New member benefit: Supplemental insurance

By Nicole Barlass, director of corporate relations

We continue to look for new and innovative ways to provide you, our members, with more value and new opportunities for your business. 

We are excited to announce a new partnership with corporate member Combined Insurance, a Chubb company, to help protect employees.

DBA members can now offer their employees supplemental insurance at discounted group rates. Discounts will vary by plan types but will range up to 35 percent, needing only three employees enrolled, to provide this group voluntary benefit program through Combined. These plans are designed to be much more competitive through an employer than obtaining coverage as an individual. Every plan offered is also 100 percent portable if an employee decides to retire or leave your business.

 Why supplemental insurance?

Supplemental insurance helps cover gaps in major medical and out-of-pocket costs to make employees feel more secure about unexpected medical events. When employees are less worried, they are more focused and productive at work. Better yet, these supplemental benefits can be offered at little to no cost to your company.

Some highlights: 

Accident insurance pays cash benefits to employees when they are confined to a hospital, rehab, emergency room treatments or outpatient surgeries due to injuries.

Disability income covers a portion of lost wages when employees are out of work due to sickness or injury.

Critical illness provides a lump sum benefit upon diagnosis or treatment of covered illnesses. 

All programs pay cash benefits paid directly to employees to use as they deem necessary.

To be eligible, employees must be 18 years of age, receive a W-2 and work at least 17.5 hours per week. The benefit is available to both farm and corporate members who may be interested in offering these benefits to employees.

Combined Insurance representatives can assist with the explanation and communication of these benefits to employees. Licensed benefit counselors are local representatives. They are also able to provide bilingual benefit counselors and customer service support for Spanish-speaking employees. 

DBA member Creamery Creek Holsteins has offered Combined Insurance previously and has witnessed firsthand how the insurer helped better protect one of their employees. Filing a claim with Combined was simple and provided the employee with financial support during a time of need.

Additionally, Combined Insurance is providing a complimentary $8,000 accidental death and dismemberment benefit to any employee who meets with a benefit counselor at the time of enrollment. This coverage is complimentary for 12 months. 

If you are interested in learning more about this voluntary benefit insurance plan and the added protections for your employees, reach out directly to the Combined Insurance team by contacting Nate Pastick at 608-487-4890 or email at nathan.pastick@combined.com. 

For any internal feedback, contact me at nbarlass@dairyforward.com or 920-883-0020 x104.

Learn more here.