Counting down… to Las Vegas launch
Exclusive partnership · Southern California & Nevada

The market is shifting.
We've built the playbook for every group.

Major disruption in the ACA and Association Health Plan space is on the horizon. Together with Colonial Enroll, we've put together a cost-containment strategy that keeps the employer's premium in line, covers employees when deductibles go up, and replaces the revenue gaps brokers face from recent commission structure changes. It covers hundreds of groups and thousands of employees across California and Nevada.

Reserve my seat · Las Vegas, May 19 See the playbook
Rolling out now through May 19, 2026 · Exclusive to W&B brokers
The Partnership EST. 04 · 2026
Word&Brown.
&
Colonial Enroll
Technology-Driven. People-Focused.
Powered by Westlund Premier District
CA & NV Hundreds of groups Thousands of employees
A major carrier is exiting the CA & NV small-group market and making changes to association health plans.  Hundreds of groups · thousands of employees · renewal cycle starts now.
The Immediate Problem

Three things happen all at once.

A major carrier is exiting the market and making changes to the Association Health Plan space that will affect hundreds of groups and thousands of employees. When those plans go away and the broker just re-quotes with a replacement carrier, three things happen at the same time, and they all work against the employer, the employees, and the broker who placed the case.

70%
New revenue opportunity

of working Americans value worksite benefits that they do not have access to or do not qualify for. Colonial's Bridge plan closes that gap alongside the medical renewal.

+20%
UP TO
Premium increase

Replacement plans run 13 to 20 percent higher for the same levels of coverage. That increase lands on the employer.

1000s
Employees to re‑educate

Every employee across the block has to understand the change and re-enroll, and the average broker doesn't have a field team that can walk them through it.

The Colonial Enroll Playbook

We contain the cost instead of passing it on.

Our approach pairs a higher-deductible health plan with a Group Medical Bridge. The employer's premium comes down, employees are covered for the additional out-of-pocket exposure, and the broker keeps the account, often with more annual revenue than before, regardless of where the group lands.

Cost Containment

Raising the deductible drops the employer premium by roughly 13 to 17 percent. The exposure that creates gets filled by a Group Medical Bridge that is employer-paid, composite-rated, and exclusive to Word & Brown.

13.2% savings vs renewal

Revenue Recovery

Brokers get the Executive Broker Bonus of $1,000 per new client once they've placed five, plus an exclusive $500 per new client on this Word & Brown block starting with case #1. That comp stack helps bridge the commission gap created by the recent structure changes.

Exclusive comp

Field Execution at Scale

Colonial Enroll's field team runs the transitions, including group communication, employee education, Employee Navigator administration, and electronic data feeds back to the carriers. The same service model covers every group in the block.

No broker burnout
Old Strategy vs New Strategy

Two ways to handle a carrier exit.

The Old Way — take the hit.

01Take the hit in renewal cost
02Increased employee cost
03No refresh to benefits
04No supplemental solutions
05No coverage for exposure
vs

The Westlund Playbook — contain it.

01Cost containment strategy
02Reduce employee cost
03Refresh benefits strategy
04Add supplemental solutions
05Fill in new exposure gaps
Real numbers. Real client.

Case Study: 15 employees. Here's what the renewal actually looks like.

Goal: reduce employer cost while protecting employees from higher out-of-pocket exposure. Current plan: G 30/500/20% (94JT). Proposed: S HSA 2300 (8VC4) with a GMB 7000 Bridge.

Current path · Take the hit
Current monthly premium$12,095
Renewal premium$13,679
Employee cost↑ up
Net renewal change+13%
New path · Cost containment
HSA 2300 (8VC4) premium$11,402
Bridge fill cost (15 ee)$469
Employee cost↓ protected
Total (vs renewal / current)−13.2% / −2%
The Proof

Employer saves $1,808/month.
Employees keep their safety net.

Renewal path$13,679/mo
New strategy (HSA + Bridge)$11,871/mo
Client saves $1,808/mo · $21,696 a year.
Winner at Renewal
−13.2%
$1,808 / month saved
+ $1,500 broker bonus / new client
What this looks like in practice: the employer pays less per month than they do today. Employees get a Group Medical Bridge that pays $2,000 on hospital admission, $200 or more for outpatient surgery, and up to $36,500 on major inpatient stays, so the higher deductible doesn't leave them exposed. The broker keeps the account, writes new Colonial business, and qualifies for the comp program below.
Exclusive Compensation

A comp plan built to bridge the gap.

Word & Brown brokers enrolled in Colonial's Executive Broker Program earn a $1,000 bonus per new client (with $10K or more in total sales) once they've placed five new clients. On top of that, this Word & Brown block unlocks an additional $500 bonus per new client, starting with case #1, for any case generating $2,500 or more in new sales. Word & Brown receives the standard override under the MAP schedule. Writing-level broker compensation stays on the standard commission schedule (PIN/PNL) aligned with MAP structure.

Underwriting Top Producer Offer components may be applied to all new transitioning clients, provided at least two additional Colonial Life products are offered alongside the Bridge plan.

Stacked Offer

Per new client, Word & Brown block

Executive Broker bonus (after 5 clients) $1,000
W&B block bonus (from client #1) + $500
W&B override MAP schedule
Writing level PIN / PNL standard
Total stacked bonus $1,500 / new client
Roll-out Plan

From today to May 19, and every migration after that.

