing so could protect our loved ones.
As a result, the only time many people discuss life insurance is if it’s offered at work. The good news: These circumstances work together to make life insurance an attractive benefit for recruiting and retaining employees. It’s also a benefit that can be life-changing for those affected by the tragic event of an untimely death.
Employer-funded life insurance:
Provides for the needs of survivors.
Replaces some or all of the employee’s income.
Protects people from poverty and debt.
Pays mortgages and other long-term expenses.
Pays for funeral expenses.
Can help fund education.
Supplements retirement savings and income.
Helps pay taxes and legal bills related to the employee’s death.
Gives peace of mind.
There are two basic approaches to life insurance: term life and whole life.
Term life
Term life insurance is the most affordable approach. It offers protection at a set rate for a fixed number of years. At the end of the coverage period, the potential for benefits ends. Term life has no cash value and only pays out upon the death of the policy holder.
Whole life insurance
Whole life insurance costs more than term life, but has more comprehensive benefits. Whole life offers fixed premiums, death benefits and cash value (meaning funds can be used while you’re living). Whole life also has the potential to pay dividends in addition to the policy’s payout value. Contributions to a whole life plan may have tax advantages.
Universal life insurance
Universal life provides more flexibility than whole life insurance by allowing the policy owner to shift money between the insurance and savings components of the policy. Policy owners can make adjustments based on their circumstances.
For example, if the savings portion is earning a low return, it can be used instead of external funds to pay the premiums. Unlike whole life insurance, universal life allows the cash value of investments to grow at a variable rate adjusted monthly.
Employee disability insurance
When an injury or illness forces an employee out of the California workforce, the results can be devastating. While some lines of work are particularly prone to injuries, no employee is immune from cardiac disease, neurological conditions or other health issues.
When employees consider the reality of a disability, anxiety sets in: “I can’t work but the bills are still coming.”
Although there is a disability component to Social Security, it is not designed for temporary coverage.
Fortunately, there is a solution. And employers can stand out by providing it. Disability insurance provides a safety net when a medical condition temporarily removes an employee from the workplace.
Disability insurance is not one-size-fits-all. The price and payout of plans can be customized.
One determining cost factor is the length of the waiting period before benefits begin. The longer the waiting period, the lower the cost. For example, disability premiums will be lower when a waiting period is 90 days vs. 30 days.
The term (duration) of benefits can also be customized. With most group disability plans, the employer selects the term. The most frequently offered benefit periods are two years, five years, and to age 65. Policies with shorter maximum benefit periods have lower premiums. Plans can include funds for occupational rehabilitation.
Employee vision insurance
Vision insurance is a popular benefit among California employees. Why? Much of it has to do with demand. EyeMed reports 76% of U.S. adults use some form of vision correction. The average cost of a pair of prescription glasses (not counting the doctor’s exam) is several hundred dollars per pair. Multiplying this number times the number of family members can strain a family budget.
Another benefit is preventative health care. Eye exams can also reveal potential symptoms of serious health conditions including diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Vision insurance policies are customizable and often cover eye examinations and some or all of the cost of prescription eyewear. Some policies also pay for a portion of laser surgery and other corrective procedures.
Employers who offer vision insurance have an opportunity to meet practical needs and stand out in the marketplace.
Employee Cafeteria 125 Plan benefits
These plans are popularly known as Cafeteria Plans and stem from Section 125 of the IRS code. These popular plans allow California employees to direct a portion of their paychecks into savings plans for needs including health care and child care. Income dedicated to these purposes is nontaxable. Ernstam & Lewis helps employers provide Section 125 Cafeteria Plans, administer them and comply with all federal regulations.
Supplemental benefits including accident insurance and cancer insurance
It would be wonderful if health insurance covered all employees’ financial needs. While benefits do an excellent job of paying for medical expenses, they don’t take into account income that’s lost due to an injury or prolonged illness.
Accident insurance and cancer insurance supplement medical coverage. They meet practical financial needs when an employee needs to temporarily leave the workforce. Both types of insurance provide flexibility and funds for medical and non-medical expenses. For example, payouts can be used for rent, groceries and other bills resulting from the illness or injury.
