JS Benefits Group · How We Work · Newtown, PA
A Process Built Over 32 Years
and 1,200 Employers.
Every engagement follows the same deliberate path — from a free first conversation through ongoing service that compounds in value each year. No surprises. No handoffs to junior staff. Just a proven process delivered by the team that built it.
- No cost to start - Discovery and analysis are always free
- No Handoffs- Jennifer's team, start to finish
- Data First- Every recommendation is built on your numbers
- No Obligation - You decide if we're the right fit
Our Philosophy
We Don't Sell Benefits.
We Solve Problems.
“Most employers don’t know what their benefits are actually costing them — or what they’re leaving on the table. That’s where we start.”
JS Benefits Group was built on a simple premise: the employer should be the one winning at renewal time, not the carrier. For 32 years, that’s meant bringing a level of rigor, data, and negotiation leverage to every client relationship that most brokers simply don’t.
Our process isn’t a sales funnel. It’s a diagnostic and delivery system. We start by understanding your business — your workforce, your financials, your goals, your pain points. We build a picture of where you are, where you should be, and exactly how we get you there.
Every tool we deploy — GAP plans, HRAs, HSAs, level-funded structures, captives, carrier negotiation — is chosen because it’s the right answer for this employer at this moment. Not because it’s what we sold last week.
And when we’re done with step six, we start step one again. Because the best clients aren’t one-time transactions. They’re 10, 15, 20-year relationships where our value compounds annually.
- J
Jennifer Schaefer
Founder & CEO · JS Benefits Group · Newtown, PA
MBA SHRM-SCP CLU ChFC RHU REBC
The Six-Step
JS Benefits Group Process
From first conversation to long-term partnership. Every step has a clear purpose, a defined deliverable, and a timeline that keeps you informed at every turn.
Discovery &
Free Analysis
We start by listening. A 60-minute conversation with Jennifer or a senior advisor covers your workforce, your current plan structure, your renewal history, your pain points, and your goals. No pitch deck. No product recommendations yet. Just questions and a commitment to understand your situation before suggesting anything.
Benchmark &
Gap Assessment
Your plan doesn't exist in a vacuum. We benchmark your current benefits against industry peers — by size, sector, and geography — and identify every gap between where you are and where employers like you actually are. This is where most employers have their first real "aha" moment.
Strategy
Design
Armed with your data and benchmark, we design your benefits strategy. This isn't a menu of options — it's a specific recommendation for your company, explained in plain language, with the math to back it up. We tell you exactly what we'd do if this were our business, and why.
Carrier Market &
Negotiation
This is where 32 years of carrier relationships do the work. We go to market 90–120 days before your renewal — not 30, not 14. That runway lets us create real competitive tension and gives underwriters time to bring their best number. We don't present quotes. We negotiate outcomes.
Implementation &
Open Enrollment
Once the strategy is set and the carrier is selected, we take execution off your plate. Implementation and open enrollment are managed by your dedicated JSBG team — so your HR department can focus on running your business, not managing insurance paperwork.
Ongoing Service &
Annual Partnership
The engagement doesn't end when the plan goes live. It deepens. Our ongoing service model is what separates a JS Benefits Group relationship from a transactional broker relationship — and it's where our value compounds year over year.
Timeline
What Happens
and When
From first contact to fully enrolled — here’s your week-by-week timeline for a typical new engagement.
Why It Matters
What Most Brokers Do.
What We Do Instead.
Process differences produce outcome differences. Here’s what separates a JS Benefits Group engagement from a typical broker relationship.
Quoting vs. Negotiating
Most brokers collect quotes and present them. We build your actuarial case, create competitive tension between 30+ carriers, and negotiate — not just quote. The difference is often 5–15% of your premium.
Annual Transaction vs. Year-Round Partnership
Product Selling vs. Problem Solving
Junior Account Managers vs. Senior Team
Single Carrier Relationships vs. 32-Year Market Access
Compliance as an Afterthought vs. Built Into Every Step
Year-Round Service
What We Do for You
Every Single Month
The ongoing service layer is where a great benefits strategy turns into a great benefits program. Here’s exactly what your JSBG team does between renewals.
