Name: Higginbotham
Address: US

College Station Employee Benefits

At Higginbotham in College Station, we’re more than a Texas health insurance broker – we’re your partner for employee benefits and insurance. Whether you’re an individual looking for health insurance or an employer wanting to design a comprehensive benefits package for your employees, our goal is to simplify the insurance process and help you find the coverage that best meets your needs and your budget.

Formerly known as Brown & Company Insurance Services, our College Station team became part of the Higginbotham family in 2022, gaining access to additional client resources. Brown & Company was established in 1978 as Richard S. Smith & Associates. Sharon Brown and Bryan Brown joined the firm in 1984 and 2002, respectively, and purchased the agency in 2006 to form Brown & Company.

With over 45 years of service to the individuals, families and businesses of College Station, our office is more than a place of business; it’s part of the community. Our team members take pride in their active involvement in various community events and organizations – because we care about our town and the people and businesses in it.

Meet Our Team

Group Insurance

With a keen understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within our community, our team in College Station is committed to delivering personalized group insurance plans that reflect the dynamic needs of your business and your employees. Whether you’re a small startup or a large corporation, our group insurance options are designed to align with your specific needs, offering financial flexibility through employer paid, contributory or voluntary plans.

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Group Health Insurance College Station

Our health insurance plans are at the core of our group benefit offerings. From HSAs to PPOs, Higginbotham’s medical insurance solutions are designed with your employees’ health and wellbeing in mind. Our group health plans include Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), Premium Only Plans (POPs), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and more. And, we can pursue multiple funding arrangements on behalf of your company, depending on your organization’s size and risk tolerance.

Group Disability Insurance

Unexpected life events have the potential to significantly impact your employees’ ability to work. Our group disability insurance offerings, which can include both short-term and long-term coverage, are crafted to help take care of your employees during difficult periods. By supplementing the disabled employees’ income with benefit payments, disability insurance can help offer support to your team when they need it the most.

Group Life Insurance and Accidental Death

Providing life insurance and accidental death insurance to your employees can be a powerful way to show your team that you value their contributions and are committed to helping their loved ones during the most challenging times. Our customizable plans help offer financial security and support for families facing the loss of a loved one, preventing them from becoming overwhelmed by financial concerns during periods of grief.

Young Patient Talking To Dentist About Dental Health During Checkup

Group Dental Insurance

Group dental insurance plans can cover a broad spectrum of dental care services, including preventive, basic and major dental work. This coverage helps encourage regular dental visits, which may lead to early detection of dental issues and overall healthier employees.

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Group Vision Insurance

Group vision insurance is designed to give your employees access to necessary eye care, from routine eye exams to corrective lenses. Clear vision is essential not just for quality of life but also for job performance, making this benefit potentially invaluable to your team.

Employee Benefits Services

At Higginbotham in College Station, we understand that navigating the landscape of employee benefits can be complex and challenging. Our suite of employee benefits services is designed to help streamline this process by bringing a number of services that would typically require third-party administrators under our roof. Our benefit services include:

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Health Risk Management

Our approach to health risk management focuses on proactive strategies to help enhance the overall well-being of your workforce. By integrating corporate wellness programs, we aim to reduce health-related risks, improve quality of life for your employees and, consequently, lower health care costs for your company. These tailored programs are a cornerstone of fostering a healthy, high-performing work environment.

Employee Benefit Communications

Effective communication is key to ensuring that your employees understand and appreciate the value of their benefits. Our team of graphic designers, copywriters and benefit specialists can help create clear, concise and engaging communications that are tailored to your workforce, giving every employee the information they need to make informed decisions about their benefits.

COBRA Services

Navigating the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) can be daunting due to its complexity and the severe penalties for non-compliance. Our COBRA administration services are designed to help alleviate this burden. Our certified COBRA specialists can send notifications, monitor eligibility, collect premium payments and more, helping to take this burden off your HR team.

Benefit Administration

Higginbotham’s benefits administration services can take the complexity out of managing employee benefits. From open enrollment to FSA administration, our team can help your benefits program run smoothly while giving your HR team the freedom to focus on core tasks.

