Health Insurance in Logistics with Roland Brewer, Realm Health
This week on Industry Insights with Route Consultant, we're joined by Roland Brewer, President + Co-Founder of Realm Health. Roland shares his unique journey from being a golf professional to leading an innovative health insurance company. He discusses the challenges and strategies in providing affordable benefits to FedEx contractors, the importance of business succession planning, and Realm Health's continuous efforts to cater to the evolving needs of small business owners in the logistics industry.
Learn more about Realm Health at https://realmhealth.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/realm-health/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realmhealthforu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Realmhealth4u
About Roland Brewer
With over 30 years of experience in the insurance world, Roland Brewer brings passion to his ability to see problems and create solutions for his clients. In finding an industry that most of the insurance world overlooked, Roland has built relationships and added value to FedEx P&D owners for over 5 years with his ability to offer a product that works for everyone.
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Josh Gregory: [00:00:00] Welcome to Industry Insights with Route Consultant, your front row seat to the fast moving world of logistics and beyond. Each week, we bring you game changing insights, real world strategies and fresh perspectives to fuel smarter investments and build stronger businesses. Join us as we sit down with expert guests to explore emerging trends and pressing topics across a wide range of industries.
This is industry insights.
All right. We have Roland Brewer here with Realm Health. It's a pleasure to have you, Roland, and I think we're a little closer to your backyard than we normally are, so
Roland Brewer: Yeah, we are, we are. This was, uh, it was about a three and a half, four hour drive. Yeah. So it, it, yeah. So not so
Josh Gregory: bad as, as opposed to coming all the way down to Nashville.
So thank you for being here and, and kind of talking through your story.
Roland Brewer: Uh, hey, thank you for having me. Yeah. Uh, as always, I mean, anytime I can. Be at one of y'all's events. It's, it's great. So, perfect. It's been really good.
Josh Gregory: If you could describe Realm Health in just a quick phrase or sentence,
Roland Brewer: how would you do it?[00:01:00]
Realm Health in a quick phrase. Uh, insurance is our business. Service is our passion.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. So we'll get into Realm Health and what all that means, but Sure. I don't think that's where you started, so, no. You know, coming outta, you know, your early years, where was your initial career taking you? I
Roland Brewer: don't know if we want to go back that far, but, um.
Uh, I will say this funny story. Yeah. 'cause um, my wife, uh, after our kids were grown and we moved away from San Marcos, Texas. Mm-hmm. We lived up in Dallas, and when we'd go back and visit, one of the things that she would make sure she said was when we would drive into our college town Yeah. San Marcus, she would literally go.
Um, kids, this is where dad went to school and she had pointed at the river in the beach volleyball courts, and she said, and this is where mom went to school and it was the actual university. So, uh, that, that's that. I mean, she did it every time we would drive into town as she wanted to set the standard uhhuh.
So, uh,
Josh Gregory: yeah,
Roland Brewer: but. Um, you know, I obviously, I did not fully [00:02:00] expect to ever be an insurance person. I think the insurance guy is the one that everybody wants to avoid in the room, right? Uhhuh? Yes. So, um, I started off, I was a, I was a golf professional and when I say that. You know, it wasn't the guy that you see on tv.
I, I did play a few back in the day that were Hogan events. Okay. Yeah. But I was a teaching pro. Um, I worked as an assistant and, uh, was at a couple of different courses. In fact, I was at three different courses. But the last one that I was at, um, I actually, that's, that's how I got in the insurance business.
I was at a very exclusive club in Austin. Okay. And, um, it was nothing but retired people. And here's a young guy in his thirties. And I'm like, what is this guy doing here? Yeah. You know, like he's here during the middle of the day and I am like, and he had wads of cash. And I'm like, what? What does this guy do?
Yeah. And he actually told me he did 4 0 3 B's. And I'm like, I, yeah. Okay. And that doesn't
Josh Gregory: answer
Roland Brewer: the question. No. So come to find out that was. That was, you had to have an insurance license. Mm-hmm. [00:03:00] And so, um, that's how I got into business. And I worked in school districts, um, talking to teachers about alternative investments.
