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Benefits broker pitches 'Bridal 1-10' care-management program to Columbus County Schools
Summary
A benefits broker and partners presented a voluntary care-monitoring and voluntary benefits package the board said it would review; board members asked about data storage, written materials and payroll integration.
Larry Freeman, representing a benefits team that included PCFG Insurance executives and partner Health Compass, presented the Bridal 1-10 care-monitoring program and a package of voluntary ancillary benefits to the Columbus County Board of Education during its regular meeting.
Freeman said the program is designed to layer on top of existing employer health plans rather than replace them. He described a voluntary app-based monitoring and concierge-care service that Health Compass markets as converting a smartphone into a class II medical device for certain biometric screenings and delivering telehealth, telecounseling, urgent care and care navigation. Freeman said implementation is handled through payroll integration and asserted the program can generate gross tax savings “on average between $350 to $500 per enrolled member per year” by reducing taxable wages and employer FICA exposure.
The presentation included remarks from Leo (Lem) O'Brien (PCFG Insurance), Reagan Hampton (insurance professional) and John Sheehan, who described his Chamber of Commerce experience using similar services in another state. Sheehan said his local chamber and member employers reported FICA savings and staff access to benefits with “no reduction to their take-home pay.”
Board members asked detailed questions about whether the Bridal 1-10 product replaces current Colonial Life voluntary benefits (it does not, Freeman said), whether employees’ take-home pay would change (Freeman said most employees would not see a net reduction and some could see slight increases), and how payroll deductions and reimbursements would be administered (through a ledger/deduction-and-reimbursement workflow). Freeman and other panelists said the program is voluntary for employees.
Several board members pressed on data privacy and storage. Freeman and a Health Compass representative said member biometric and health data are stored on HIPAA-compliant cloud servers managed by Health Compass and are not accessible to the district or plan administrators. Freeman said the vendor could provide the precise physical/cloud hosting locations and security documentation on request.
Board members also requested written materials and references. Freeman said the team would provide PDFs, sample member communications and a service agreement for the board and district HR to review and that Health Compass can work with the district’s current broker and payroll provider to run a payroll census and eligibility report before any commitment.
No formal action was taken; the board agreed to request written materials and payroll census data to determine eligibility and potential savings. Freeman and the presenting team committed to providing documentation to the superintendent’s office.
