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Independent advice for Canadian employers and non-profits

You should know what you’re paying for.

Bridgepoint is an independent advisory and brokerage firm for group benefits and group retirement plans. We read your plan closely, negotiate with carriers on your behalf and explain every recommendation in plain language.

Why Bridgepoint

Most employers only look closely at their plan once a year.

Usually that’s when the renewal lands, with a higher number and not much time to question it.

Bridgepoint sits between your organization and the insurance carriers. Carriers have real work to do: paying claims, running the systems and earning a fair margin. Our work is making sure your plan fits your people and is priced fairly for your group.

Sometimes that means moving carriers. Often it means a few careful adjustments. If everything is already in good shape, we’ll tell you that.

What a review looks at

Here’s what we check when a renewal arrives.

Renewal summary

Priced on the current group of employees, at current and proposed rates

Illustrative

Benefit lines in an illustrative renewal, without figures
Benefit line	Current	Proposed
Life insurance
Long-term disability
Extended health care
Dental
Monthly premium, whole group

Renewal factors Claims experienceTrendPooling, expenses and reserves

Plan design Coverage unchanged from last yearCost sharing unchanged

Next stepRenew as offered

Same group, both years
We price the same employees at current and proposed rates, so staff changes don’t hide the real movement in price.
Each line, and the whole account
Life, disability, health and dental can move very differently. We look at every benefit line and at the account together.
What the carrier assumed
Claims experience, trend, pooling, expenses and reserves all shape the number. We ask where each one came from.
Coverage stays in view
A cheaper plan that quietly drops coverage your people rely on is a poor trade. Plan design stays part of the conversation.
One clear recommendation
Renew, adjust the design or test the market. We recommend one path and explain why.

Read: Understanding your benefits renewal

Coverage and cost

The price only makes sense next to what it buys.

A renewal can look reasonable and still leave people under-covered. A generous plan can cost more than it needs to. We look at both sides before we recommend anything.

What your people receive

The coverage side of the plan.

Health and prescription drugsOften the fastest-growing cost
DentalBasic, major, orthodontics
Paramedical and visionMaximums and frequency
Life and disabilityIncome protection
Virtual care and assistance programsSupport between visits

What the plan costs

The pricing side of the plan.

Rates by benefit lineEach line priced on its own
Claims experienceHow the plan is actually used
Trend and poolingWhat the carrier projects
Expenses and reservesWhat sits on top of claims
Cost sharingEmployer and employee shares

Then we recommend one path, and show our reasoning.

Most reviews end in one of three places.

Renew on fair termsStay with your carrier after a negotiated result.
Adjust the designChange what the plan covers or how the cost is shared.
Review the marketAsk other carriers to quote on the same plan.

A review doesn’t automatically mean switching carriers or cutting benefits. Some plans only need small adjustments.

Year-round

Present for more than the renewal.

We sit down and set direction.

Once a year we meet to talk through priorities, budget, plan design and how the plan is explained to your people. We revisit the approach whenever your organization changes.

Questions don’t wait for renewal.

Claims issues, forms, enrolments and changes. Wherever we can, we take the administrative next step ourselves, so it comes off your plate.

We keep an eye on how the plan is used.

Watching claims through the year lets us flag unusual trends early and give you a forward look at cost pressures before they turn into a surprise.

Your people should understand their benefits.

We run sessions for plan members and training for the administrators and board members who look after the plan, pitched at the level they need.

The renewal arrives, and we read it closely.

Carriers usually send the renewal about two months before your renewal date. We work through what’s behind it: claims, demographics, pooling, expenses, reserves and trend.

We negotiate, then explain the result.

We take a supported position to the carrier, negotiate the terms and come back with a clear report and one recommendation you can take to leadership or your board.