Benefits by Design
Benefits by Design Insurance Services is a privately held California insurance brokerage founded in 2009, operating from Carlsbad and Larkspur to sell group, individual, Medicare, dental/vision, and travel insurance to small businesses, non-profits, and consumers on a commission-only basis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLarkspur, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Benefits by Design does
Benefits by Design Insurance Services is a privately held, California-based health insurance and employee benefits brokerage founded in 2009 and led by Agency Owner and Broker Pam Morton, who brings over 20 years of corporate health-care insurance experience. The firm operates two physical offices—Carlsbad in San Diego County and Larkspur in Marin County—serving SMB and non-profit clients, individual consumers, and Medicare beneficiaries across California. Its GTM is consultative, sales-led, and direct: free consultations delivered via phone, email, and in-person meetings, with no fees charged to clients.
The product portfolio spans group health, dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary benefits for businesses; Covered California (on-exchange) and off-exchange individual coverage; and a full Medicare suite (Advantage, Supplement/Medigap, Part D, senior wellness). Ancillary lines include travel medical and trip protection, plus administration of COBRA, FSAs, HSAs, EAPs, and Section 125 plans. There is no proprietary technology platform; core operations run on AgencyBloc, an off-the-shelf agency management system.
The economic model is commission-only, paid by insurance carriers at no additional cost to the client—a standard California independent brokerage structure. The agency is licensed to represent essentially every major carrier in the state (Blue Shield, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, Kaiser, United Healthcare, Aetna, Humana, Health Net, Molina, Western Health Advantage, WellCare, Delta Dental, VSP), and supplements health lines with travel partners IMG and HTH Worldwide. No funding rounds, M&A activity, public filings, or institutional investors are disclosed.
Benefits by Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Benefits by Design
- Legal name
- Benefits by Design Insurance Services
- Website
- https://benefitsbydesignca.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Benefits by Design Insurance Services is a privately held California insurance brokerage founded in 2009, operating from Carlsbad and Larkspur to sell group, individual, Medicare, dental/vision, and travel insurance to small businesses, non-profits, and consumers on a commission-only basis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Benefits by Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Insurance Brokerage
- NAICS
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Small Group Health Insurance (2–50/100) (FSAIAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ancillary Employer Benefits (Life/Disability/Accident/Critical Illness) (HLAEAAAK), Commercial Vision Insurance Plans (Employer-Sponsored) (HLAEAJAA), Worksite AD&D Insurance (FSAIAMAE), Worksite Vision Insurance (FSAIAMAH), Accident Medical Expense Insurance (Supplemental Accident) (FSAIALAE)
Keywords
Where Benefits by Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Larkspur
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Benefits by Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Benefits by Design does not charge any fees for services. The company is paid by insurance companies through commissions at no additional cost to clients. This is a commission-based brokerage model where compensation comes directly from insurance carriers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | No-fee advisory service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Benefits by Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Benefits by Design Insurance Services is a California-based insurance brokerage that helps small businesses, non-profits, individuals, families, and Medicare beneficiaries select and enroll in health, dental, vision, life, disability, voluntary, and travel insurance products from multiple carriers. The agency provides free consultative brokerage services, custom-tailoring coverage recommendations across group and individual markets, and is compensated via commissions paid by insurance carriers at no additional cost to clients.
Product overview
Benefits by Design Insurance Services is a full-service health insurance and employee benefits brokerage based in California, offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products and related services. The core offering centers on group health insurance for businesses and individual health insurance through Covered California, supplemented by specialized Medicare products including Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), and Part D prescription drug plans. Additional products include dental and vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, voluntary benefits (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity), and travel insurance. The company also provides administrative services such as COBRA administration, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), and Premium Only Plans. As a broker, the company does not charge fees for services and is compensated by insurance carriers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Group Health Insurance Health insurance coverage for businesses and non-profit organizations, including medical plans and employee benefits administration, sourced from multiple California carriers.
- Individual Health Insurance Health insurance plans for individuals and families, including Covered California (on-exchange) marketplace plans and off-exchange direct-to-insurer options.
- Medicare Advantage Plans Medicare Part C plans that combine hospital and medical coverage with additional benefits such as dental, vision, hearing, and wellness programs, offered to California Medicare beneficiaries.
- Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Supplemental insurance policies that cover costs not paid by Original Medicare, including deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.
- Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans Prescription drug coverage plans that work with Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage to provide medication benefits.
- Dental Insurance Dental coverage including PPO and HMO plans, standalone dental insurance, and discount plans for routine and major dental care.
- Vision Insurance Vision coverage including eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses through VSP Vision and other providers.
- Life Insurance Group life insurance coverage for employees, including term life and whole life options.
- Disability Insurance Short-term and long-term disability insurance to replace income during illness or injury, offered through group benefits packages.
- Voluntary Benefits Employee-paid supplemental benefits including accident insurance, critical illness insurance, and hospital indemnity coverage through payroll deduction.
- Travel Insurance Travel medical insurance, trip protection, and baggage coverage for domestic and international travel, including coverage for expatriates and students abroad.
Quantifiable outcome
- $200,000+ annual savings for a 50-employee private school client
Companies that use Benefits by Design
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Benefits by Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Benefits by Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Blue Shield of CaliforniacoreMajor California health insurance carrier that Benefits by Design represents and sells products from as a licensed broker.
- Anthem Blue CrosscoreMajor health insurance carrier that Benefits by Design represents and sells products from as a licensed broker.
- Cigna HealthcarecoreMajor health insurance carrier that Benefits by Design represents and sells products from as a licensed broker.
