Reduce Insurance Rates and Claims Through Laughter?
Laughter is good for the heart and boosts immunity. How can business owners and HR professionals use this information to create a happier, healthier workplace?
Smart business owners and HR professionals look for ways to reduce health care and other insurance premiums. And the best brokers want to assist in these efforts, too. After all, reduced premiums and better coverage creates happier, repeat customers. If you’re an insurance broker and aren’t providing your customers with the lowest rates possible on mandatory disability coverage and ancillary benefits, including dental, vision, and life insurance—they will shop their policies elsewhere to find a lower rate and/or better coverage.
One way to keep insurance rates low for everyone is to reduce the number of claims. Which brings us to a point you may not have considered: Did you know that happier employees are also healthier employees?
We’re going to take this one step further, so stay with us here. Daily laughter has been shown to boost immunity, help prevent diseases, and even reduce chronic pain.
Let’s look at three ways daily laughter can help create healthier employees (who, as a result, might make fewer disability claims due to chronic pain or disease).
Did you know:
1. Laughter helps the body fight disease—naturally.
Laughter reduces stress, and studies show that people who are stressed can’t fight illness as well. It also boosts immunity and disease-fighting antibodies.
2. Laughter can help relieve pain.
Laughter releases endorphins—the body’s natural pain relievers. We’re not saying you should ignore chronic pain, as it could be indicative of a larger problem, but if you feel a stress headache coming on, a belly laugh could be just what the doctor ordered.
3. Laughter protects the heart.
Laughter increases blood flow almost as well as cardio exercise, helping to keep the heart strong against heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases.
Plus, It’s Fun
These claims may seem far-fetched, but they have been studied for years and are backed by science. (Anyone remember Patch Adams?) Plus, everyone likes to laugh. There really isn’t a downside to bringing more fun into your workplace.
The DBL Center Ltd. has a new program in place that helps to make it possible. Through a partnership with Steiner Sports, we can book top sports stars, performers, and comedians to perform at your next corporate outing, holiday party, or charity event.
World’s Collide: When Comedy Meets Insurance
DBL Center partner Michael Cohen has a strong history in the comedy world as a former stand-up comedian and a continuing member of the Friar’s Club. Although he’s made insurance his life calling, he continues to seek ways to merge the two worlds.
Our arrangement with Steiner Sports is yet another element in the white-glove, first-class service The DBL Center provides to its customers. Our brokers can lighten up their own workplaces with laughter, or provide top comedy acts for their customers’ events through The DBL Center as a value-added service.
So why not bring a little laughter into your workplace? We’re not saying it will eliminate the need for high-quality long-term disability and ancillary employee benefit plans — these insurance benefits will always be important. But it might boost productivity, reduce sick time, and maybe even cut back on pricey insurance claims that cost everyone money.
Will you join us in our mission to get New York, New Jersey, Hawaii and the rest of the United States laughing a little more?
Expect Better Service from Your Wholesale Insurance Provider
Is your wholesale insurance provider offering white-glove service?
We live in a service-oriented society. From our smartphone providers to our office technology, we expect—even demand—service. And the companies who provide that service stand to profit in the form of repeat customers, word-of-mouth referrals, and up-sells.
It works like this: Provide stellar service, earn trust, recommend additional products, write more sales.
As an insurance broker, you know this, and we have no doubt you’ve built your business upon providing best-in-class service to your clients. But we want you to think about two questions:
1. How much time are you spending delivering that service?
2. Is your wholesale insurance broker providing that same level of service to you?
If you’re purchasing your mandatory temporary disability benefits (TDB) insurance in the State of New Jersey or DBL coverage in New York through the respective states, the answer is probably no.
Purchasing TDB and DBL Benefits Through the State
Insurance brokers are always free to purchase mandatory TDB and DBL insurance coverage through the state exchange. The rates will be comparable to those they will find through any broker on comparable, minimum benefits policies.
But we all know the level of service we can expect from the government. Think about your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. Any state-run agency. The U.S. Postal Service of the past. Take note, the USPS was forced to step up its game or lose to competitors UPS and FedEx, and now even Amazon is getting into the shipping game to deliver the level of service the world’s largest e-commerce retailer deems acceptable. Once again, it’s about pricing and service.
But if you’ve ever been to DMV during peak hours, even for a simple transaction, you understand that the U.S. government, typically, does not provide superior levels of service. The same is true for each state’s Department of Labor, which acts as the broker for mandatory TDB and DBL coverage in New Jersey and New York, respectively.
So what do you do if you want better service? You look to the private sector for help.
