Burnham Benefits Helps Clients Prepare for Looming "Play vs. Pay" Requirements

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - Jun 10, 2013) - Burnham Benefits Insurance Services, one of the largest employee benefits brokerages in California and one of the few to specialize solely in strategic employee benefits consulting and brokerage services, is stepping up to help California clients develop solid strategies to comply with the "play vs. pay" requirements of the Healthcare Reform Act by the January 1^st deadline. Play vs. pay is the shared-responsibility payment mandate that requires employers to provide compliant healthcare coverage ("play") or potentially be assessed a penalty ("pay").

To avoid being assessed a penalty, companies must provide health care coverage that meets the Healthcare Reform Act's requirements for affordability and minimum value. They must also offer coverage to all their employees who work on average at least 30 hours a week -- a process that requires careful attention to the hours worked by certain employee groups. In particular, those employees whose hours have the potential to fluctuate from week to week, such as employees within the education, food service, hospitality, and retail industries, present real challenges for employers. Burnham's in-house team of Healthcare Reform Experts -- including Vice President, Director of Compliance, Richard Asensio and Healthcare Reform Specialist, Ryan Meissner -- are helping firms address these challenges and ensure compliance with the Healthcare Reform Act. Team members assist employers in developing policies and procedures in order to have the required and necessary controls in place to maintain ongoing compliance. In addition, they utilize tools, such as predicted employee-behavior modeling to assist employers with cost forecasting. Burnham also helps guide clients in developing strategies to mitigate their financial exposure to liabilities and noncompliance penalties in ways that are in line with organizational objectives and the requirements of the Healthcare Reform Act.

"Burnham has been in front of the healthcare reform legislation from the beginning, and we have continually broadened our expertise to provide the many resources clients can tap into to limit their liabilities and continue to offer affordable coverage options that protect their employees," says Kristen Allison, founder and CEO of Burnham Benefits Insurance Services and a 30-year veteran of the employee benefits industry. "This is an incredibly time sensitive issue to our clients, and therefore to us. We've amassed the knowledge and resources to offer much needed peace of mind and step-by-step guidance to usher clients through these important changes."

There are too many angles to leave strategy to chance. Savvy business leaders are entrusting experts like those at Burnham Benefits to navigate the legal complexities and assemble the many resources that it takes to formulate macro- and micro-level strategies in order to maintain a strong position. For more information about crafting a comprehensive compliance strategy, visit www.burnhambenefits.com or call (800) 391-6812.

ABOUT BURNHAM BENEFITS INSURANCE SERVICES: Based in Irvine, Calif., Burnham Benefits Insurance Services Inc. is a leading employee benefits brokerage in California, and one of the few to specialize solely in employee benefits insurance. Kristen Allison, CEO of Burnham Benefits and a 30-year industry veteran, acquired the firm in 1995 from John Burnham Insurance Services, an Orange County mainstay for more than 50 years. Boasting the in-depth industry knowledge and Fortune 500 resources of a large firm, Burnham Benefits prides itself on retaining the flexibility, creativity and consultative service of a boutique. California employers across all industries and in various growth phases trust Burnham to provide the counsel and cutting-edge resources to meet the needs of the unique market. After steady 20 percent annual growth and 97 percent client retention for the past 10 years, the company serves more than 300 corporate clients throughout the United States and manages more than $1 billion in premiums. Working with its colleagues at Burnham Gibson Financial Group, and having the added expertise of in-house underwriters, compliance officers and communications specialists, Burnham Benefits provides an integrated approach to managing a client's full spectrum of employee benefits. Named Best Place to Work by the Orange County Business Journal in both 2011 and 2012, the company has four offices in California: Irvine, San Rafael, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, as well as offices in Oregon and the Washington D.C. metro area. For more information, visit www.BurnhamBenefits.com.