Okay. And so that was a little over 30 years ago now, so, uh, so it's
Josh Gregory: been a few years now. Yeah. Just
Roland Brewer: Do you still golf, huh? Um, I do whenever I can. Yeah. But, um, again, I have to come to all of y'all's events, so I really don't have time. We're taking
Josh Gregory: all your weekends, right? Yeah,
Roland Brewer: yeah. Um, actually, I, I, I play a few tournaments.
Just when people ask for four man scramble stuff. Okay. I do it for fun. I, I just hardly ever play anymore. Yeah. I don't really have time. Okay.
Josh Gregory: But they know that they can count on you for the, for the right tournament. They'll, they'll pull you out. Yeah.
Roland Brewer: Yeah. Well there has to be, you know, there has to be some incentive.
I need tequila there, uhhuh, you know, that kind of stuff. They also know how to
Josh Gregory: get you out there. Yeah, exactly. And,
Roland Brewer: and then I'll go, yeah, sure.
Josh Gregory: So, so you find this guy, you find the insurance space, you know, was it all roses from there?
Roland Brewer: No, no. In, in, in fact, it wasn't, um, you know, I, I, [00:04:00] I learned it was, it was really interesting.
I, I learned how to and how not to control money. Mm. Both ways. Mm-hmm. Um, I, I, once I learned the business and I started making a little money, I went from truly in the golf business. I was making 12 five. Yeah. Married. Yeah. My wife. Quit working after six months and said, we're, we're gonna have kids and you know, I wanna stay at home.
So naturally again, I'm like, okay, great. But the concept at that young age just didn't hit me. Mm-hmm. So all of a sudden I'd go make $10,000 in, you know, in commissions basically. And. Next thing you know, I didn't work for a few days, few weeks because I'm like, I just made $10,000. This is pretty good. Yeah.
And made my whole previous year and the cycle continued to kind of go, oh, wait a minute, you gotta work steady. Yeah. And so it taught me a lot Yeah. Back then. And. Uh, it's, it, it was good, but yeah, rough times. Rough times for sure. And, and also really [00:05:00] good times. So,
Josh Gregory: yeah. So you started to kind of stabilize and, and progress through there.
Where did your insurance career take you next? Like where was the next big step for you? Yeah,
Roland Brewer: so, well, the next thing, uh, actually. I went to, to learn more in the estate planning side. Okay. I had met a guy that actually he found me, had heard about me speaking at, at different teachers events and schools.
Uh, so he came to me and said, Hey, I want to teach you the estate planning side. Would you be interested? And, and, and I was, and again. Extremely young looking at that time. And the one thing that he told me is like, okay, you can't dress now like you're going into the schools. You actually have to put on a suit, a tie.
You have to look like the banker. Yeah. And so he taught me those concepts. Um, it, it was a good time and then it really. I started recruiting entrance agents to do what I was doing, and I found that I had that niche and so I started building, building up agents that, that were [00:06:00] working for our company.
Mm-hmm. And, and, um, did that for quite a while before I fell into what I would say the more benefits style space.
Josh Gregory: Okay. So at what point throughout all this did you decide, hey, maybe I should do this on my own?
Roland Brewer: Probably about. 10 years ago maybe. Mm-hmm. It, it just clicked. I'm like, you know, I keep doing this for everybody else.
Why don't I do this for myself? And so it was about 10 years ago and, and, um, it's the best move I've ever made. Mm-hmm. Um, it's really, really been a, a, a good journey, that's for sure. Yeah. Uh, and I know this is what I'll do for the rest of my life. I mean, even, even when you have the so-called retired side, I, I, I won't retire.
Yeah. This
Josh Gregory: is, this is the, the dream you've built and continue to, to live out. Yeah.
Roland Brewer: I. I like finding, I mean, the big deal is I, I like finding solutions. Mm-hmm. And so that's what going all the way back to when I first got in the business, 4 0 3 Bs are everywhere in the school systems. Um, but what made it different [00:07:00] is the, the agent who.
Introduced me to this, his was all solution oriented. Mm-hmm. So, ever since then, everything that I've done on the insurance side has been a solution oriented side, even to the estate planning. And there's estate planning, you know, insurance agents all over the country, but it's truly finding that person's needs and finding a solution, not just saying, Hey, you need a, you know, you need a trust, you need some annuities.