The Beauty of Better Service
If you’ve ever purchased a new car from a dealer and had the dealer manage all the DMV paperwork, you understand the beauty of service. All you had to do was sign a few papers in order to drive away in a new car with new plates and your registration sticker firmly attached to your windshield.
Now let’s take it a step farther. Maybe that car is a Lamborghini or a Tesla. Now you don’t even have to get a ride to the dealership to pick up your car—they will deliver it straight to your door. It turns out, today, this service is even available on brand-new Hondas and other mid-level automobiles, if you know where to shop. Dealers recognize the value of service to create repeat customers.
Now We’re Talking Concierge Service of the Highest Level
Similarly, when you want ultra-luxury service at mid-level prices in the insurance industry, you have to know where to shop. For more than 40 years, The DBL Center has been providing five-star, white-glove service to our insurance brokers. We love the analogy of a concierge at a boutique, luxury hotel, which you’ll notice from the moment you visit our website to the second you call us.
Serving Your Customers
Not only do we meet your needs and exceed your expectations, we also do so for your c
ustomers.
The DBL Center acts as your back-office support staff to service all your client’s accounts, so you can focus on expanding your book of business. You know the value of service, but you don’t have to spend every hour striving to provide the best in your area—The DBL Center does that for you. You should expect this level of service, because your customers do.
Your Wish, Our Command
We don’t limit our service to insurance products. If you need a something special to thank a specific client or entice a new prospect, we can use our vast connections across the New York Tri-State area to deliver.
We recently signed an arrangement with Steiner Sports to book comedy acts and sports stars for special events, corporate outings, parties, and more. And that’s just the start.
Whether it’s training for your employees; fast service; quick, binding rate quotes; technology that makes it faster and easier for you to do business, or even something extra, The DBL Center delivers.
Turning a Passion into Insurance Profits
How a stand-up comedian-turned-insurance partner leveraged relationships in the entertainment industry to deliver more to his brokers.
When I first started in the insurance industry, it was the last place I had envisioned myself. With a background in film and entertainment, I was a member of The Friar’s Club and was making a living doing stand-up comedy. It was long hours, late nights, and required lots of energy. To be honest, there wasn’t much of a future in it for a family man who wanted to have any sort of life outside the comedy scene.
That’s when I started looking seriously at the industry I grew up around: disability insurance.
When I started working at The DBL Center, it wasn’t easy to form relationships with our brokers. I was young, inexperienced, and had a different way of looking at life. Since I was still moonlighting in stand-up comedy, I started inviting them to my local shows. “If you really want to get to know me,” I said, “come watch my show. If you like me, we can always talk about doing business.”
While I’m no longer doing stand-up comedy, I still use my passion and skill for storytelling to help in this highly competitive industry. I’ve been told by clients and colleagues that I’m a natural storyteller and it helps open doors. It’s been good for The DBL Center, and I believe it’s been good for our brokers, who enjoy the benefits of our full back-office staff to service all their accounts and can work directly with someone they know and trust, both inside and outside the office.
Now, I’ve found a way to use my relationships in the comedy industry to help DBL Center brokers be even more successful.
Working Together with Steiner Sports to Bring Our Brokers More
I’m still connected to the comedy industry and after all these years, I’ve found another way to merge the two. Through a unique partnership with Steiner Sports, The DBL Center Ltd. can now line up comedians or sports stars for corporate parties and events, fundraisers, birthday parties, recruitment events and more.
Our insurance brokers can offer their clients more with this new offering. In addition to white-glove service for disability insurance and more, plus savings on ancillary benefits, The DBL Center Ltd. provides the means for our brokers to thank long-time customers, solidify relationships, and build your brand as a broker with vast connections across the business world.
If you need a unique event idea for your brokerage or for a client, if you want to host a holiday party that stands out, or create a compelling reason for people to attend a fundraiser you’ve organized, ask us.
The DBL Center Ltd. is not just about selling insurance—we’re about building relationships. And what better way to build a relationship than through laughter or sharing common interests?
Five-star, White-glove Service
We often compare The DBL Center to a five-star boutique hotel, with the best in concierge service to meet your every need. We’ve recently re-defined what service means in the insurance industry by providing the best in corporate event entertainment for you and your clients.
At DBL Center Ltd., we’re willing to do whatever it takes to help you grow your book of business. As President of DBL Center, I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to use my talents and my passion to bring more to our clients.
In what ways have you used your passion—for building relationships, for serving people, and for sales—to benefit your clients and partners?
We bet if you think about it, you’ll realize that your career, like mine, was built on a passion for connecting with people.
