What BB&H Benefit Designs does

BB&H Benefit Designs is an independent insurance agency and employee benefits broker headquartered at 109 East Victoria Street in Santa Barbara, California, operating as part of Leavitt Group Enterprises. The company designs and administers custom employee benefits programs for progressive employers, with service offerings spanning medical, dental, vision, voluntary products, wellness, executive and professional liability, HR support, health care reform compliance, plan development, underwriting, and small group solutions. Its customer base is concentrated in three segments: nonprofit organizations (the primary segment), healthcare providers, and small to mid-size businesses, with operating geographies limited to California and Texas.

The company's core technology is a benefits administration workflow built around Employee Navigator, an integrated platform that connects to client payroll systems to automate enrollment and feed off hiring and termination events. A client-facing portal provides HR resources, an insurance glossary, and self-service tools. The business is relationship-driven, with a named team of experienced benefits professionals (including Marice McKeegan, Taylor, Deborah, Vanessa, Ana, Kaija, and Danielle) serving as dedicated account managers embedded with client HR departments. Multiple client testimonials document continuous relationships spanning 6 to over 20 years, underscoring the firm's positioning as a long-term strategic partner rather than a transactional broker.

Revenue is generated through insurance brokerage commissions earned from carriers for placing group benefits coverage, with revenue model classified as transaction-fee. Pricing is customized per employer based on size, industry, coverage requirements, and carrier selection, with no publicly disclosed standard tiers. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct outreach, referrals from existing clients, and a website-based Request a Quote funnel, supplemented by a Leavitt Group newsletter.

Name

BB&H Benefit Designs

Legal name

BB&H Benefit Designs

Website

https://bbandh.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BB&H Benefit Designs is a Santa Barbara-based independent insurance agency operating as part of Leavitt Group Enterprises, designing and administering custom employee benefits programs for nonprofits, healthcare providers, and small-to-mid-size businesses across California and Texas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employee Benefits Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Worksite AD&D Insurance (FSAIAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Voluntary/Worksite AD&D Insurance (Employee-Paid) (FSAIALAB), Commercial Vision Insurance Plans (Employer-Sponsored) (HLAEAJAA)

Keywords

• Employee benefits brokerage
• Group health insurance
• Benefits consulting services
• Voluntary benefits products
• HR support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: BB&H Benefit Designs generates revenue through commissions from insurance carriers for placing employee benefits coverage including medical, dental, vision, and voluntary products. The company acts as an intermediary between employers and insurance providers, earning commissions on policies placed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

BB&H Benefit Designs is an independent insurance agency that designs, markets, and services custom employee benefits plans for progressive employers. It acts as a broker between employers and insurance carriers, providing group health, dental, vision, disability, life, voluntary, and executive products, alongside consulting, plan design, underwriting, wellness, and HR support services.