Mm-hmm. You know, that's, that's one thing, but. Truly finding the solution.
Josh Gregory: And I don't think that's how many people think about insurance when they're thinking about buying it, using it, or, or even insurance agents. Right? I don't think that's always a common thought. So what's been kind of your mantra as you've worked in this space to try to.
Keep this solutions oriented, not transactional type of relationship in insurance.
Roland Brewer: Well, I think, I think really coming into this very specific space mm-hmm. In this, in this version of a transportation space, the delivery side. [00:08:00] Um, it's a unique. Set of drivers. They're and, and employees. They're, they're not your typical over the road trucker, which, which most insurance companies look at and go, that's a, that's a tough space to insure.
Yeah. Yeah. Uh, from the benefits side, uh, you know, because it's, it's typically an unhealthier market. So whenever we came into this space, we realized that these were different employees, different drivers, uh, the owners themselves. Again, small business owners. I mean, a lot of them, you know, I'd say our average.
Probably group is probably got 20 employees. Mm-hmm. But you know, we have larger and we have smaller. Yeah. But you gotta find something that's really unique for them. And so that's one of the things that we did is we went out and once we understood it, we went to insurance companies, insurance carriers.
Mm-hmm. And said, here's the marketplace and we want to build products around that, whether it's health. Life, dental, vision, whatever it may be. And so they all bought into our concept and [00:09:00] understanding of the industry, and I think we've, we've kind of really taken pride in that. Yeah. Uh, it's, it's been something big for us.
Yeah. I mean, I, I sat, you know, yesterday I was at one of y'all's events and. Um, I wa I was literally sitting in there learning more and more every day. I, I wanna understand what that business owner's going through mm-hmm. Because it's how do we address what they're going through with, with a solution of, of benefits, how, how can I make that work?
Yeah. How do you fit those pieces together? Yeah. So one thing for business owners to understand about insurance, insurance is not. A one-size-fits-all Mm-hmm.
Josh Gregory: So let's take it back just a little bit, you know, what was the trigger where you started realm actually like, you know, realm as it is today?
Roland Brewer: Yeah. So that was, uh, that was about six years ago.
Mm-hmm. Um, you know, we had, we were already riding in the transportation space Yeah. With the, the large trucking companies that are, that are out there, the JB Hunts, the Swift, et cetera. [00:10:00] Um, and when we stumbled upon FedEx ground, we literally had no idea, in fact. A, a young man come running into my office, uh, told me, he goes, oh my gosh, I, I've got this big company.
And I'm like, who's the big company? And when he told me FedEx Yeah. I'm like, yeah, we, we, we can't do that. Can't sell with FedEx. Yeah. And, and I had no idea that there was this whole contractor concept. And so I went to my old business partner, um, and told him about it. So we created, basically, at that point, we created Realm Health.
And so we started. Very much just focusing in this space. Mm-hmm. And so we built everything around that. Yeah. That was six years ago.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. So, so when you found the space, obviously it's great, like you hear there's a lot of opportunity. But what do you think was it about the space, you know, FedEx in particular when you first found it, that made it an attractive market, or thought was something that you guys thought you could really impact?
Roland Brewer: Well. First thing we found out it was underserved. Yeah. Um, we found out that, [00:11:00] um, you know, there's, there's two sides on the, on the FedEx ground side. There's the p and d side and the, and the line haul. On the P&D side, we had found out that there was roughly 95-98 of contractors that were not able to provide benefits.
Mm-hmm. And then on the linehaul side, it was over 70%. Were not providing. And, and that just, we, when we saw that, we said, alright, we've got something and we've got. We've gotta build the solutions for that. Mm-hmm. I, I like to say today, um, we've obviously made an extremely large impact on that and, and it's even open contractor's eyes to understand even if they don't go with us, uh, that it is affordable and there are ways and there are solutions to be able to get so, um,
Josh Gregory: prideful in that.