Monthly
Billing & Enrollment Audit
- Carrier invoices reconciled against active enrollment records
- Billing errors and overcharges identified and disputed with carrier
- New hire, termination, and life event changes processed and confirmed
- COBRA qualifying event tracking and notice compliance
- Recovery of overcharges — returned to employer, not absorbed
Quarterly
Strategy Review & Compliance Check
- Benefits strategy review — is the plan performing as modeled?
- Compliance calendar check — upcoming deadlines flagged 30+ days ahead
- ACA FTE count updated and documented for the quarter
- Market and regulatory updates briefed to HR leadership
- Wellness program and utilization data reviewed for level-funded groups
On-Demand
Employee Advocacy & HR Support
- Employee benefits hotline — employees call JSBG, not your HR team
- Claims disputes and denials escalated and navigated on behalf of employees
- Coverage questions answered in plain language, not insurance jargon
- HR team support for complex leave and benefit intersection scenarios
- EOB (explanation of benefits) review for large or unexpected claims
Annual
Renewal Cycle & ACA Reporting
- Renewal strategy launched 90–120 days in advance — not 30
- ACA 1095-C filing review and support before IRS submission
- ERISA notice distribution managed — WHCRA, CHIP, Medicare Part D
- Open enrollment platform, materials, and education sessions managed
- Year-in-review report with cost trends, savings captured, and next-year goals
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Process · FAQs
No. Steps one and two — discovery and benchmark analysis — are always free and come with no obligation. We invest our time upfront because we believe the numbers should speak for themselves. If the analysis shows we can deliver meaningful savings and value, we move forward. If not, you’ve lost nothing and gained a clear picture of where you stand.
For most employers, the full process from initial discovery through plan implementation takes 60 to 90 days. Discovery and analysis typically happens in weeks one and two. Strategy design and carrier marketing runs through weeks three through six. Implementation and open enrollment generally requires four to six weeks depending on group size and complexity. We build a timeline at the start of every engagement so you always know what’s coming and when.
There are no handoffs at JS Benefits Group. The senior advisor who runs your discovery and strategy is the same person managing your account through implementation and renewal. Jennifer and her core team handle every client relationship directly. This is intentional — the institutional knowledge built in step one is what makes steps four through six effective, and that knowledge doesn’t transfer cleanly through handoffs.
Most of our clients came to us with a broker already in place. The question isn’t whether you have a broker — it’s whether your current broker is bringing the same rigor, data, and market leverage we do. A free analysis costs you nothing and tells you exactly what your current plan is costing you versus what it should cost. If your current broker is doing everything right, the analysis will confirm it. If not, you’ll see the gap in hard numbers.
Very little to start. A 60-minute conversation with the decision maker, your current plan documents and carrier invoices, a census file (name, date of birth, zip code, coverage tier), and two to three years of renewal history if available. We handle the heavy lifting from there. You don’t need to prepare a presentation or compile extensive data — we know what to ask for and how to work with whatever you have.
JS Benefits Group is compensated through broker commissions paid by carriers — the same mechanism used by virtually all benefits brokers. This means our services come at no direct cost to the employer. We disclose our compensation fully and proactively, and we’re happy to discuss it in detail during discovery. Our model works because we succeed when our clients succeed: we retain 95% of our clients year over year, which means our long-term interest is perfectly aligned with yours.
Step six is ongoing service, and it’s not an afterthought — it’s where long-term value is built. After implementation we provide year-round employee advocacy (helping employees resolve claims, billing, and coverage issues), compliance monitoring, mid-year plan performance reviews, annual renewal analysis, and proactive strategy updates as regulations or your workforce changes. Most of our clients have been with us for 10 years or more because the relationship compounds in value each year.
Our clients range from 10-life groups to employers with several thousand employees. The process scales — a 25-person company goes through the same six steps as a 500-person company, with the same rigor, just proportional complexity. We work across the full Mid-Atlantic region and nationally for the right engagements, with particular depth in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and New York.
Step One Is Free. Always.
Ready to See What
Our Process Delivers?
The first step costs nothing and commits you to nothing. A 60-minute conversation with Jennifer’s team will tell you exactly where you stand, what you’re missing, and what a different approach could mean for your bottom line.
