1. Readers’ choice awards
Readers’
choice
awards
008 2
I t’s November, so It must be tIme for aNother
rouNd of readers’ ChoICe madNess. we take
user-geNerated CoNteNt to a New level aNd
let eaCh aNd every oNe of you deCIde who
beloNgs oN the followINg pages.
who boasts the produCts you’re wIllINg to
stake your rep oN? who’s breakINg bouNdarIes
wheN It Comes to New desIgN? whICh tpa do
you trust to haNdle your busINess? aNd who
treats you lIke a Customer —
aNd Not a hassle?>>
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BenefitsSellingMag.com • November 2008 • Benefits Selling
2. Readers’ choice awards
BeSt dISABILIty produCt
oN the MArket
WINNER
Colonial life With an estimated $820 million in sales for
voluntary short-term disability accounts —
Col on i a l L i f e h a s based on Eastbridge Consulting Group numbers
apparently done an — carriers are often forced to make their
excellent job at setting product stand out in a sea of competitors.
themselves on top with
their variety of voluntary short-term disability products. offering
options such as guaranteed issue, simplified issue or fully underwritten
according to the account size and participation has certainly paid
off, with brokers overwhelmingly choosing Colonial Life as the best
disability product in the market.
HONORABLE MENTION
UnUM Chosen by 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies, uNuM’s disability plans cater to
companies of all sizes. Some of the added benefits? Vocational rehabilitation
assistance and return-to-work support services. With perks like these, uNuM clearly earns its
honorable mention in the disability category.
most
WINNER
Taking the same ingredients as
everyone else and producing
the best results is the trait of a
innovative
true innovator.
Colonial life
carrier
Colonial Life clearly sets the
bar high when it comes to
providing solutions that help
clients address health care costs,
enrollment management and HONORABLE MENTION
benefits education. And brokers While American General has
have responded that they truly earned more than its fair share
aig
value a carrier that offers the total of bad press over the last
package: competitive products several weeks,
and a range of enrollment options insurance business remains sound.
to reach every employee, from And they’re not standing still, either.
face-to-face enrollment sessions, Business, like life, goes on and AIG’s
co-browsing over the Internet, presence in the employee benefits
market continues to grow.
call center and self-enrollments.
50 BenefitsSellingMag.com • November 2008 • Benefits Selling
3. Readers’ choice awards
3 ¬ offering
third-party
administrator
the most
WINNER
aMeriflex comprehensive
service
Mirroring last A m e r i F l e x ’ s
year’s results, dominance in
we now find the third-party
ourselves with a d m i n i s t r a t o r
some familiar arena remains For the second year in a row, the TPA that
winners in this u n c h a l l e n g e d . does it all shows that focusing on small
businesses is the right move.
category. In another landslide victory,
Ameriflex continues to be the standard
taSC HONORABLE MENTION
by which all other tpAs are judged.
They pride themselves in listening to
what their customers want, and brokers
are responding well to their efforts. Based
in Madison, Wisc., total Administrative
CArrIer Services Corp. also earned a place
as a finalist in the Wisconsin Better
Business Bureau 2008 torch Awards
SIttING At the for Business ethics and Integrity.
forefroNt
of the Colonial life WINNER
Colonial Life continues to address the biggest
CoNSuMer- need with consumer-driven health care — employee education
— by providing professional teams to educate employees on
their coverage options.
drIVeN And nowhere is it on greater display than in this growing
niche. In addition, products designed to give access to the
h e A Lt h uninsured such as an indemnity-based limited benefit
medical plan make Colonial Life sit comfortably ahead of
MArket the competition in the eyes of readers.
HONORABLE MENTION
United HealtHCare
Offering affordable health care to small business
owners, particularly in the consumer-driven
product space, has been the focus of united healthcare’s efforts for a while now.
The latest update is the addition of their Cdhp product into the 2009 federal
employees health Benefits program with enrollment starting as soon as this month.
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BenefitsSellingMag.com • November 2008 • Benefits Selling
4. Readers’ choice awards
5
enrollment company
offering the best service
UniverS WorkplaCe BenefitS WINNER
With a focus in educating employees while keeping HR departments and
business owners happy, univers offers personalized tools, one-on-one
training and state-of-the-art paperless enrollment. The time-saving
qualities of their program and their employee retention numbers
make univers Workplace Benefits the broker’s favorite enrollment.
&
HONORABLE MENTION
Colonial life Forget for a second that Colonial Life —
despite their overwhelming popularity — is
a carrier, not an enrollment company. But brokers appear enamored with
their online and back office tools designed to make life easier for
them. part of being named over and over in these awards comes with
offering some of the best service available for enrollment. Colonial Life
really knows how to seal the deal with a great Web-based platform.
MoSt Broker-
frIeNdLy CArrIer
WINNER
Colonial life
Colonial Life works tirelessly
to provide first-class broker support
and protect its broker relationships.
Through regular broker forums,surveys
and feedback, the company listens to
and acts upon what brokers says they
need in their voluntary benefits partner.
HONORABLE MENTION
A strong Web-based engine dedicated to brokers sits at the
heart of Mutual of Omaha’s
MUtUal of oMaHa relationship with carriers.
According to columnist Marty traynor, “We’re broker friendly because
all group insurance distribution is through employee benefit brokers
and all strategy decisions are based on helping them strengthen their
offerings to their clients via expert consultation and advice, cost-effective
products and services, an efficient, easy-to-use purchasing and service
experience and having the right people, well-trained and positioned, to
service their needs.”
52 BenefitsSellingMag.com • November 2008 • Benefits Selling
5. Readers’ choice awards
BeSt VoLuNtAry LIfe INSurANCe
produCt IN the MArket
WINNER
Colonial life Colonial Life’s voluntary life
insurance portfolio gives
brokers the whole package: term, whole and universal life.
flexibility in underwriting makes these products more
accessible to employees who need them and makes
enrollments easier. This summer, the company opened
additional marketing possibilities when it launched its
new universal life plan and optional long-term care
benefits rider.
HONORABLE MENTION
aflaC Aflac keeps it simple by offering three
different types of policies. employees
apply for the policy directly or at work. And they get to
keep it, even if they leave the employer.
WINNER
vision provider
vSp offering personalized
care with more doctor
choices in more locations and
offering the best
savings in both coverage and
personalized care, VSp takes
the lead in the vision plan arena.
coverage — including
Their easy to navigate Web site
plan design and
and simple tools are a winner
8
— especially with our readers.
network availability
HONORABLE MENTION
aveSiS Avesis provides members with
online tools to assist them in
For more than 27
years, Avesis has checking their eligibility, printing Id
“offered one of cards, finding providers and more.
the best values in
vision benefits.”
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BenefitsSellingMag.com • November 2008 • Benefits Selling