Yeah. And, and I know that you guys have done a fantastic job in the last six years, but. When you think about that initial barrier of, you know, 98% of contractors are doing nothing, how do you go set it about building a, a product and, [00:12:00] and telling a story that actually starts to open eyes for that community?
Yeah, so I, I think,
Roland Brewer: uh, the, the biggest thing was, it, it was easy for me with the insurance carriers. Mm-hmm. I mean, that, it honestly was, I mean, I showed him the demographic. I showed him, you know. The, just that whole concept and, and all the carriers that jumped on at that time bought into my story, but the harder part was the contractors, because again, they had been facing the same problem over and over, that insurance rates were too expensive.
Mm-hmm. First and foremost, they were too expensive for their employees. Yeah. So nobody was buying. Which kept them from being able to have the participation that they needed because there's participation requirements for most insurance companies. But then the other part was not only was it too expensive for the employees, but it was too expensive for the contractors.
Mm-hmm. I mean, the profit margins that they have, um, uh, even though they're good. Um, it, it just, it caused a [00:13:00] problem for them to be able to try to have to contribute that much money. It was, it was cutting way too much into the pocketbook.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. And if you've gotta pay for big, expensive benefits and no one's using 'em.
Yeah. It just felt like
Roland Brewer: a
Josh Gregory: waste of time.
Roland Brewer: Yeah. I mean, we, we always say, and, and, and I've heard you Josh say it too, so, um, you know, if you can. Provide benefits, but if nobody can afford them and nobody gets them then they're not benefits. Yeah. They're just not, they're, they're just a piece of paper somewhere, so they're an expense
Josh Gregory: and that's it.
And I think that's really how people thought about it, is just this is a line item that I get no value out of. Yeah. That's that's true. That, that's a great, that's a great point. It was just
Roland Brewer: an expense. Yeah.
Josh Gregory: Was too expensive. So what was, how did you start to see the, the mines change? Like what were the kind of the, the trigger points you saw for contractors to start to be like, okay, you know what?
This is something that, that can actually provide value for me.
Roland Brewer: Well, I think first and foremost that, um, we created entry points mm-hmm. For the employer and the employee, that, that made it, [00:14:00] that made the concept and understanding for the, for the owner much easier. Yeah. Uh, when I say that it, it was about the participation levels, so.
We didn't have to have 75% of eligible employees. Um, I didn't have to have 50% contribution from the employer. And so being able to go in and tell that story yeah, um, made it extremely impressive for 'em. The other part. I, I think that's important is most of the time when they were looking, they're looking at this major medical-style product that it, it was basically a one-size-fits-all is what they were trying to make it.
Mm-hmm. Well, that's a problem. I mean, when you have, you have different variety of employees. I mean, you might have a. 26-year-old that says the only thing I want is telemedicine. They maybe don't want full-blown health insurance. May maybe they're 25, 24 and they're still on Mom and dad's plan. Yeah, they don't need it, but they would like some benefit of some sort.
So being able to say, look, you don't have to have this one size fits all. [00:15:00] We have a variety of products that you can pick from, and I think that's what truly opened the door. And then last but not least, um, the owner not having to write checks to multiple different carriers. Mm-hmm. It was one place and one place only, which was us.
We diversified all
Josh Gregory: that. Yeah. Yeah. And, and I, I know I've heard you talk about it. A lot before, but I think the other big piece of it is allowing the contractor to actually set what they wanted to contribute and, and basically say, you know, them not having to be the ones to actually pick the plans.
Roland Brewer: Yeah.
Yeah. It's, well, think about it. Listen, insurance is complicated. Mm-hmm. It, it just is so. They're trying to run a business, most of them do not have an HR person. Yeah. Um, or a benefit specialist within their business. So, you know, for them to try to pick plans that, again, they gotta make fit each and every person in their company.
Yeah. That's a difficult situation. Um, so that, [00:16:00] that was, that was a big problem. And, and again, we were able to. To show that solution, I think was a big deal. Yeah. Yeah.
Josh Gregory: So you start to get some critical mass. Uh, did you find what was harder p and d or Linehaul to start to, you know, change minds?
Roland Brewer: Well, um, the p and d was harder to change minds in, in one sense, because again, you had.