- Health NetcoreCalifornia health insurance carrier that Benefits by Design represents and sells products from as a licensed broker.
- Kaiser PermanentecoreMajor integrated health system and insurance carrier that Benefits by Design represents and sells products from as a licensed broker.
- Covered CaliforniacoreCalifornia's official health insurance marketplace created under the ACA. Benefits by Design helps enroll individuals and families in Covered California plans.
- United HealthcarecoreMajor national health insurance carrier that Benefits by Design represents and sells products from as a licensed broker.
- AetnacoreMajor health insurance carrier (CVS Health) that Benefits by Design represents and sells products from as a licensed broker.
- HumanacoreMajor health insurance carrier that Benefits by Design represents and sells products from as a licensed broker, particularly for Medicare products.
- Molina HealthcaresupportingCalifornia-focused health plan provider that Benefits by Design represents and sells products from as a licensed broker.
- Western Health AdvantagesupportingNorthern California health plan that Benefits by Design represents and sells products from as a licensed broker.
- WellCaresupportingMedicare and Medicaid focused health plan that Benefits by Design represents and sells products from as a licensed broker.
- Delta DentalsupportingMajor dental insurance carrier that Benefits by Design recommends and sells dental plans from.
- VSP VisionsupportingMajor vision insurance carrier that Benefits by Design recommends and sells vision plans from.
- International Medical Group (IMG)supportingTravel insurance provider that Benefits by Design recommends for travel medical insurance needs.
- HTH WorldwidesupportingTravel insurance provider for group travel, ex-patriots, and trip protection that Benefits by Design recommends.
- AgencyBlocsupportingInsurance agency management software platform that powers the Benefits by Design website and operations.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Benefits by Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HealthMarkets: National multi-carrier insurance brokerage with a large agent network selling individual, family, Medicare, and small-group health insurance. Most directly comparable in product breadth (multi-carrier access, no-fee model, agent-led distribution) and in serving SMB and individual buyers across California.
- eHealth: Online health insurance marketplace and broker offering individual, family, Medicare, and small-group plans from multiple carriers. Directly comparable because it sells the same major carrier products in California via a commission-based brokerage model, competing for both individual Marketplace and Medicare buyers.
- SelectQuote: Multi-channel insurance brokerage specializing in Medicare Advantage, life, and senior market products. Directly comparable as a commission-based broker competing for California Medicare beneficiaries and small-group clients, though SelectQuote is significantly larger and more marketing-intensive.
- GoHealth: Medicare-focused health insurance brokerage with proprietary technology and a large agent call-center operation. Comparable because it sells Medicare Advantage, Supplement, and Part D plans in California through licensed agents paid on commission, directly competing for the firm's Medicare segment.
- GetInsured: Technology-driven health insurance marketplace and enrollment platform serving state-based ACA exchanges and employer-sponsored benefits. Comparable because it competes for individual California buyers via Covered California and for small-group business, though primarily a SaaS/enablement platform.
Emerging players
- Stride Health: Digital health insurance brokerage for individuals, families, and self-employed buyers, including Covered California marketplace plans. Comparable because it competes for the same California individual-market segment Benefits by Design serves, though Stride is digital-first versus the firm's in-person advisory model.
- Gusto: Cloud-based HR, payroll, and benefits platform serving small businesses with integrated health insurance offerings. Comparable as a competing channel for California small-group employee benefits selection, though Gusto's primary positioning is HR/payroll with insurance as an embedded feature.
Broad incumbents
- OneDigital: Large national employee benefits and insurance brokerage serving mid-market and SMB employers with group health, retirement, and voluntary benefits. Comparable as a multi-state benefits broker serving small-group California employers, but far larger and broader in scope than the subject firm.
- Brown & Brown Insurance: Large publicly traded insurance brokerage and benefits consulting firm with national presence including California operations. Comparable as a competing benefits broker for California small-group employers, though much larger and offering property/casualty as well.
Regional players
- CalChoice: California-only private health insurance exchange serving small-group employers with multiple carrier options. Directly comparable as a competing California small-group distribution channel Benefits by Design recommends to clients, though CalChoice operates as an exchange rather than an advisory broker.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Benefits by Design social profiles
Digital presenceBenefits by Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Benefits by Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Benefits by Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Benefits by Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Benefits by Design
What does Benefits by Design do?
Benefits by Design Insurance Services is a California-based insurance brokerage that helps small businesses, non-profits, individuals, families, and Medicare beneficiaries select and enroll in health, dental, vision, life, disability, voluntary, and travel insurance products from multiple carriers. The agency provides free consultative brokerage services, custom-tailoring coverage recommendations across group and individual markets, and is compensated via commissions paid by insurance carriers at no additional cost to clients.
Is Benefits by Design a public or private company?
Benefits by Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Benefits by Design founded?
Benefits by Design was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Benefits by Design based?
Benefits by Design is headquartered in Larkspur, United States, in the North America region.
How does Benefits by Design make money?
One revenue line is on record: insurance Brokerage Commissions.
Who are Benefits by Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HealthMarkets, eHealth, SelectQuote, GoHealth and GetInsured. Emerging players are Stride Health and Gusto. Broad incumbents are OneDigital and Brown & Brown Insurance. CalChoice is listed as a regional player.
Does Benefits by Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Benefits by Design.
What industry is Benefits by Design in?
Benefits by Design's product category is Insurance Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAIAFAD, Small Group Health Insurance (2–50/100), with a secondary code of HLAEAAAK, Ancillary Employer Benefits (Life/Disability/Accident/Critical Illness). Its NAICS code is 524210 and its SIC code is 6411.