Hartford Business Journal Special Editions

www.HartfordBusiness.com March 3, 2014 • Hartford Business Journal BP-17 HBJBUSINESSPROFILES An Insurance Advisory Firm 20 Years Young A fter opening their doors 20 years ago in West Hart- ford, The Health Consultants Group (HCG) and The Health Solutions Insurance Agency (HSIA) grew rapidly, and quickly became one of the premier insurance advisory firms in the Northeast. HCG and HSIA provides education and guidance on an array of employee benefits and specializes in the creation of cost-effective designs for group and individual medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life, disability, voluntary, long-term care, employee assistance and association specific programs, Health Reim- bursement Arrangements and the development of wellness initiatives for the workplace. Originally part of St. Francis Hospital and Medical Cen- ter as the Health Choice Insurance Plan the business was purchased by Brien Beakey, HCG/HSIA President, in May of 1994. With over 200 years of combined benefit experi- ence, the employees of HCG/HSIA work as a team and share their knowledge for the benefit of clients. Areas of exper- tise include but are not limited to: funding arrangements, compliance, predictive modeling, health & wellness, Section 125, human resources, strategy development and health care reform. And it is those team members who make all the difference. "Each employee is an important part of our organiza- tion. They bring unique value to our company with knowl- edge, energy, compassion, and tremendous work ethic," says Brien. "Our entire staff treats each client as if they were our only client. Every new product we offer or service we add is done with our clients in mind. We always ask the question: how will this help them, how will this make their lives and the lives of their employees easier?" The Health Consultants Group designs every benefit program with a laser-like focus on each organization's mis- sion, philosophy and objectives – all with the goal of creat- ing and implementing a strategy that not only meets cur- rent needs, but also positions the company for the future. Beakey says, "One of HCG's biggest assets is its ability to design, create, and implement solutions for all companies large and small. In addition, we have the endorsement of many associations throughout Connecticut and Massachu- setts and have designed specific programs for each. Help- ing associations provide strong employee benefit and edu- cation programs to attract membership has been a focus of ours for many years. Our strong carrier relationships help us achieve this." The implementation of the Affordable Care Act present- ed HCG with new challenges – challenges Beakey says the team has met head on and with great success. "The law is vast, and there was a tremendous amount of education required, all of which our agency did with flying colors." Certified in both the individual and SHOP Exchanges and with access to all the insurance carriers, HCG trains their Employee Benefit Consultants extensively on the ins and outs of health care reform. HCG Consultants can pro- vide quote comparisons and creative benefit strategies to help companies save money on insurance premiums with- out compromising the programs offered to employees. Beakey says HCG is fully invested in its clients and will continue to seek opportunities to grow the organization, including looking at acquiring smaller agencies that do not have the resources needed to properly service their clients. "This industry is constantly evolving, and we want to accommodate our clients with providing solutions to the changing environment," Beakey says. "Our goal is to provide each client with the appropriate advice needed to contain insurance costs, keep a quality benefits program in place, educate their employees, and minimize the work associated with an employee benefits program." the Health Consultants Group. Brien Beakey, President (seated left). The Health Consultants Group Address: 40 Corporate Ave., Plainville, CT 06062 Phone: 860-351-0100 Fax: 860-351-0139 Website: www.myhcg.com Number of Employees: 35 Top Executives: Brien Beakey, President; Tony Chandler, Partner; Stephanie DeGrandi, Partner; Beverly Kelly, Partner; Steve Lukin, Partner; Keyne Reid, Partner; Tyler Vartenigian, Partner; John Zawadski, Partner Product or Service: Employee Benefits Advisory Firm Year Founded: 1994 ' ' Our entire staff treats each client as if they were our only client. p h o T o / l i z C A l v i

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