98%. Yeah. And, and I would say that, that they have more of a younger demographic. Mm-hmm. So again, it was getting the concept that they do want benefits, but they just might not want a full blown plan. Yeah. Maybe they just want dental. Yeah. Uh, so. Getting them to understand that part. Uh, then on the line haul side, what we had to do, because we, we stepped in immediately to the p and d.
Mm-hmm. And so we were building and ha catching the momentum through that. So then at that point, it was trying to create the products that were more necessary for the Lion Haul side, because again, you just have a dive [00:17:00] demographic. Mm-hmm. The pay scale is different. Profit margins are different. So we, we had to create a, a, a more complex, I'll say, yeah.
Um, product set for them to be able to have. Now they still have access to everything, but I would say that, that, that momentum though, of the p and d side is what really got us going.
Josh Gregory: Okay. For sure. And, and we've kind of glossed over it too, but, you know, what are the actual normal requirements for health insurance that are pretty difficult for a, an average small business owner versus what, what you all have provided?
Sure.
Roland Brewer: The, the main carriers of the world, we, we call it the BCA of the world. Mm-hmm. They, they do have, uh, some criteria and it is typically 75% mm-hmm. Of eligible employees, uh, need to participate. And again, that's eligible employees. That's an important note. Um, and then. Typically, again, they're gonna want 50% contribution from the employer of the lowest premium plan.
So let's say they had a $2,500 or five, [00:18:00] $5,000 deductible plan. If that premium was 500, then that meant the employer would have to do two 50 of that, that that was the, the big entry point there. Then you have the concept that you have to throw in that if they're over, if they're 50 or above. Employees, then the IRS regulations come in.
Mm-hmm. And so at that point, you actually have to contribute, you have to provide a CA qualified plans. And, um, you know, it makes it a, makes it a little different. And then what we did is once we understood that now we have to over 50, we have to abide by the same IRS rules, those, there's a lot more steps to that, uh, probably too much for this conversation, but.
What we realized again is under the 50, being able to tell an employer, look, if you just have two people that buy something, and again, even if they don't buy the health plan, if they just bought life insurance or an accident plan, we don't care. Mm-hmm. As long as there's two, uh, we were allowing them, the carriers were to form a group.
Mm-hmm. [00:19:00] Uh, and then. Uh, the contribution side, we said, look, I don't know your profit margin. I don't know what you have available. So whatever you can afford to help offset those costs for your employees, we're gonna let you contribute. So again, now over 50, they have their rule of what they have to do, but.
Under so that that made that entry point for these contractors much easier to say, okay, I can do that. Mm-hmm. I just can't contribute hundreds of dollars Right. At that point. So, and some could.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. Yeah. But they have the option, and that's really what it's all about, is they've got the flexibility to make it work for their business and their employees without having to do anything crazy.
They just come to you and your team handles the rest. Sure. Yeah, sure. Yeah. And, and, and I think when we think about healthcare and benefits, it's often purely a, okay, this is just gonna help me on recruiting, but I know that one of the big impacts this also has is on retention. So how do you think about it?
What have you [00:20:00] seen impact there? Yeah. So
Roland Brewer: the retention side is, is really the big deal. Um, let, let's start with the line haul side. Mm-hmm. Uh, today. Um, I mean, if you do not have benefits, number one, you're not gonna recruit them But yeah. You're certainly not gonna retain them Mm-hmm. Because there's trucks going up and down these highways every day that on the back of them, you know, you'll see a little sign saying, Hey, we're hiring and we have benefits.
And so it, it's a, it's a crucial point and it, it provides that stickiness both on the linehaul and the P&D side, but mm-hmm. You know, the P&D side, um, there, there's always a revolving door. I mean, there just is, it's a high turnover business, but it's about slowing the revolving door down. And what we have found is by providing benefits that are flexible and affordable for both, yeah, the employer and the employee, that we've been able to show that employers are able to maintain those employees much longer.
So that revolving door has slowed down tremendously.
Josh Gregory: Yeah, and it [00:21:00] is. So much more expensive to have to come in and keep on bringing more employees. So the, the slowing of that door is not just like, oh, that's nice. I keep my employees longer. That is a significant expense saving Yeah. To not have to retrain, rehire, re-recruit all the time.