Employee Benefits Compliance

Health Care Reform: Our benefit specialists can help guide you through the ever-evolving landscape of health care reform, facilitating a benefits strategy that’s both compliant and optimized for your benefit needs.
ERISA: Our understanding of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the minimum standards it sets for retirement and health benefit plans can help your business stay compliant.
Eligibility Notifications: Timeliness in adding and terminating employees is essential, since all eligible employees and their dependents must be added to the employer’s health insurance within 31 days of their eligibility date. Our team can help facilitate these processes to keep your business compliant.
CMS Reporting: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) require most entities that provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare Part D-eligible individuals to disclose whether the coverage is “creditable prescription drug coverage.” We can help you navigate this process of disclosing creditable coverage status to CMS.

Section 125 Plans

A cafeteria plan, also known as a Section 125 plan, can allow your employees to enjoy tax advantages while selecting from a range of benefits that best meet their needs. Participants must be permitted to choose among at least one taxable benefit (for example, cash) and one qualified benefit. Qualified benefits include adoption assistance, accident and health benefits (excluding Archer medical savings accounts and long-term care insurance), dependent care assistance, group term life insurance coverage and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). While cafeteria plans can be a competitive benefit for employees, navigating Section 125 compliance can be difficult. Our team is here to help your employees and your business take advantage of this flexible employee benefit plan.

Individual and Family Insurance

We understand the importance of protecting what matters most: your health and the well-being of your loved ones. That’s why we offer a range of individual and family insurance options. From life insurance to health insurance and everything in between, our team is here to help you find the individual coverage that best meets your needs.

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Medicare Supplements

For those navigating Medicare, understanding all your options is key to securing the best possible coverage. Our Medicare supplement plans are designed to fill in the gaps that may be left by traditional Medicare by helping to cover out-of-pocket expenses like copayments, deductibles or coinsurance.

Individual Health Insurance College Station

Navigating the world of health insurance can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re self-employed, retired or in between jobs, we offer individual health insurance plans that can help keep you and your family protected.

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Life Insurance College Station

Life insurance is a crucial step in planning for your family’s future. It can offer the reassurance that your loved ones will be taken care of financially in case of the unexpected. At Higginbotham, we offer a variety of life insurance options, including term life, whole life and universal life policies, all tailored to fit your life stage and financial goals.

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Individual Dental Insurance

Good oral health is an essential part of overall wellness, but securing dental care can be cost-prohibitive with insurance coverage. Our dental insurance plans for individuals and families can help cover a range of dental services, from routine cleanings to more complex procedures, giving you and your loved ones access to the dental care you need.

Employee Benefits Inspired by You

At Higginbotham in College Station, we pride ourselves on our commitment to community involvement and our client-focused approach to employee benefits. We’re dedicated to providing companies and individuals with professional guidance and support regarding health, life and other insurance benefits.

Get in touch with a member of our team below or call our office directly to see how we can help you protect what matters most.

Talk to Our College Station Team

Meet Our Office Leaders

Bryan P. Brown

Managing Director

Bryan has been part of our team since 2002. He brings over 20 years of experience in employee benefits and individual life and health insurance. Bryan is responsible for new client development and the ongoing oversight of health and welfare plans for employer groups of all sizes and industries. His focuses include insured and self-funded life, health, dental and disability arrangements, as well as consumer-directed concepts such as HSAs. Prior to joining the team, Bryan worked as a group representative for CNA Insurance Companies in Houston.

Bryan graduated from Texas A&M University in 1998. Community involvement is very important to Bryan, and he serves on many committees and boards.

Email Bryan

Sharon Brown-Hickle, CLU

Executive Vice President

Sharon has worked in the insurance business for over 30 years, playing an instrumental role in developing our presence in College Station. Specializing in employee benefits, she concentrates on designing and managing cost-efficient benefit plans, including self-insured programs. Throughout her career, Sharon has focused exclusively on the needs of her clients, which has earned her a loyal client base.

Sharon holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University. She is also a certified Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU). In addition to working with clients, Sharon has served on the board for numerous charitable organization and continually works for the betterment of her community and industry.

Email Sharon