If you run a Calgary business with 2 to 50 employees, the most useful thing to know about group benefits is this: most of your team can join without medical questions. That means people with health conditions often get coverage they couldn't buy on their own — one of the real reasons a group plan is worth setting up right.
Group benefits for Calgary employers, done in plain English
We help Alberta business owners and HR decision-makers set up, benchmark, and renew group benefits and group retirement plans. That includes health, dental, drug, vision, paramedical, life, AD&D, short- and long-term disability, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
We're based in the Edmonton area and work with employers across Alberta, including Calgary. Everything runs through direct, 1:1 conversations — no call-centre handoffs, no jargon you have to decode later.
And because we're independent, we're not tied to one insurer. Our job is to help you compare options honestly and build a plan that fits your team's actual usage, your budget, and your renewal goals.
Independent comparison across Canada's leading carriers
There's no single "right" carrier for every business. The plan that fits a 6-person accounting firm looks different from the one that fits a 40-person trucking company. That's why we compare across a range of established insurers rather than defaulting to one.
We regularly work with carriers including Manulife, Canada Life, Sun Life, Empire Life, Equitable Life, Wawanesa, Co-operators, Blue Cross, GreenShield, Desjardins, RBC Insurance, and myHSA.
Being independent also matters at renewal. When your rates come back, we can benchmark them against the wider market instead of accepting the first number on the page. That's a very different position than being locked to one provider.
Plan design built around how your team actually uses benefits
A good plan isn't the one with the longest feature list — it's the one your people actually use and can afford to keep. We start by looking at who's on your team, what they're likely to claim, and where your budget needs to land.
From there we shape the details that quietly make or break a plan:
- Drug and paramedical coverage — the everyday claims most employees notice first
- Dental and vision — common, high-use benefits that shape how people feel about the plan
- Life, AD&D, and disability (STD/LTD) — the protection that matters most when something serious happens
- EAP — mental health and support resources that carry real weight for many teams
We'll walk through the trade-offs together so you understand what you're choosing and why — not just what a quote spits out.
Health Spending Accounts and group retirement
Not every business needs a traditional plan on day one. A Health Spending Account (HSA) can work as a standalone option or paired with a traditional plan to give employees flexible, tax-effective dollars for eligible health and dental expenses. HSAs suit owner-heavy or small teams that want simplicity and cost control. HSA rules and eligible expenses follow CRA guidelines — we'll help you understand how they apply to your situation.
On the retirement side, we help design group RRSP and DPSP plans, including employer matching, so you can offer a savings benefit that helps attract and keep good people. We'll walk through the structure and how it fits your payroll and budget.
These pieces often work best together. The right mix depends on your team and your goals, which is exactly what a short conversation sorts out.
Owner and key-person protection
Group benefits protect your employees. But the business itself often depends on one or two people — and that risk usually gets overlooked until it's urgent.
We help owners think through:
- Key-person insurance — coverage that helps the business absorb the loss of someone critical to operations or revenue
- Buy-sell agreement funding — insurance structured so that if an owner or partner dies or becomes disabled, the remaining owners have the funds to buy out their share cleanly
- Personal protection — term or permanent life, critical illness, and disability coverage for owners and key people
These aren't off-the-shelf products. The right structure depends on your ownership setup, your agreements, and your goals, so we build them one conversation at a time.
Renewal negotiation and cost control
For most Calgary employers, the renewal is where the real money lives. Rates can move year to year based on your claims experience, carrier trends, and plan design — and a renewal letter isn't the final word.
We review your renewal against the broader market, question increases that don't hold up, and look at plan-design changes that could ease costs without gutting the coverage your team relies on. There are no promised percentages here — savings depend on your specific plan and experience — but there is often room to push for a better outcome than the first offer.
This is also where an independent advisor earns their keep. If a fair result means moving carriers, we can help you do that. If it means staying put and negotiating, we do that instead.
Built for Calgary's industries
Different industries claim differently and carry different risks, so plan design shouldn't be one-size-fits-all. We work with employers across:
- Construction & Trades — including coverage considerations for physical, higher-risk work
- Auto, Trucking & Logistics — teams that may span multiple locations or provinces
- Food & Beverage, Retail & Hospitality — often with part-time and turnover considerations
- Healthcare & Professional Services
- Manufacturing & Industrial
If your team spans more than one province, we can support Alberta-HQ employers with multi-province workforces too, since coordination and coverage rules can differ across the country.
How getting started works
It's a straightforward process, and there's no pressure to commit before you understand your options.
- Book a free 15-minute intro call. We learn about your business, your team, and what you're trying to solve.
- Get a free plan audit or a quote. If you have coverage now, we'll review it and benchmark it. If you're starting fresh, we'll gather what we need to compare carriers.
- Review your options together. We explain the trade-offs in plain English so you can decide with confidence.
- Set up and onboard. We handle carrier setup and support your employee education and onboarding so your team actually understands and uses the plan.
We treat this as a long-term advisory relationship, not a one-time sale. Reach us at +1 (780) 977-3155 or alfredo@aitrustadvisory.ca whenever you're ready to talk.
Frequently asked questions
How many employees do we need to set up a group benefits plan in Calgary?
Many plans are designed for small teams — we regularly work with Alberta businesses from 2 to 50 employees. The right structure depends on your headcount, your mix of full- and part-time staff, and your goals. A short call is the fastest way to see what fits your situation.
Do our employees have to answer medical questions to join?
For most core group benefits, plan members can usually join without providing evidence of insurability. That's a key advantage of group coverage — it often lets employees with pre-existing conditions access benefits they couldn't get, or couldn't afford, in the individual market. Some optional or higher amounts of coverage can require medical evidence; we'll flag where that applies to your plan.
Are group benefits tax-deductible for our business?
Employer contributions to a group benefits plan are generally deductible as a business expense, and benefits are often provided in place of additional salary. Tax treatment varies by benefit type and how the plan is structured, so we'll walk through the specifics with you and point you to CRA guidance where it applies.
What's the difference between a Health Spending Account and a traditional plan?
A traditional plan pays defined benefits — for example, a set percentage of dental or a drug plan. An HSA gives employees a pool of dollars to spend on eligible health and dental expenses, following CRA rules. HSAs can stand alone or pair with a traditional plan for added flexibility. Which approach fits depends on your team size and goals, and we'll help you compare.
Our renewal rates went up — can you help?
Yes. A renewal increase isn't necessarily the final number. We review it against the broader market, question increases that don't hold up, and look at plan-design changes that could ease costs while keeping the coverage your team relies on. We can't promise a specific saving — results depend on your plan and claims experience — but there's often room to negotiate.
Can you help protect the owners and the business itself, not just employees?
We do. Beyond employee benefits, we help owners plan key-person insurance, buy-sell agreement funding, and personal coverage like term or permanent life, critical illness, and disability. These are built around your ownership structure and agreements, so we work through them individually.
You're in Edmonton — can you still serve our Calgary business?
Yes. We work with employers across Alberta, including Calgary, and support Alberta-HQ businesses with multi-province teams. Everything runs through direct 1:1 conversations by phone, email, and video, so location doesn't get in the way of hands-on support.
Let's build the right plan for your team
Independent, multi-carrier guidance for Alberta businesses.