Common Questions

We shop multiple insurance carriers on your behalf, compare plans side by side, handle enrollment and paperwork, and provide year-round support for claims, changes, and renewals. Think of us as your outsourced benefits department — without the overhead.

Our services are free to you. Brokers are compensated directly by insurance carriers through commissions built into every plan. The premium you pay is the same whether you use a broker or go directly to the carrier. There's no extra cost — just extra help.

From 2-person startups to organizations with 100+ employees. Most of our clients have between 5 and 50 employees, but we work with groups of all sizes. We also help individuals, families, and seniors with personal coverage.

Gabriel is licensed in 13 states (CA, AZ, FL, GA, IL, NC, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX), but the majority of our clients are California-based. If you have employees in multiple states, we can help coordinate multi-state coverage.

Ideally 60–90 days before your renewal date. That gives us enough time to quote carriers, build plan comparisons, present options, and handle enrollment without rushing. If your renewal is coming up sooner, we can still help — just reach out as early as possible.

Absolutely. We can negotiate with your current carrier and compare their renewal offer against alternatives. There's no pressure to switch — many of our clients stay with their carrier after seeing that the renewal is competitive. The point is to make an informed decision, not a forced one.

The Affordable Care Act requires employers with 50+ full-time equivalent employees to offer affordable health coverage or face penalties. Even smaller employers should understand the rules around minimum essential coverage and affordability standards. We handle the compliance piece so you don't have to.

We're independent — not captive to any single carrier. We quote 30+ carriers including Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Kaiser Permanente, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Sutter Health Plus, Western Health Advantage, and more. The right carrier depends on your team's needs, locations, and budget. See our full carrier list, or read our guides on Kaiser for small business and Blue Shield vs Anthem.

You'll transition from your current health plan to Medicare. This involves understanding Original Medicare (Parts A & B), deciding whether to add a Supplement (Medigap) plan or choose a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan, and enrolling in Part D for prescription coverage. Start the conversation about 3 months before your 65th birthday — we'll walk you through every option step by step.

Yes. We work with all major California carriers to help individuals and families find direct-to-carrier coverage. We'll compare plans across carriers, explain the trade-offs between HMO, PPO, EPO, and HDHP options, and help you enroll. Our service is free — carriers compensate brokers the same whether you go direct or through us.

Yes. Insurance carriers compensate brokers directly for Medicare plans, just like they do for group and individual coverage. You pay the exact same premium whether you enroll through us or directly with the carrier. There is zero additional cost for using a broker.

Federal law requiring most employers with 50+ full-time equivalent employees to offer affordable health coverage. Also sets minimum standards for individual market plans.

Continuation coverage that lets employees (and their families) keep their group health plan for a limited time after leaving a job, though they pay the full premium plus a small administrative fee.

How an employer splits the cost of health insurance with employees. Common approaches include paying a percentage of a reference plan, a percentage of each employee's selected plan, or a flat dollar amount.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act — a federal law governing employer-sponsored benefit plans. Requires plan documents like a Summary Plan Description (SPD) and Wrap Document.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization): requires a primary care physician and referrals for specialists; lower premiums. PPO (Preferred Provider Organization): more flexibility to see any provider, higher premiums. EPO (Exclusive Provider Organization): like an HMO without referral requirements but no out-of-network coverage. HDHP (High-Deductible Health Plan): lower premiums with higher deductibles, eligible for HSA.

Part A: Hospital insurance (usually premium-free). Part B: Medical insurance (doctor visits, outpatient care). Part C (Medicare Advantage): Bundled A+B through a private insurer, often includes extras. Part D: Prescription drug coverage.

Private insurance that supplements Original Medicare (Parts A & B) by covering some of the costs Medicare doesn't — like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.

The annual period when employees can enroll in, change, or drop their employer-sponsored health coverage. For Medicare, there are specific enrollment windows (Initial, Annual, Special).

A required ERISA document that explains a benefit plan's terms in plain language — what's covered, how to file claims, and employee rights. All group plans must have one.

A document that “wraps” around carrier-provided materials (like an SBC) to create a complete, ERISA-compliant plan description. Required for employers who sponsor group health plans.