Yeah. I've heard some, I've heard some,
Roland Brewer: you know, obviously some crazy different numbers. Yeah. Uh, of what it takes to, to hire a person. Mm-hmm. So all the ads to recruit 'em, uh, then you gotta put 'em through the training. Yep. Et cetera. So, uh, that's a, that's an expensive process to that, that, again, you can slow that down throughout the year by providing something far less mm-hmm.
Expensive. Yep. In your in case and it case, and it's an
Josh Gregory: expense that works for your business and just the fact. That they have it and use it means that it actually does provide the retention benefit. That's, that's exactly right. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, 'cause it's not just the expense to bring 'em in, it's the, the efficiency cost that bringing in a new driver, they're not doing the same as the driver that left for at least a few weeks, a few months longer.
That's right. And so it is a, it is [00:22:00] an exponential continuing Yep. Benefit to cont to keep these drivers for longer.
Roland Brewer: Yep,
Josh Gregory: absolutely. So you all have, have come into the space and really, you know, taken it by storm in a lot of ways and changed the way that. Contractors think about healthcare. Mm-hmm. What is it that you think, uh, about realm helps you remain kind of on top?
You know, no one else is coming in and taking all of your market share. How do you continue to differentiate and be the one that's able to provide these benefits?
Roland Brewer: Well, I think number one. First and foremost, us understanding the marketplace, trying to educate ourselves mm-hmm. Through events like, like yesterday.
Yeah. Uh, that, that really help us out to, to understand the pain points, um, the pluses, minuses of the business. But, um, I, I think that's probably the, the biggest thing, first and foremost. Uh, after that. Uh, I would say that then it's us going in and getting with carriers to provide solutions so we're ever, uh, changing.
So we're changing [00:23:00] right along with the contractor. So if this style of products we need to enhance, we go back to the carrier and say, we need enhancements to these products because the demographic's changing. So being able to do that. And then I also say our flexibility, because again, that's, that's been the, the big piece that's been there from day one for us being able to be flexible.
Uh, in fact, you know, on a lot of our contractors, they actually pay a month in arrears. I. Oh, wow. Yeah. So that's a, that's a big deal. Big deal. That's not trivial. Yeah. No. And, and so we've been able to do that. So it's just being able to be concept oriented. Solution oriented, and trying to constantly grow with the industry.
I mean, we we're constantly, every year, uh, we're adding new products. Mm-hmm. Um, I mean, heck. You know, last year, and I don't know if great to jump this far ahead, but you know, last year, I mean, we, we launched a whole business succession planning side of the business. Yeah. Talk about it. Yeah. And again, you know, that that was a, a big piece.
We actually had a [00:24:00] contractor who, uh, started all the way back in the RPS days. Mm-hmm. Uh, passed away and had a hus, I had a wife. Two kids, uh, they were grown. Uh, the children were, they had nothing to do with the business, and the wife didn't have anything to do with the business. Yeah. Next thing you know, he passed unexpectedly.
They lost the business. Yeah. I mean, because nobody had any idea, so. Something as simple as finding out something tragic like that helped us find a way that we needed to provide a solution. And what we found out, nobody was talking business succession planning and business continuity. So, um, so what, what does
Josh Gregory: that mean for a contractor?
What are you helping do there when you say business?
Roland Brewer: Well, so a lot of 'em are, obviously have their attorneys, but, um, it, it's putting something in place so that way, if not only death. But you know, one of the things that's overlooked, what if they become disabled? Yeah. You know, and they can't work in the business anymore.
And a lot of the contractors, it, it really is them. Now, I'm not [00:25:00] saying they don't have a BC that handles things, but it, it's truly them in their, they're the entrepreneur and it lives with them. Listen, it's their families, typically it's their family's largest asset. Correct. So when something like that tragic happens, um, you've gotta have things in place.
And all of us. For the most part, like if I'm in a room, I say, all right, how many of you at least have a wheel for your, for your family? Yeah. And almost all the hands go up, right? Yeah. Um, how many of you have a trust? A little more advanced, a little more detailed, and you know you have hands. I said, but how many of you have something similar that to that?
