Differences in Group Legal Insurance Plans

Differences in Legal Plans

Many different types of legal plans have been developed by legal plan administrators over the years. How each type of legal plan is evaluated by a specific company is determined by the goals of that company. For example, if a company is seeking a legal plan simply as a recruiting tool, i.e., simply to say “we have legal and financial help”, there is no need for significant evaluation of service and most evaluations will focus on pricing. However, if employee service, satisfaction, and retention are critical to the core strategies of a company, then evaluating a plan's service delivery methods at the detail level will identify how viable that plan will be.

Since 1971, Legal Access Plans, L.L.C., and its affiliated companies, have been administering a legal plan, and is one of the largest legal service plan providers in the world. Its service satisfaction levels are matched by no other legal plan, and it has remained at the “top of the member satisfaction ratings” for the past 20 years. Legal Access has had a number of Companies come to it in a frustrated manner desperately wanting the service problems with the legal plan to end.

Key Difference is in the Network Development

The most notable difference in legal plans is in the composition, credentialing, selection, evaluation and communication with the legal plan’s Network Providers. Legal Access uses a Network of attorneys and law firms that is completely different from that used by other legal plans and has credentialing and communication systems that separate it from other legal plans. We discuss our legal plan network structure and differences in the section entitled “Selection and Credentialing of Network Attorneys/Law Firms”.

Service Differences in Legal Plans

However, there are also many differences in legal plans, although some are not as critical to service as others. Legal Access believes the three (3) most influential factors in our service that we attribute this fact to, and that make us different from our competitors are the following:

Plan Design: A legal plan must have a unique plan design with choices of benefit structures that will meet the needs of a particular company’s employees’ legal needs. The composition of a company’s employee base will determine how well received a legal plan is as an EAP/WorkLife value-add service. The properly structured legal plan will result in significant usage and loyalty rates of up to 3% per month in some instances – usage rates that can be demonstrated to your client companies.

Legal Access will guarantee that it will provide a cost-effective program for your EAP/WorkLife Company, which includes rebates and incentives to drive costs of administering this benefit down. This plan design will be created without sacrificing services, benefits or the level of services provided to Plan Members in any aspect of the administration.

Infrastructure/Case Management Systems: By combining its effective technology systems and incorporating its infrastructure into the cost components of the Plan administration, Legal Access has created a value-added benefits driven legal plan for employees. The Plan Member will not realize any loss in service due to the application of cost effective components of administration utilized to provide the service, and the lower costs will be realized by employees over the plan operation. Additionally, Legal Access has developed several patented applications in its case management systems that effectively enable your Client Companies’ employees to realize additional savings.

Service and Performance Standards Measurement: Legal Access has effective industry-leading standards driving the manner in which it assists Plan Members. Our system involves a proprietary system that puts the caller in touch with the appropriate Plan Attorney. Our Referral Specialists will inform the caller of their availability to assist with any matter as long as the legal problem lasts, and will inform the caller that they will call them within various time ranges to ascertain the services rendered or to be rendered by the local Plan Attorney. The Referral Specialist will then conduct specified follow-up to determine that the caller was able to:

Have their consultation Set an appointment for consultation Visit the Web site Use the Internet Office Communication program Leave a message for Provider Law Firm Communicate additional legal services are desired

Since each service, no matter how minor, is required to be handled by experienced, practicing attorneys, members are ensured of a quality legal service experience. Our primary service delivery model ensures that members will receive every service from quality attorneys. Accountability to members prevails, and Plan Members will appreciate the ability to find the same attorney if they wish, over and over again, as they have different, or the same, legal needs.

In our presentation, we can provide a flow chart as a graphical illustration of how a plan member would access services from initial contact through repeated delayed return to the same legal issue/problem.

In short we are able to provide the following customer service:

Customer satisfaction is central to our company’s operating philosophy. We will strive to satisfy our customers in every way possible, starting from their initial contact with our PAS throughout the process of working with a Plan Attorney in what may be a simple or extremely complicated legal matter. Our efforts to ensure satisfaction begin with a proactive approach to knowing our customer and continuing our communications throughout the course of their legal matter.

Differences in Company Philosophy/Structure

Legal Access has become a worldwide leader in the legal and financial services benefits fields in corporate America, and an experienced provider of EAP/WorkLife member benefits products and services through its family of companies. This broad member benefit experience, superior quality service and flexible plan design make our legal services program unique in the industry. Furthermore, Legal Access’ experience in providing legal service plans to members of all types of companies and organizations demonstrates a specialized understanding of the needs facing employees and members in the delivery of legal service programs to the worksite marketplace. Our unique delivery model featuring service provided by local law firms, extensive customer service follow-up mechanisms, and vast Website capabilities combined with flexible plan design further distinguish our legal plans from our competitors in the industry.

We look forward to discussing any needed flexibility with your Evaluation Team and/or benefits committee and determining a final benefit structure prior to implementation. Should any additional custom services be desired, we look forward to the opportunity to work with your Team in designing a combination of services that represents the best possible solution for your employees/members.