At DBL Center Ltd. we provide the service and back-office support staff you need so you can focus on those aspects of insurance sales that you really love, making it easier to write business for mandatory DBL, TDB, and TDI coverage in New York, New Jersey, and Hawaii, and increasing your profits through ancillary products.
Let us know how we can help you build your insurance business today.
Three Things You Didn't Know About Enriched DBL Coverage
Everything a small business owner needs to know about DBL and enriched DBL benefits.
NYS DBL Coverage, or Disability Benefits Law, ensures that employees
who are injured, ill, or give birth to a child can take time off without losing all their income. Although disability benefits only pays 50 percent of an employee’s paycheck—and only up to a maximum of $170 each week—it can supplement an employee’s own savings in the event of an illness, injury, or childbirth.
If you’re a business owner in New York State, you a
re required to carry mandatory minimum DBL coverage. You can write your policy through the state, or through a private insurance broker. But there may be a lot you don’t know about disability benefits, and especially about enriched DBL coverage.
1. You can enhance disability coverage beyond the state maximum of $170/week (and even add an AD&D rider).
Did you know that New Jersey state temporary disability benefits (TDB) offer a state maximum of $615/week—more than three times that of New York’s maximum benefit?
If you’re a New York-based business trying to expand your talent pool to stay competitive, it may be difficult to entice New Jersey talent over the bridge to your Manhattan company. Enhancing your NYS DBL benefits package is one way to help level the playing field. For just a very small premium increase, you can enhance your NYS DBL coverage to offer a competitive benefits package.
Adding five times DBL in New York State pays 50 percent of an employee’s salary up to a maximum benefit of $850/week. If you add in-hospital coverage, there is no waiting period for your employees to collect benefits. They will receive basic DBL benefits from the first day of admission. In addition, in-hospital coverage could increase the maximum benefit up to $1020/week.
Adding an Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) rider provides 24/7 coverage for accidents or illnesses, whether they occur off the job or on. Benefit levels range from $50,000 to $100,000. Learn more about Enriched DBL in NY here.
2. Employees cannot collect a paycheck and NYS DBL benefits at the same time.
If you allow employees to cash in their sick time or vacation days to cover an illness, injury or maternity leave, they cannot collect NYS DBL on top of that paycheck. There is a one-week waiting period after their last paycheck before they can collect DBL for up to 26 weeks.
Employees living paycheck-to-paycheck, which includes many families in the New York Tri-state area, have to do some careful budgeting to sustain their standard of living if they are ill, injured, or have a baby. Enhanced DBL coverage can give employees peace-of-mind that if anything happens to them, they can find a way to make ends meet if they’re collecting more than the maximum state benefits.
3. You can write your policies through InsuranceWholesaler.net for white-glove service and savings on other employee benefits, too.
The DBL Center Ltd. makes it easy to bind rates for businesses with less than 50 lives using our Quick Quote Rate Chart. Connect online with one of our top insurance carriers, get quotes in minutes, and bind coverage when you find the plan that fits your needs. A representative will call you to complete the process, and ensure that you’re satisfied with your coverage, pricing, and policy. From enhancing your DBL coverage to making a claim, we are always just a phone call away. You could buy coverage from the state, but you’ll miss out on the white-glove service The DBL Center has been providing our customers for 40 years.
We can also save you money by bundling other ancillary benefits, including vision, dental, and Group Life/AD&D coverage, as part of an enriched DBL benefits package.
We think we’ve covered some of the finer points you didn’t know about NYS DBL Coverage. If you have any questions, reach out to one of our benefits experts. Our enhanced DBL Coverage and white-glove service is just the beginning…
How to Bind NYS DBL Coverage through the DBL Center
InsuranceWholesaler.net website makes it easy to bind NYS DBL coverage in New York for under 50 lives.
Small business owners face the struggle of being the HR director, sales manager, CEO, CFO/controller, CIO—and any other C-level titles you may want to add.
The DBL Center Ltd. is large enough to exceed the expectations of even the biggest corporate clients, including a number of well-known retail chains, with the highest level of white glove service. But we are still considered a small-to-mid-size business—just like many of our clients. And that means we are finely attuned to the unique needs of small businesses. And that means streamlining processes like buying employee benefits.
Most small business owners in New York understand they need DBL coverage. But they don’t want to spend a lot of time shopping around for the lowest premiums or the best service. They want to shop online, quickly and easily, binding the lowest rates they can find from a reputable carrier.
We also understand small businesses from the perspective of our brokers. Insurance is, largely, a volume business. Brokers may invest the same amount of time and energy into selling a 500-life policy as a 50-life policy. But basic math can show you where they are earning the most commission. That means brokers need a fast, easy way to bind the best rates for NYS DBL coverage for small businesses.