For your business. And they don't think of it that way. They just think, oh yeah, this is my business. I've got a will. And I'm like, no, you need something very specific for that. Mm-hmm. So, you know what attorneys will draw, buy, sell agreements and, and other legal documents Yeah. That are there. We, we don't do that part.
Okay. Um, but we do provide, so those buy sell agreements have to be. Funded.
Josh Gregory: Mm-hmm.
Roland Brewer: So you're either gonna have cash [00:26:00] to be able to fund it, assets to be able to fund it, or you gotta come up with something else. That's something else, typically is a life insurance style policy. Okay. And so we, we provide those along with the attorneys for the other documents.
Got it. Okay. And then, I mean. Uh, and from that point we even key key person insurance. Mm-hmm. I mean, that was key. Mm-hmm. Uh, so being able to provide that, I mean, to be honest, those first four years, four and a half years, we weren't even providing life insurance for SBA loans And yeah. That's another big deal.
I mean, so, so again, we're constantly trying to add something. Um, our newest on the health side, um, we have some really incredible, uh, deductible copay style plans that are a CA compliant. Um, and I will tell you, I mean, the larger operations, all of the line haul are jumping on plans that are like that. Um, you know, and we've been able to get.
Incredible rates. Uh, the underwriting's really good [00:27:00] on it, and so, um, it's, it's a solid, stable product.
Josh Gregory: Okay. And, and speaking of rates, I know one of your, your big things you always talk about is that your, your rates have remained, your rates for. Years, well now six
Roland Brewer: years.
Josh Gregory: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So how, how is that possible in the insurance space?
It doesn't seem possible. Well,
Roland Brewer: yeah. I, I think it was, again, understanding this demographic. Yeah. Working really well with the carriers. So not always gonna be the cheapest. Mm-hmm. Not always gonna be the most expensive, but it was finding that middle road with the carriers where, where the underwriters were comfortable.
With the demographic. And so, um, you know, making sure that the price points were set right. And, and again, obviously we've, we've done well and, and listen, there's a lot of utilization. There are, there's a lot of utilization. The other piece that we've done, and, and I know I talk about it a lot, uh, with you is it's our advocacy department.
Listen, the advocacy part is extremely key. So that's [00:28:00] helped us manage. So think of this, if we can send a a driver to go get an MRI at a place and we can actually say, Hey look, if you go two buildings down, the MRI is gonna be $1,000 as opposed to $3,000. Right? So if we can help. Pre-negotiate or talk in that way, uh, that helps what the insurance has to actually pay.
Mm-hmm. For that, yeah. For that procedure. So you take that on everything, whether it be doctor visits, MRIs, CAT scans, all the way to. Major surgeries. Uh, I give you another one, um, advocacy department. Uh, one of, one of the drivers was actually having to go have an orthoscopic knee surgery. Okay. So same doctor.
He worked in two different hospitals. The procedure was almost $20,000 difference in hospital B as opposed to hospital. A same doctor. Yeah. Jesus. So it, [00:29:00] it's, it's just understanding those things so that. Saved the insurance company roughly $10,000. Yeah. That was, was a difference. So managing things like that, I mean, 80% of all medical bills Josh, are incorrect.
There's discrepancies on them Um, I mean, it could be as something as simple as they charged you five times for an aspirin. I mean, but, you know, they're, they're wrong. And so having that advocacy team to be able to go out. And I'm gonna use a strong word fight. Mm-hmm. Uh, negotiate whether they're doing it upfront or after the fact.
Uh, it works. Yeah. And, and we do that with, with everybody.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. And not only is that saving money for the actual clients, but I think that, like you've said, is one of the biggest reasons you can keep your rates low, is that you're saving money for the carriers too. Yeah. And they know it. They know you're out there.
Roland Brewer: And it's, it's one of the things, Josh, it's still about reminding. The contractors because, you know, they'll be with you and they'll, they'll forget. I mean, you know, they got a lot going on. So, you know, you get a year out, [00:30:00] two years out and they forget that that benefit's there. Yeah. And, and somebody might get a bill that, that's large and we just say, don't panic yet, I.
