About Us
Group Benefits LLC is an independent, national insurance and financial services firm created through the merger of like-minded, high-performing, entrepreneurial firms across the United States.
Why work with Alera Group? Because we provide the best of both worlds - national scope combined with local service. Our mission is to transform the client experience by providing a greater depth and breadth of resources, innovative thinking and constant collaboration, while maintaining strong local relationships.
Meet Our Team
Mary Delaney
Data Analytics – Managing Partner, Vital Incite
Mary is the thought leader and creator behind the Vital Incite program. She founded Vital Incite in October of 2013 and brought a fresh perspective to the world of employee benefits. Having spent 23 years on the provider side of the healthcare industry provides Mary with the unique ability to see the big picture in healthcare and develop outside-of-the-box strategies and solutions. She has particular expertise in wellness solutions, disease management, utilization management and clinic integration. Prior to joining Vital Incite, Mary served as the Director of Employee Health for American Health Network. Mary is motivated by a genuine desire to make a lasting difference in the evolving world of healthcare. She partners with employers to analyze the health risk factors of employee populations alongside historical medical spend to identify areas of opportunity. Armed with better understanding of the health and financial challenges that a specific employer is facing, she develops integrated strategies that include wellness program design, health care benefit utilization and employee communication. These strategies are designed to help employers and employees better manage medical expense by improving employee health outcomes.
Wendy Drumwright
Accounting and Administrative Coordinator
Wendy joined Alera Group formerly Group Benefits LLC in 2018 as the Accounting and Administrative Coordinator, bringing over 20 years of experience in Accounting and business support functions. Her extensive knowledge of financial functions, ability to plan and organize processes, and attention to detail are vital to the back-office operations.
Tim Finnell
Managing Partner
For over 40 years, Tim has been a trusted benefits advisor to businesses in the Mid-South. Tim founded Group Benefits LLC in 2009, and in 2013 Tim was the first in the country to earn the distinction of Certified Healthcare Reform Specialist from the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU). He has been a keynote speaker for professional groups throughout the Memphis area - including SHRM, the Memphis Business Group on Health, and the Greater Memphis Chamber. He has also been interviewed by, and quoted in The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, and CNN Money, in addition to others.
Tim’s direction lead Group Benefits LLC to be recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in the Mid-South, and were the recipients of the Memphis Business Journal Pacesetters Award 3 years in a row.
In 2017 Tim made the decision to merge with one of the largest national benefits firms – Alera Group. This partnership further enhances the scope and resources of Group Benefits LLC.
Alex Finnell
Creative Director
Alex joined Alera Group formerly Group Benefits LLC in 2012 and serves as the Creative Director. She leverages her creativity and imagination toward the design of marketing materials, presentations, and client support tools. Alex works with Account Managers and clients to create employee-facing communications, and she understands how to effectively develop ideas to relay information for a variety of learning styles.
Resources
Hope House: Children’s Museum of Memphis After Dark Sponsor
We are a proud sponsor of the annual Hope House fundraiser – 2023 Children’s Museum of Memphis after Dark. All proceeds from the night benefit children and families affected by HIV and poverty in the Memphis area.
Hope House is a local organization with a mission to improve the quality of life for individuals and families affected by HIV and poverty. Since opening their doors more than 20 years ago, Hope House has impacted thousands of lives, helping families move out of poverty and preparing children for success in kindergarten and beyond. Hope House is a place individuals and families can depend on, lean on, and trust. Their vision is to be the catalyst for life-long change in the lives of those affected by HIV and poverty.
Click here to learn more about Hope House
Christ Community Health Services
Group Benefits LLC is proud to be a corporate partner with Christ Community Health Services.
Christ Community is one of the largest Faith-Based health centers in the nation and the largest provider of healthcare to the underserved in Shelby County providing care to over 58,000 unique individuals across eight locations in Shelby County and Jackson Tennessee.
Group Benefits LLC was a sponsor of their 25th anniversary celebration.
Click Here to view the Christ Community Health Services website
RIP Medical Debt: Alera Employees Relieve $450,000 of Debt Across TN
Help alleviate medical debt at Give a Fresh Start. National insurance brokerage firm teammates offer assistance with mounting debt in 2020.
Group Benefits LLC, an Alera Group Company, today announced that the employees of Alera alleviated $450,000 of medical debt across the state of Tennessee in December. This gift is part of more than $18 million in healthcare debt being relieved by Alera Group employees for struggling households across the country. Alera is one of the youngest and fastest growing privately-held, national insurance brokerage firms in the country.
Alera employees worked directly with the debt-forgiveness nonprofit, RIP Medical Debt, to identify individuals and families with outstanding healthcare-related bills in more than 200 cities located in 35 states across the country. Founded by two former debt collectors, RIP is able to purchase medical debts for those most in need in bundled portfolios for a fraction of their face value. One dollar donated relieves $100 of medical debt on average.
“As we reflect on the struggles of 2020, this gift comes straight from the heart of our Alera employees. Our teams across the country are passionate about giving back directly to the communities in which they live, work and play,” said Tim Finnell, managing partner of Group Benefits LLC, an Alera Group Company. “Medical debt is mounting more than ever and many families right in our backyard are in crisis. Buying and retiring medical debt allows our employees to truly give back and alleviate a worry for many as we enter 2021.”
