Keystone Benefits Group
Top left: Jeff Gregg, Benefits Consultant with Keystone Benefits Group, with his family in Summerville. Top rIght: The staff at Keystone Benefits Group.
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n the complicated world of employee benefit plans, Keystone Benefits Group employs knowledgeable insurance and compliance experts who help companies comply with federal regulations while saving money in the process. Founder and President Kris Geary, who has 31 years of experience in employee benefit plans, started the Pennsylvania-based company in 2004 to help businesses save time and money with tailored design, implementation and administration of retirement and employee benefit plans. Keystone expanded to the Charleston market with benefits consultant Jeff Gregg, who moved to Summerville in 2010 and is bringing the company’s straightforward services to the local market. “It used to be that a health insurance broker would show up once a year with health insurance renewal rates on a spreadsheet, but it’s much more involved now,” Gregg said. “Many employers don’t even realize what they need to offer their employees – what’s mandated by the federal government. They could get fined.” The annual penalty for not providing health insurance coverage to eligible employees can reach $2,160 per full-time employee. Keystone Benefits Group makes sure employers comply with federal health insurance regulations; its consultants also save
companies money by restructuring and offering alternatives to traditional benefit plans. Two major health insurance options for companies, Gregg explains, are being fully-insured or self-insured. South Carolina is a very favorable state for self-insurance benefits and it allows companies to get money back from their insurance company at the end of the year if employees file fewer claims than expected. This can motivate employees to live healthier lives in order to lower the number of claims. In the past, self-insurance was only practical for large companies. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, there are many reasons for employers with as few as 10 employees to consider it. “That’s what’s great about our knowledge in self-funding,” Gregg says. Keystone Benefits Group makes sure companies get everything they need from their plans along with the best rate possible. Geary says, “At the end of the day, we’re giving companies the confidence that someone has analyzed their situation properly.” “The differentiator is we are a single-source stop,” Geary says. “Our staff has the ability to answer all questions, and we are able to bring all that expertise in one place.”
Jeff Gregg (843) 771-9310 jgregg@keystonebg.com www.keystonebg.com Special Advertising Supplement | 2016 Profiles in Business
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