Broker of record

Keep your plan. Change who answers the phone.

A Broker of Record letter reassigns which licensed broker services your existing California group plan. Same carrier, same rates, same network, same cards in your employees’ wallets. Four minutes of your time — we handle the 7 to 14 days with the carrier.

$0Commission is already inside your filed rates. Switching costs nothing.
4 minYour part: one short form and one signature.
7–14 daysCarrier processing time. Our part, not yours.
0Changes to your plan, rates, network or effective date.

Why employers switch

Almost nobody switches brokers because of price — they can’t. California small-group premiums are community-rated and filed with the state, so the rate is the rate whichever broker holds the account. People switch because of service: a renewal that arrived with no strategy attached, a claim nobody helped with, a call that went to voicemail in the week it mattered.

Industry research puts numbers on how common that is. In a 2025 survey of roughly 1,900 employers, 43% expected to change benefits brokers within two years, and the share saying they had no plans to switch collapsed from 31% to 18% in a single year. A separate 2026 survey of small and mid-sized employers found 53% had considered switching but never followed through — usually because the mechanics looked like more trouble than the frustration was worth.

They aren’t. Here is the entire process.

What actually happens, and when

  1. TodayYou

    You sign one letter

    We send a Broker of Record letter pre-filled for your carrier. You check the company name and policy number, type your name, and submit. That is the whole of your involvement, and it takes about four minutes.

  2. Day 1Us

    We file it with your carrier

    Each carrier has its own form, its own submission channel and its own cut-off rules — Kaiser wants the letter dated the first of the month and received within five business days; Covered California for Small Business works to an eighth-of-the-month cutoff. We handle all of that. Your employees notice nothing, because nothing about their coverage changes.

  3. Days 2–14Carrier

    The carrier processes the change

    Most carriers take 7 to 14 business days and notify both the incoming and outgoing broker. Your existing broker generally has a short window to contest it. Throughout, your plan is live and unchanged — this is a records change, not a coverage change.

  4. Week 1–2Us

    We set up the software you were never given

    Employee Navigator for enrolment and compliance, configured and paid for by us. Deduction feeds into the payroll system you already run — Gusto, ADP Workforce Now, Paychex — so payroll stops being a spreadsheet. HealthJoy in every employee’s pocket so HR stops being the benefits help desk. None of it costs you anything on top — it comes with the broker.

  5. At renewalUs

    The part you actually changed brokers for

    We re-shop every carrier we hold an appointment with, argue your increase down before it reaches you, and put the options in front of you with our commission printed on each one. That is the difference between a broker who placed your plan once and a broker who works it every year.

What changes and what doesn’t

Stays exactly the same

  • Your carrier and plan design
  • Your rates and renewal date
  • Your provider network and doctors
  • Employee ID cards and member numbers
  • Deductibles already met this year
  • Anyone mid-treatment stays mid-treatment

Changes

  • Who picks up when you call
  • Who runs your open enrolment
  • Who fights your renewal increase
  • Whether you get benefits software at all
  • Whether you can see what your broker is paid
Start the switchTell us your carrier and we will send the right letter for it, pre-filled. Four minutes, no cost, and you can change your mind before it is filed.
Start the 4-minute switch →

Questions employers ask before switching

Do I have to wait for open enrolment or my renewal? No. A Broker of Record change is administrative, so it is not tied to your plan year. You can do it in any month.

Will my current broker find out? Yes — the carrier notifies them, and they usually have a short window to contest. That is normal and expected. You do not need to have the conversation first if you would rather not, though many employers prefer to.

What does it cost? Nothing, and there is no version of this where it costs something. Commission is a filed component of your premium, so the money is being paid either way. In California small group it runs about 5% of premium on medical. The only question is who earns it.

What if it doesn’t work out? The same letter works in reverse, and you can send one whenever you like. There is no contract, no term and no exit fee — which is rather the point.

Sources

Broker-switching intent: McKinsey 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey (approx. 1,900 employers), reported with the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers. Considered-but-did-not-switch figure: Morgan Health 2026 survey of 1,023 small and mid-sized employer benefits decision makers. Commission rate: Blue Shield of California 2026 Commission Schedule and Covered California for Small Business Exhibit F. Carrier processing times: published Broker of Record guidance from Blue Shield of California, Kaiser Permanente and Covered California for Small Business. Timelines vary by carrier and are not guaranteed.

Four minutes of your time. We handle the rest.

Keep the plan your employees already know. Change the service behind it.

Start the 4-minute switch → Call 562-COVWELL