California identity theft insurance
Identify theft isn’t new, but it’s grown exponentially in the digital age. Most Californians have experienced it personally. Although insurance can’t stop identity theft, it can help you quickly respond and limit its damage.
Ernstam & Lewis partner with IDShield to provide privacy and security monitoring and Comprehensive Identity Restoration. This means if your identity is compromised, you’ll get expert help. Plans are available for individuals and families.
Travel insurance for Californians
Advertising beckons us to hop on a plane and forget all our troubles. But one factor travelers often overlook is access to health care outside the United States. If you break your leg in Italy (or anywhere else), your U.S. health insurance will be of no value. For a few additional dollars, travel insurance can add peace of mind to your trip and provide quality care when you need it.
Erntam & Lewis partners with GeoBlue to make sure your health needs are covered when you leave the United States. You can use your phone to find care worldwide. And it’s not limited to emergencies. GeoBlue can help you fill prescriptions, translate and find a physician. It provides detailed profiles of recommended primary care physicians and specialists, plus hospitals, pharmacies and dentists. Make an appointment from your mobile phone. By securing travel insurance through Ernstam & Lewis, Californians can go anywhere with confidence.
Legal Protection Insurance
How many times have you wished you could ask an attorney a simple question but refrained because of the cost? For this reason, Ernstam & Lewis offers LegalShield, putting the expertise of an attorney within reach of every California employer.
With subscriptions starting at $20 per month, LegalShield gives you access to attorneys who consult on a variety of topics. Services include:
Advice/Consultation/Representation
Letters and Phone Calls on Your Behalf
Personal Document Review
Trial Defense
Document Preparation
Standard Will Preparation
Health Care Power of Attorney
Living Will
Residential Loan Document Assistance
Auto
Moving Traffic Violations
Accidents
Family Matters
Uncontested Name Change Assistance
Uncontested Adoption Representation
Uncontested Separation Representation
Uncontested Divorce Representation
IRS
IRS Audit Legal Services
(We don’t want to sound like a lawyer, but please understand this is a general overview of services. Please see the plan’s contract for complete terms, coverage, amounts, conditions and exclusions.)
Teladoc
Ernstam & Lewis provides access to Teladoc, a worldwide company that uses phone and video software to provide on-demand virtual health care to employees.
Service and support
Ernstam & Lewis’ work doesn’t end when you enroll in a benefits plan. In fact, it’s only the beginning. Our menu of client services includes:
Helping employees enroll in benefit plans.
Educating groups or individual employees. Benefits can be complicated, so we make sure workers clearly understand their options.
Proactively seeking new annual bids for employee benefits, making sure you have the best options to choose from.
Contract design, pricing negotiations and claims reviews
Enrollment strategies: We help you prepare and coordinate
Customized employee benefit communication/education resources
Additional resources for you
In addition to our core service of brokering benefits for California companies, we provide these complementary services to our clients:
The Ease benefits administration website and portal
Ease helps employees enroll and manage benefits online, reducing paperwork and saving time. Employers, too, can benefit from Ease. The software displays benefit descriptions and costs, the status of payroll deductions and more. With Ease, employers can comprehensively evaluate all their employee benefit data in one place.
Workplace and HR compliance services
When employers offer benefits, state and federal laws require documentation and compliance. Not only is this challenging and time consuming, but there are penalties for noncompliance. Ernstam & Lewis is here to lift the burden of these regulatory tasks. We provide support, guidance, and documentation for:
Affordable Care Act (ACA)
Federal law requires companies with more than 50 employees to file compliance reports.COBRA
Employers with more than 20 workers must offer COBRA and administer the plan.HIPPA
Employers must comply with the privacy and reporting requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.ERISA, SPD and Wrap documentation
We help you comply with regulations required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). We also aid in providing mandatory Summary Plan Descriptions (SPD) and/or Wrap documents that explain benefits to employees.
HR Services
Ernstam & Lewis provides comprehensive assistance through our partner, Think HR (now Mineral). This includes a vast searchable database on human resources law. Our clients can also call licensed HR professionals for a personalized consultation. In addition, Think HR provides training on numerous workplace topics.