Broker Partner – Client Direct Bill
A large Midwestern-based insurance and risk management firm, with 1500 employees in 12 offices nationally, utilizes COBRA Outsourcing Company’s AGENCY LEVEL PRICING (“ALP”) preferred pricing matrix for their current and prospective clients. The ALP ensures that their clients are always receiving the most competitive price point of COBRA Outsourcing Company with no surprise charges or fees. COCO was selected as their preferred vendor for the following reasons:

• All aspects of client services and management are coordinated by one contact with COCO.
• Established PEPM pricing enables the entire organization to quote services onsite at client office.
• Able to have all new client installation paperwork in-house eliminates RFP and response time.
• All clients, as well as all benefits, are administered under one uniform and consistent interpretation of COBRA regulation.
• All clients under one common Performance Guarantee Agreement.

Regional employee benefit brokerage firm with 6 producers and two offices uses their AGENCY LEVEL PRICING (“ALP”) to incorporate COBRA Outsourcing Company’s services into every single client relationship. This firm simply adds the PEPM fee of COBRA Outsourcing Company into the employee contribution of the group health plan. The employer client is able to benefit from a full service while not increasing its benefits expense. COCO’s ALP supports their marketing strategy because:

• All services are consolidated under one predetermined PEPM pricing matrix.
• The PEPM matrix reflects pricing discounts as total lives under management increases.
• The Firm is provided regular reports on qualified beneficiary status to enhance their marketing of ancillary products such as IRAs, Short Term Medical, Life Insurance and others.

Broker Partner – Broker Pays
Over 15% of COBRA Outsourcing Company’s fees are generated from relationships where the brokerage firm pays for full service COBRA compliance administration. Firms who employ this marketing strategy most often say new clients are quick to realize the economic value and commitment to their business when their new insurance broker “steps-up” and solves a lingering problem for the company. A California Broker Partner uses COCO as a competitive lever by:

• Bringing a valuable service to the client which exposes shortcoming in their existing broker relationship.
• As a tool to prevent clients from contacting their offices for COBRA advice, guidance and information.
• As a shield against competing brokers challenging the client relationship at renewal time.

General Agencies
A large Managing General Agency organization in Ohio, with 10 offices statewide, has selected COBRA Outsourcing Company as their exclusive provider of COBRA compliance administration services. COBRA Outsourcing Company was able to survey the top three administration firms in the state and develop an exclusive pricing matrix that afforded high commissions for the writing agent with the lowest pricing for turnkey services.

Features of the MGA relationship:

• Waived set-up fees.
• Small, Medium and Large employer preferred pricing.
• Highest monthly commission payments to the writing agent.
• Web-based services.
• Dedicated customer support contact and unlimited technical support to the writing agency.

Backroom Partnerships
A rapidly growing Massachusetts based Professional Employer Organization (PEO) partnered with COBRA Outsourcing Company to provide employer clients turnkey COBRA compliance administration services. By linking our systems, the PEO is able to transmit eligibility data directly to our system thus ensuring a less than 24-hour response time to COBRA notices and eligibility updates.

A large Iowa based Third Party Administration firm for self-funded plans recently retained the services of COBRA Outsourcing Company to provide their clients comprehensive COBRA compliance administration services. COBRA Outsourcing Company was able to demonstrate the following:

• Our costs were less than what the TPA was spending to support a full service COBRA administration department.
• COCO’s fees were fixed through a multi-year rate guarantee thereby allowing the TPA to leverage long-term savings and increased profits.
• COCO was able to provide the TPA and representative clients improved risk management through a pioneering indemnification and hold harmless protections.
• COCO was able to offer improved service to the TPA’s clients through a financially driven performance guarantee agreement.

Associations & MEWAs
A large New England based business association with over 1,100 employer clients selected COBRA Outsourcing Company to serve as their exclusive provider of COBRA compliance administration services. The association’s board of directors selected COCO because:

• Superior technology and web-based services.
• National call center available to the association membership, affiliated brokers, employees and carrier representatives.
• A tiered pricing matrix reflecting reduced PEPM fees as total lives under management hits predetermined thresholds.
• On-site rollout of services with a three-hour CE course on COBRA compliance.
• Exclusive marketing territory.

Affinity Groups
A large Kansas-based Section 125 Flex administration company lists COCO as their recommended administrator of COBRA compliance services. COCO was selected because:

• Preferred Pricing for their clients.
• No conflict of interest.
• Existing familiarity with each other’s business philosophy through many mutual clients.