THIS WEEK

Notify brokers, package underwriting

Word & Brown communicates the exclusive offer. Colonial Enroll stands up a market-ready package. Attached GMB 7000 quote applies to every transitioning client.

WEEKS 2 AND 3

Service model live

Single point of contact for claims and billing. Chris Kellar and Chane Hines coordinate with Ashley Minor on field distribution. Westlund District builds every case on Employee Navigator.

WEEK 4

Broker resource hub goes live

Video walkthroughs, client-ready one-pagers, digital signing, comp calculator, and self-serve enrollment kits for every broker in the block.

MAY 19, 2026

Partnership launch · Las Vegas

A working lunch for Word & Brown brokers across CA & NV. Underwriting walkthrough, comp examples, service-model tour, and Q&A with the Westlund District team.

POST-LAUNCH

Case-by-case migration

Each employer gets its own BCN; all are linked by a Master Group Number. Census-enrolled GMB rolls out employer-paid. Subsequent enrollment follows with full employee communication on the new health option plus Colonial benefits.

Broker team working together
One service model, every migration.
Westlund District handles the education, enrollment tech, and ongoing service across every group in the block.
What we need from W&B
  • Endorsement of the Colonial exclusive offer to affected brokers
  • List of impacted accounts by broker & effective date
  • Compensation example set to include in broker packets
  • Go-ahead on Las Vegas launch date and invitation list
  • A single point of contact for the field distribution team
Westlund handles

Broker education · client-facing presentations · employee communication & enrollment · Employee Navigator build & admin · electronic data feeds · year-round service · claims & billing point of contact.

Save the Date

The Partnership Launch in Las Vegas.

A working lunch for the Word & Brown brokers most affected by the upcoming market changes. We'll walk through underwriting, the exclusive comp program, the service model, and how the transitions actually get run.

May 19 2026
Las Vegas, NV

Bring your book. We'll walk the plan.

00
Days
00
Hours
00
Minutes
Venue TBA
11:30 AM to 2:00 PM PT
✦Invitation-only · W&B brokers

We'll walk through, group by group, how the transition runs, what it pays, and how the Colonial Bridge is priced for your clients.

AGENDA
Market disruption · exclusive offer · comp walk-through · service model · Q&A

Reserve my seat

Spots are limited. We'll confirm with venue details and a parking pass.
By registering, you agree to receive details about this event and transition resources. We don't share your info.
✓ You're on the list. We'll email venue details and next steps shortly.
Broker Resource Hub · coming week of May 12

Everything your brokers need to transition their block.

One hub with plug-and-play education, client-ready deliverables, and live enrollment support, so brokers aren't piecing this together as they go.

Video walkthroughs

Client-facing explanations brokers can forward, so you don't have to sit through every enrollment meeting yourself.

Client-ready one-pagers

Plan designs, rate comparisons, FAQs, and transition summaries, all branded and ready to send to the employer.

Comp calculator

Run any client through the Executive Broker + W&B block bonus stack. See what the block is actually worth before you quote.

Digital signing

Applications, BOR letters, and broker enrollment agreements get e-signed and tracked, so nothing gets lost in email attachments.

Employee Navigator admin

Every employer gets its own BCN, linked by a Master Group Number. Built and maintained by the Westlund District team.

Live enrollment support

Colonial's field team walks every employee through the change, at no cost to the broker or the employer.

Lorin K. Westlund, Premier District General Agent, Colonial Life
Premier District
Colonial Life · GA
Based in
Nevada · California
Why Westlund Premier District
We don't hand brokers an offer sheet and walk away. The Westlund District packages the underwriting, builds every case on Employee Navigator, runs the employee communication and education, and holds the single point of contact for claims and billing — every group, every renewal.
Lorin K. Westlund · Premier District General Agent, Colonial Life
1000s
Employees across the CA & NV block covered by this partnership
CA & NV
Exclusive Colonial Life partnership for Word & Brown brokers
1 POC
Single point of contact for claims & billing across the block
$0
Cost to Word & Brown or brokers for Colonial Enroll services
Next Step

Ready to roll this out?

Pick the path that fits your block. Both get you connected to the Westlund District team this week.

30-minute private call

Walk your block with Lorin

Review your affected groups one by one. Comp stack, service model, timing, and what to say in the first broker conversation.

Book a strategy call
May 19 · Las Vegas

Reserve your seat for the launch

A working lunch with the Westlund District team. Underwriting walkthrough, comp examples, service-model tour, and Q&A. Bring your book.

Reserve my seat
Lorin K. Westlund
Looking forward to building this one with you.
Lorin K. Westlund · Premier District General Agent · Colonial Life · Lorin.Westlund@ColonialLifeSales.com
(702) 560-3277
Underwriting & compensation terms

Exclusive underwriting and compensation offers described on this page apply to Word & Brown brokers transitioning clients affected by market changes in California and Nevada. All quotes subject to underwriting approval. The GMB 7000 quote attached requires at least two additional Colonial Life products on the case. The Executive Broker bonus requires $10,000 or more in total sales across five clients before activating. The Word & Brown block bonus applies to cases with $2,500 or more in new sales starting with client #1.