Product overview

BB&H Benefit Designs operates as an independent insurance agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of employee benefits solutions and business insurance services. The core offering centers on custom employee benefits plan design and administration, complemented by specialized service modules including Executive & Professional Liability, HR Support Services, Wellness, Health Care Reform compliance, Voluntary Products, Underwriting, and Plan Development & Design. The company also provides an integrated Client Portal platform for HR resource access and benefits management. Their coordinated approach combines strategic planning expertise with comprehensive benefit administration for progressive employers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employee Benefits Brokerage Services Custom design, placement, and ongoing servicing of group employee benefits plans for progressive employers, including group health, dental, vision, disability, and life coverage. Includes consultation, plan design, renewal management, and dedicated account management. Acts as an intermediary between employers and insurance carriers.
• Plan Development & Design Consultative service that builds and structures a customized group benefits plan aligned to the employer's workforce, budget, and strategic goals.
• Underwriting Services Underwriting support to evaluate, price, and structure group benefits coverage for employer clients.
• Small Group Benefits Specialized benefits brokerage and plan design for small employer groups.
• Voluntary Products Voluntary (employee-paid) benefits products offered alongside core group benefits, including supplemental coverage that employees can elect.
• Wellness Programs Wellness program design and administration for employers as part of their benefits package.
• Executive & Professional Liability Executive and professional liability coverage placement for employer clients.
• Communications & Online Services Benefits communication and online services to help employers educate employees about their benefits package.
• Expanded Business Solutions Broader business solutions offered to employer clients beyond the core benefits package, addressing additional risk and HR needs.
• HR Support Services HR support services that augment the employer's internal HR function, acting as an extension of the HR department.
• Health Care Reform Advisory Advisory support on Health Care Reform compliance and implementation for employer clients.
• Individual Plan Services Individual insurance plan services offered to individuals seeking coverage outside of an employer group.
• BB&H Client Portal Online portal for employer clients and their employees to enroll in benefits, manage benefits administration, and access HR support resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• $100,000+ annual savings in payroll and HR overhead by outsourcing benefits administration
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Employee NavigatorcoreTechnology or IntegrationEmployee Navigator is an integrated benefits administration platform that BB&H leverages to integrate with client payroll systems. This integration automates enrollment processes and feeds directly from hiring and termination processes, creating time savings for HR departments. BB&H recommends and supports this technology for their clients seeking streamlined benefits administration.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Gallagher is a global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with a substantial employer benefits, HR consulting, and actuarial practice. While much larger and broader than BB&H, it competes for the same commercial and nonprofit benefits accounts and represents a key incumbent competitor in the category.
• Marsh McLennan (Marsh & Mercer): Marsh is a global insurance brokerage and Mercer its consulting arm, collectively offering large-scale employee benefits brokerage, consulting, and administration to mid-market and enterprise employers. They are a broader incumbent whose benefits practice overlaps BB&H's offering for mid-size commercial accounts.

Others

• Leavitt Group Enterprises: Leavitt Group is the parent organization and diversified insurance brokerage conglomerate under which BB&H operates, providing national carrier access and back-office resources. While not a competitor, it is the relevant ecosystem entity that frames BB&H's positioning and is itself a network of independent insurance agencies in the same business.

Direct peers

• Lockton Companies: Lockton is one of the largest independent US insurance brokerages with a major employee benefits practice serving mid-market and large employers. Its focus on benefits advisory and carrier negotiation for commercial and nonprofit employers puts it in direct competition with BB&H.
• OneDigital: OneDigital is one of the largest US employee benefits-only brokerages, serving mid-market and large employers with benefits advisory, tech-enabled administration, and HR consulting. It directly competes with BB&H in the same mid-market employee benefits space and represents the scale-leader in the niche BB&H targets.
• NFP: NFP is a US insurance brokerage and benefits consulting firm operating across P&C, employee benefits, and wealth management with a strong nonprofit, healthcare, and public-sector client base. Its benefits practice directly competes for the same employer segments BB&H serves, making it a highly comparable independent brokerage peer.
• Brown & Brown Insurance: Brown & Brown is a large US insurance brokerage with a dedicated employee benefits division serving mid-market and large employers. Its benefits practice and regional office model closely mirror BB&H's brokerage-plus-local-touch positioning.
• USI Insurance Services: USI is a large US insurance brokerage with a substantial employee benefits practice serving mid-market employers across commercial, nonprofit, and healthcare sectors. Its benefits consulting, proprietary analytics, and carrier relationships overlap directly with BB&H's core employee benefits brokerage offering.
• Hub International: Hub International is a large North American insurance brokerage offering employee benefits alongside P&C through regional offices. Its model of combining local account teams with national carrier leverage is highly analogous to BB&H's Leavitt Group-affiliated structure.

Regional players

• Keenan & Associates: Keenan is a California-based insurance brokerage and consulting firm specializing in employee benefits, retirement, and risk management for public agencies and commercial employers. It is a regionally comparable California benefits peer to BB&H, with a similar niche focus but a different primary client segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bb-h-benefit-designs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 BB&H Benefit Designs