We're gonna work on that. And we, and we do. And we have an incredible success rate. I mean, last year alone, I would say we were close to, I mean, it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $5-$6 million in medical savings for our customers. That's amazing. So, yeah. Yeah. I do my work, uh, because I'm truly passionate.
About this industry. I, I love being able to provide insurance benefits and solutions to small business owners, to contractors that, quite frankly didn't think they could afford it.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, I hear it. I've, I've heard this story and I know your story, but I always. Find it a pleasure to kinda see your passion for this space, see how you're building solutions and you know, the estate planning is just a new example of those same types of things where you're building things for what the clients think they need.
Mm-hmm. And for what you're, you're kind of looking ahead to what they need and [00:31:00] don't even know to ask for yet. Exactly. And building that, helping them build that future and protect that future that we're always trying to. Sure. Help contractors reach, you know, build generational wealth is great. Mm-hmm.
But if you don't protect it, then you know, you've lost a lot of that value and, and that hard work. So, yeah. Uh, I, I always appreciate the things that your team and realm are, are doing for this community and, and the products that you guys. Built for this team.
Roland Brewer: Well, thank you that that goes both ways. I mean, the, the education that you provide to these contractors, the content to be able to help them understand whether they're gonna be a new investor or whether they're already in the business is invaluable.
And, um, again, I even learn something as a vendor. I try to sit in the sessions as much as I can, uh, because again, it's, this is my passion. Mm-hmm. Um, this is our space. And I'm not gonna say we don't do other things. Yeah. But, but this is really our pa our space. Yeah. You're not
Josh Gregory: going anywhere, so No, we're not going anywhere.
Uh, for sure. Perfect. So the, the last question I always like to ask people is, you know, favorite movie, [00:32:00] favorite TV show you're watching right now? You can choose either one. Whatever pops up, you know. All right.
Roland Brewer: Well. All right. So my wife and I typically watch something together. Yeah. So I, let me back up. So we had never watched a series until a few years ago.
One of these long going series. We watched Bloodline, we loved it. I still haven't
Josh Gregory: watched it is apparently great. Yeah, it is.
Roland Brewer: It is really, really good. Yeah. But that hooked us on series, uh, obviously, I mean Yellowstone, those kind of things. But I'm watching one right now. My wife's been outta town taking care of the grandkids, so I started it.
I was gonna say, does she know you started it? She does. Uh, but it's one that she will not like because it, it can get kind of violent. Yeah, I know those shows
Josh Gregory: where it's like, I've made the executive decision. I'm watching this without you. Yeah. So,
Roland Brewer: so now I've discovered I have a show that I'm gonna watch whenever I'm traveling to events.
Oh, okay. Yeah. And, uh, it's, it's line SINS, so I,
Josh Gregory: yeah, that, that's one of those shows that, what is it, peacock or y Yeah, yeah. Or Paramount. No, it's on Paramount Plus. I swear that there's shows like that that have [00:33:00] studded like, you know, star studded cast that just appear, yeah, there's just too many streaming networks now, but I hadn't watched it yet, so it's good to hear that it's, yeah.
It's worth checking out. It's, it's actually good, but
Roland Brewer: I will say it's very, very violent. I mean, know 'cause it's got the CIA Yeah. That, that, you know, the, the hidden people that, that we don't know about, but we know is there that Yeah, we know stuff's happening. Yeah. And their job is not to just. Apprehend, their job is to take them out.
Yeah. Yeah. So it's pretty good. It's, it's subtle. They're doing it. Yeah. No, it's a pretty good show. Perfect. Yeah. Taylor, Taylor, Sheridan, um, obviously with all of these shows that he's doing right now are, are great. I've, I've been watching all of his stuff, so. Okay. Have a good time
Josh Gregory: with that. All right. Well, I'll take the recommendation, see if my wife likes it.
Yeah.
Roland Brewer: Nah. Yeah, probably will not.
Josh Gregory: Perfect. All right, Roland. Well, it was a pleasure having you. Thank you for being here. Thank you. And answering all these questions and telling your story. I, I really
Roland Brewer: appreciate you so much. Yeah, thank you.