Rather than waking up to the knocking of a debt collector, thousands of Americans will receive letters of forgiveness to alert them of the gift from Alera employees. These letters will be delivered throughout the winter targeting individuals and families living below 200% of the poverty level.
“It has been truly special watching Alera employees join hands in offering up their own assets and donations to enhance our ability to make an impact on this noble and worthy cause,” Finnell said. “This contribution perfectly showcases one of our core values of collaboration. Our teams always come together to advance thinking for our clients, strategize new solutions for success, but most importantly to help those in need.”
Hope House: Hoedown for Hope Sponsor
Group Benefits LLC is a proud sponsor of the Hoedown for Hope – Hope House’s annual fundraising event. All proceeds from the night benefit children and families affected by HIV and poverty in the Memphis area.
Hope House is a local organization with a mission to improve the quality of life for individuals and families affected by HIV and poverty. Since opening their doors more than 20 years ago, Hope House has impacted thousands of lives, helping families move out of poverty and preparing children for success in kindergarten and beyond. Hope House is a place individuals and families can depend on, lean on, and trust. Their vision is to be the catalyst for life-long change in the lives of those affected by HIV and poverty.
Click here to learn more about Hope House
Church Health Center: Preparing Meals for those in Need
Our Group Benefits LLC team prepared and served over 50 nutritious meals for members of the community.
Church Health Center is the largest faith-based privately funded healthcare organization in the United States, and is the medical home to tens of thousands of uninsured and underserved individuals and families across Shelby County, Tennessee. In fiscal year 2020 alone, Church Health saw more than 18,500 patients and had more than 55,500 patient encounters.
With a network of more than 1,000 volunteer providers and partnerships with congregations, health care institutions, businesses and facilities—in Memphis and across the United States–Church Health fosters health and well-being through clinical services, educational resources, family programs and outreach.
Donations to Ronald McDonald House
The Group Benefits LLC staff provides annual support to Ronald McDonald House.
Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Memphis offers children with pediatric cancer and other catastrophic illnesses undergoing treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and their families a nurturing, family-centered residential community. The House fosters an environment of hope through support services and child-centered activities that encourage children to be children and keep families together near the care they need, always free of charge.
Near the care they need with the family they love.
Click here to learn more about Ronald McDonald House.
Making a Difference in Our Community
The staff of Group Benefits LLC proudly supports many other organizations in our community.
- Ronald McDonald House
- Community Alliance for the Homeless
- Arise2Read
- Mid-South Food Bank
- MIFA
- Salvation Army
- Memphis Union Mission
- Brinkley Heights Urban Academy
- Headsets for Learning
- The Gary Sinise Foundation
Make-a-Wish Sponsor
We are a proud sponsor of the Make-A-Wish event, Wine for Wishes. Through ticket sales, sponsorships, and the proceeds from a silent auction, the Associate Board will raise funds to grant life-changing wishes to local children battling a critical illness.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
2025 Healthcare and Employee Benefits Benchmarking Report: How Does Your Benefits Program Stack Up?
In this session, our experts will dive into the results of our annual, market-leading benchmarking survey.
June 26, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Dynamic Data: Strategies for Success
Join us for this session, as our experts will share how to utilize your organization’s data to create advanced and innovative strategies for success.
July 17, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Preparing for Open Enrollment: How to Engage and Educate Your Employees on Their Total Benefits Package
In this session, our experts will share guidance on setting yourself up for success during Open Enrollment.
August 21, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Employee Benefits
Benefits Captives: Your Business and What Your Competitors Are Doing
In one form or another, Captive Insurance has existed as a risk management solution for many decades — originally for property and casualty coverage and primarily for large employers. But its viability as a solution for employee benefits and for midsized businesses has increased dramatically in recent years, fueled by volatility in the insurance market in general and by the skyrocketing cost of health insurance in particular.
May 29, 2025
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Employee Benefits
Agencies Push Pause Button on Enforcement of MHPAEA 2024 Final Rule
On May 15, 2025, the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury Department (collectively, the “Agencies”) released a statement regarding the Agencies’ recent request for abeyance of a lawsuit filed by the ERISA Industry Committee (“ERIC”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that challenged certain aspects of Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) Final Rule (“2024 Final Rule”) relating to nonquantitative treatment limitation comparative analyses (“NQTL analyses”).
May 16, 2025
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IRS Releases 2026 HSA Contribution Limits and HDHP Deductible and Out-of-Pocket Limits
In Rev. Proc. 2025-19, the IRS released the inflation adjusted amounts for 2026 relevant to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). The table below summarizes those adjustments and other applicable limits.
May 5, 2025
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A Challenge for Mental Health Awareness Month: Make It Enjoyable
Achieving and maintaining wellbeing takes work, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable and even fun. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and with that comes Alera Group’s annual Mental Health Awareness Toolkit, this year featuring something we believe employers and their entire organizations will really enjoy: the 31-Day Challenge for Positive Wellbeing.
April 29, 2025
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