EKA Planning Services

What EKA Planning Services does

EKA Planning Services, Inc. is a privately held insurance brokerage and consulting firm founded in 1991 by Elliot Keith Arnold and headquartered in Huntington, New York, with a sister office in Floral Park, New York. The firm serves over 1,000 corporate clients nationally and brokers more than $100 million of employee benefits premium annually, with a specialty in self-insured medical plans. Its primary go-to-market is direct sales through a team of 43 professionals, 27 of whom are dedicated to employee benefits, operating across both an enterprise field-sales motion for employers and an inside-sales motion for individuals.

The firm's core technology is the proprietary Decision Master Initiative Database (DMID), an internet-based decision support system for managing group medical plans. DMID combines Health Plan Management Reports (33 exhibits plus ~68-page benchmarked full reports), drag-and-drop Ad Hoc Analysis on claims history, high-cost claims, hospital utilization, and pharmacy/specialty drugs, and a Plan Design Modeling tool that simulates the impact of deductible, copay, and coinsurance changes. Supporting products span the full employer benefits stack (medical HMO/PPO/HDHP-HSA, dental, vision, group life and AD&D, short- and long-term disability, supplemental/voluntary benefits, retirement plans through HUB Retirement Services, and pharmacy benefits via multi-PBM comparison across Express Scripts, Caremark, Medco, ProAct, Southern Scripts, and Cap Rx) and individual lines (term, whole, universal, variable, indexed, and survivorship life, individual disability, long-term care, Medicare, annuities, and buy-sell/key-person arrangements).

Revenue is generated primarily through insurance brokerage commissions on brokered premium (medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement products), supplemented by fees for consulting, strategic planning, benefits administration, compliance, data analysis, and HR technology services. Securities and investment advisory services are offered through a partnership with Cetera Advisor Networks LLC (FINRA/SIPC), and the firm operates related entities including EKA Brokerage Services, Inc. (est. 1993) focused on corporate health and welfare benefit programs. Pricing is quote-based and engagement-by-engagement, with a third-party COMPULIFE integration powering instant life insurance quoting on the website. The firm maintains existing business relationships with every A-rated carrier in the Tri-state area and positions itself to support both regional SMB and national enterprise clients via a consultative sales approach and scheduled consultations (Calendly).

Name

EKA Planning Services

Legal name

EKA Planning Services, Inc.

Website

https://ekaplanning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EKA Planning Services is a privately held insurance brokerage and consulting firm founded in 1991, serving over 1,000 corporate clients nationally with employee benefits, retirement, and individual insurance products powered by its proprietary DMID decision-support platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers (524114)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Investment Advice (6282), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAAACAI

Insurance-Integrated Wealth Managers (RIA + Insurance Solutions)

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) & Independent Wealth Managers

SECONDARYFSAEABAH

Annuity & Insurance-Based Retirement Solutions Advisory

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Wealth & Retirement Advisory

SECONDARYFSAEABAE

Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension)

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Wealth & Retirement Advisory

Keywords

• Employee benefits brokerage
• Insurance consulting services
• Group health insurance
• Retirement plan services
• Individual life insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: EKA Planning Services acts as an insurance agency and consulting firm providing employee benefit services. Revenue is generated through commissions from insurance carriers for brokering employee benefits premium including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and retirement products.
2. Consulting and Professional Services: Fees for strategic planning, benefits administration, compliance consulting, data analysis, and HR technology solutions provided to corporate clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

EKA Planning Services is an insurance brokerage and consulting firm that brokers employee benefits products (medical, dental, vision, group life, group disability, supplemental/voluntary, retirement, and pharmacy benefits) for corporate employers and individual insurance products (life, disability, long-term care, Medicare, annuities) for individuals. It augments brokerage with strategic benefits consulting, compliance support, HR tools, and proprietary data analytics via its Decision Master Initiative Database (DMID).