For over a decade, The DBL Center has been providing a solution to small business owners and brokers writing DBL policies for fewer than 50 lives in New York.
Making DBL Coverage Easy for New York Small Business Owners and Insurance Brokers
Small business owners need mandatory NYS DBL coverage quickly, without spending too much of time shopping around for the lowest premiums or best service. And brokers need to write mandatory DBL policies in New York quickly and easily to maximize their profits.
That’s where the DBL Center’s Quick Quote Rate Binding Chart comes in.
When we revamped our website, we made a few modifications to make our Quick Quote Rate Chart even easier to navigate and more intuitive to use. But it remains the same popular tools hundreds of our brokers use each week to secure a quote from one of our top carriers for their clients with 50 or fewer lives.
Let us walk you through the quick and easy three-step process.
Three Steps to Binding NYS DBL Coverage for Fewer than 50 Lives
To bind coverage for New York small businesses with fewer than 50 lives:
1. Choose one of our select carriers.
You can read about New York’s top DBL carriers, and learn the key differentiators of each insurance company, here. Our choice carriers include:
- Amtrust
- ShelterPoint
- Guardian
- The Hartford
- Standard Security Life Insurance Company
Each of these carriers has an A- rating or higher by Standard and Poors.
Simply click the button next to the carrier’s name on the chart, and a new box will open that allows you to bind coverage in minutes online, without leaving InsuranceWholesaler.net. You’ll also have the option to enrich coverage beyond the NYS DBL minimium.
Note: In the case of AmTrust, you’ll need to follow the instructions to open a new window on the AmTrust site to bind coverage.
Note: For ShelterPoint, you’ll need to login with your broker credentials first. This also enables you to look up your block of business and issue DB 120.1’s or certificates of insurance
2. Input your broker information and details about your client.
You’ll need to spend a few minutes telling us about yourself and your client. Make sure we have a copy of your updated license. This is important because all commission checks will go straight to you, with your name on the application.
The DBL Center Ltd. provides a white-glove, white-label service. Any correspondence comes to your client with your name and your brokerage information. A copy also comes to you, the broker. We work behind-the-scenes to ensure you and your clients receive the exemplary service you all deserve.
In addition to simple details about you and your brokerage, as well as your client’s name, the company name and type of company, owner name, phone, and address, we’ll need to know:
- Number of Males and Females in the company
- Preferred annual premium
- Employee contribution percentage
- Previous carrier
- New venture
- Effective date
You can even bind a quote online while you have a client on the phone – it’s that easy.
3. Submit your form to bind your quote.
When all the information is complete (hit N/A if you don’t know, don’t have an answer, or need clarification), hit enter to submit the form directly to the insurance carrier. The price quote is now binding, ensuring your clients the low premiums and quality coverage they want.
A representative from The DBL Center Ltd. will contact you within 24 hours with a policy kit.
Save Time, Earn More Commission Online
At The DBL Center, we understand the importance of online outreach, especially for time-strapped small business owners. (Might as well add Chief Marketing Officer or inbound marketing specialist to the many titles a small business owner holds!)
As a result, we are always working to improve the online experience for our brokers and their clients, from the information we share to how we make it easy to get a quick quote for DBL coverage to insure fewer than 50 lives in New York.
Vision Insurance or Flexible Spending?
Give your employees the benefits they need most with vision insurance.
Vision insurance remains an unsung hero in the world of employee benefits. Although more than 50 percent of the U.S. population requires corrective lenses, and 80 percent of the population over 45, employees don’t look for vision care coverage the way they do dental insurance. In a recent study, 53 percent of employees say they want vision insurance, while 68 percent want dental coverage. Employees are more inclined to use their flexible spending account to pay for corrective lenses – often taking advantage of end-of-year sales reminding people to use their FSA dollars or Healthcare Savings Account (HSA) money before it expires. But vision coverage can represent a far greater value to many employees when bundled as part of their ancillary group benefits package.
Vision Insurance: So Much More than Corrective Lenses
Most people think of their vision insurance as a means to pay for their glasses or contact lenses. But annual eye exams are an important part of a person’s overall health. Not only can detecting vision problems early help preserve a person’s vision, the eyes may also indicate signs of other health problems that require a doctor’s care.
Therefore, vision coverage should be part of any workplace that focuses on employee health and fitness to reduce healthcare costs, reduce employee sick time, and improve productivity.
The Eyes: Windows to Your Health
Blood in the back of the eye, which may be detected by an ophthalmologist during a routine annual eye exam, is one of the first signs of diabetes. Additionally, eye exams can reveal conditions such as brain tumors, skin cancer, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other ailments, large and small, before they are spotted by a physician.
