How does Service 1st Benefits support my business during open enrollment?

We personally manage the entire open enrollment process — from educating employees to handling enrollment forms and answering plan questions. Our goal is to make open enrollment smooth and stress-free for everyone.

Can employees contact you directly for help?

Yes. Employees can reach out to us anytime for questions about claims, coverage, ID cards, or plan details. We act as your team’s benefits partner, not just your broker.

What size businesses do you work with?

We specialize in serving small and medium-sized businesses, typically ranging from 1–200 employees. If you’re growing or planning to expand, we help scale your benefits as your team grows.

Do you handle communication with insurance carriers for us?

Absolutely. We take care of claims issues, employee changes, renewals, and any carrier communication so you don’t have to spend hours on hold.

Do you offer voluntary or supplemental benefits?

Yes. We can provide optional add-ons like disability, accident, or critical illness insurance to enhance your benefits package at little or no cost to the employer.

What types of group benefits do you offer?

We provide comprehensive group health, dental, vision, and life insurance options for small and medium-sized businesses. We help you compare plans, handle enrollment, and manage carrier communication.

What information do you need to provide a quote?

We typically need: Number of employees Basic employee census (age, gender, ZIP code) Current plan (if applicable) Desired benefits or coverage goals We keep the process as simple as possible.

Do you charge fees for your services?

No. Our services — including plan comparison, open enrollment, and year-round support — are provided at no additional cost to your business.

What Is PEPM and Why It Matters for Your Oklahoma Small Business

Charlie Hopgood

Jul 15

2 min read

If you've started shopping for benefits administration or a broker relationship, you've probably run into the term "PEPM" and moved on without really understanding it. Here's what it means and why it should factor into your decision.

PEPM Means "Per Employee Per Month"

It's the standard way benefits administration platforms and some broker fees are priced. Instead of a flat fee, you pay a set dollar amount for each enrolled employee, each month. A platform charging $4 PEPM for 40 employees costs you $160/month.

Why This Matters More Than It Seems

PEPM pricing scales with your headcount, which sounds obvious but has real implications:

Growing companies pay more over time — budget for it as you hire, not just at renewal.
It's easy to compare vendors — PEPM lets you do true apples-to-apples math instead of guessing at "enterprise pricing."
Hidden PEPM fees add up — some platforms bundle in extras (COBRA administration, ACA reporting, ID cards) as separate PEPM charges. Always ask for the all-in PEPM number, not just the base platform fee.

Where PEPM Shows Up for a Small Oklahoma Employer

Most commonly, you'll see PEPM pricing on:

Benefits enrollment platforms (like Employee Navigator)
COBRA administration services
Some broker service fees, particularly for self-funded or level-funded groups

For fully-insured small groups, PEPM is usually rolled into your broker's commission and won't hit your invoice directly. But if you're moving toward level-funding or a bigger ancillary benefits package, expect to see PEPM line items more often.

What to Watch For

Ask any vendor: "What's included in that PEPM number, and what's billed separately?" A cheap base PEPM rate with five add-on fees can end up costing more than a slightly higher all-in rate.

Start here: Before signing with any administration platform or broker, get the fully-loaded PEPM cost in writing — not just the headline number.