Product overview

EKA Planning Services is an insurance brokerage and consulting firm offering a comprehensive suite of employee benefits and individual insurance products. The core offering includes the Decision Master Initiative Database (DMID) — an internet-based decision support system for managing group medical plans — complemented by strategic planning, professional services, and technology solutions. Employee benefits products span medical (HMO, PPO, HDHP/HSA), dental, vision, group life, group disability, supplemental/voluntary benefits, retirement plans, and pharmacy benefits management. Individual insurance offerings include various life insurance products (term, whole, universal, variable, indexed, survivorship), disability income insurance, long-term care, Medicare services, and annuities. Additional services include custom employer/employee communications, HR tools, actuarial services, and buy/sell agreement consulting. The company serves over 1,000 corporate clients nationally from offices in Huntington and Floral Park, New York.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Decision Master Initiative Database (DMID) Internet-based decision support system for managing group medical plans that detects problems with medical utilization or plan costs, isolates root causes, and creates money-saving solutions; includes Health Plan Management Reports (33 exhibits plus ~68-page benchmark reports), Ad Hoc Analysis, and Plan Design Modeling. Built for corporate employer clients of EKA Planning Services.
• Employee Benefits Consulting Strategic planning, consulting, and technology-based solutions for managing corporate employee benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and retirement benefits. Designed for HR and finance leaders at small, mid-market, and large employers.
• Individual Insurance Services Comprehensive individual insurance brokerage offering life insurance (universal, term, whole), disability income, long-term care, Medicare, and annuities. Sold through consultation with benefits professionals to individuals and small business owners.
• Medical Insurance Plans Health insurance coverage including HMOs, PPOs, fee-for-service/indemnity plans, POS plans, and high deductible health plans (HDHPs) with HSAs, brokered for corporate employer clients.
• Dental Insurance Plans Dental insurance covering preventive/diagnostic, basic restorative, major restorative, and orthodontic services, brokered for employer groups.
• Vision Benefits Comprehensive and customizable vision benefits including eye exams that can detect early signs of health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, brokered for employer groups.
• Group Life Insurance Group life and AD&D protection with term and whole life options, including waiver of premium, accidental death benefit, and portability options for employer groups.
• Group Disability Insurance Short-term and long-term disability coverage providing income replacement during disability, with various benefit periods and elimination periods for employer groups.
• Supplemental/Voluntary Benefits Voluntary benefits including accident indemnity plans, group accident coverage, critical care and recovery insurance, hospital advantage, supplemental hospital indemnity, and cancer care coverage offered to employer groups.
• Retirement Plan Services Retirement planning services delivered with HUB Retirement, including 401(k), profit-sharing, ESOP, and defined benefit plans for for-profit companies; 403(b) and 457 plans for non-profits and governmental entities; vendor benchmarking, forecasting, auto-enrollment, and compliance oversight.
• Pharmacy Benefit Management Services Pharmacy benefits management allowing comparison of PBM providers including Express Scripts, Caremark, Medco, ProAct, Southern Scripts, and Cap Rx, with administrative and dispensing fee comparisons, pharmacy discount negotiations, and rebate programs.
• Life Insurance Products Term life (annual renewable and level term 10-30 years), whole life, universal life (standard, variable, indexed, survivorship), and key person life insurance. Online instant quoting via COMPULIFE integration supports face amounts from $50,000 to $5,000,000.
• Medicare Services Medicare plan options and prescription drug program advisory including Part A (hospital), Part B (medical), Part D (drug coverage), and Medicare Advantage (Part C) alternatives for individuals.
• Long-Term Care Insurance Long-term care insurance covering assistance with activities of daily living, including hybrid LTC products with premium preservation features and traditional LTC policies for nursing home, assisted living, and home care.
• Individual Disability Income Insurance Disability income replacement insurance with true own occupation, transitional occupation, and modified own occupation definitions, various benefit/elimination periods, and optional riders.
• Annuities Annuity products including fixed annuities with guaranteed rates, fixed index annuities linked to market indices, and deferred variable annuities with securities and insurance features.
• Buy/Sell Agreements Business succession planning including buy-sell agreements, cross purchase, entity purchase, trusteed cross-purchase, and wait-and-see purchase arrangements funded with life insurance.
• Key Person Insurance Life insurance protection for businesses against loss from death of key employees, owners, or partners; coverage payable to the employer or business.
• Disability Buy-Out Insurance Business disability insurance providing cash for business owners to purchase a disabled owner's share of the business; benefit periods include lump sum, 24, 36, and 60-month payout options.
• Key Person Disability Insurance Disability coverage for key persons working for the business or owners with less than 51% ownership; coverage payable to the employer or business.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $100 Million of Brokered Employee Benefits Premium
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cetera Advisor Networks LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecurities and investment advisory services are offered through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, a Broker/Dealer and Registered Investment Adviser. EKA Planning Services operates as a separate entity affiliated with this network for investment products and advisory services.
• Express ScriptsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of the leading national PBMs (Pharmacy Benefit Managers) available through EKA's comparison services for pharmacy benefits management.
• CaremarkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational PBM available for comparison and access through EKA's pharmacy benefits management services.
• MedcominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational PBM included in EKA's pharmacy benefits comparison offerings.
• ProActminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransparent PBM available through EKA's pharmacy benefits management comparison services.
• Southern ScriptsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransparent PBM option available for pharmacy benefits comparison and access.
• Cap RxminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransparent PBM included in EKA's pharmacy benefits management program offerings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EKAPlanning
• Xtwitter.com/ekaplanning
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAqvLLp6M-e7S3Gnh7L6Gvw
• GitHubgithub.com/ekaplanning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eka-planning-services-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EKA Planning Services