Vision Coverage or Flex Spending?
Just like regular dentist visits, a visit to an eye doctor should be part of every employee’s annual health routine. Vision insurance makes it easy for employees to pay for the vision care they need, without taking money away from other areas.
Using flex spending or a healthcare savings plan to pay for vision care means that employees might have to choose between using that money to pay for prescription medicine, doctor’s visit co-pays, or vision care. Offering vision coverage as part of an ancillary benefits package helps ensure employees will invest in that important annual eye doctor visit.
Vision Insurance: A Cost Effective Benefit
As far as insurance premiums go, vision coverage is one of the most cost-effective health care benefits. The Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics states that vision benefit premiums come to about $70 to $80 annually, per employee, while healthcare premiums average $4,256 annually.
Not only is preventative vision care affordable in its own right, but it can help reduce overall healthcare costs through early detection of other diseases.
By bundling vision coverage with other ancillary group benefits, such as dental coverage, enriched DBL, and Group Life / AD&D, employers can save even more on monthly premiums.
Getting the Most out of Employee Vision Coverage
However, vision coverage is only effective if employees use it to get the most out of their vision care. Many employees don’t realize the services their vision insurance covers, or only use it for corrective lenses every two years.
Choosing the right insurance broker to educate you on every aspect of your group benefits plan and provide white-glove service in every situation can help you and your employees get the most out of your vision insurance and other benefits.
Let The DBL Center connect you with the best in ancillary group benefits for better employee health.
Selling TDB Insurance in New Jersey? Tips to Earn More Commission
Insurance brokers earn more with privatized TDB insurance in New Jersey.
New Jersey has some of the best mandatory temporary disability benefits (TDB) in the country for its employees, offering two-thirds of the employee’s weekly wages up to $615 per week for a maximum of 26 weeks. If you’re a New York Tri-state area insurance broker, you may wonder why you’d bother selling privatized TDB insurance to businesses in New Jersey.
Our servicing General Agency works in conjunction with preferred private insurance carriers we represent to find you better rates than the NJ Department of Labor, which fluctuates on an annual basis. But almost more important than the savings, by privatizing your TDB insurance offerings for certain customers and bundling it with other ancillary group benefits, you can lower your customers’ insurance premiums on all their benefits while increasing your commissions.
Sounds compelling, right? 
At the same time, you’ll enjoy a higher quality of service through The DBL Center and our highly experienced back office staff who is here to serve yours and your clients’ needs. We’ll answer questions about claims, and always ensure you’re getting the best value in your insurance coverage for your clients.
Let’s explore some of the ways you can earn more commission with ancillary group benefits and privatized TDB coverage in NJ.
Increase Your Earnings with Group Benefits
It’s no secret that many employees (and employers, for that matter) are upset by the affect the Affordable Care Act had on their healthcare coverage. Increased premiums, higher deductibles, and fewer choices in carriers may cause talented, in-demand employees in competitive fields to hunt for jobs with better benefits.
The only up-side is that ancillary benefits are now an easier sell. Employees might be paying more for healthcare coverage, but they can get a better value on vision or dental coverage – which may have, previously, been part of their healthcare plan.
Insurance brokers can save the day for business owners, CEOs, HR directors, and employees, with benefits that employees want at premium rates they can afford. At the same time, you’ll earn more commission because you’re selling larger benefits packages, without adding new customers. You’ll save time and increase your earnings all in one step, with The DBL Center beside you for support every stepof the way.
Offer Privatized TDB Insurance for More Flexibility and Better Service
When you write NJ TDB policies with a private carrier through InsuranceWholesaler.net, you’ll enjoy the white label, white glove service The DBL Center is famous for. We become your full-service, back-office support staff, while your customers associate the stellar service with you and your firm. Your customers will get more flexibility in how and when benefits are paid, and you can even increase the amount of coverage with just a small increase in premium rates.
Provide It All at Substantial Savings
When you write your TDB insurance policies, plus ancillary benefits such as Group Life / AD&D, long-term disability, short-term disability, Dental and Vision through The DBL Center, you’ll earn additional discounts for your customers, with no extra work by you, the broker. Just like bundling your home phone, cable and internet under the same provider offers you discounts, or writing your home and auto insurance under one policy gives you lower rates, bundling employee benefits nets big discounts, happier customers – and overall higher commissions because you’re expanding your book of business with very little extra work.
If you’d like more information on how privatized TDB insurance in New Jersey can benefit you and your customers, contact The DBL Center.