About Us
Alera Group, formerly Barnes Insurance & Financial Services is a performance based, proactive, benefit firm committed to our client's success. Founded January 1, 2005 as a LLC, BIAFS has offices located at 1582 Airport Boulevard, Pensacola, FL 32504. In August of 2018 we joined Alera Group giving us a vast amount of resources to better serve our clients.
Our principal lines of business are Health, Dental, Life, Disability, Supplemental Policies, and Financial Services. United HealthCare, MetLife, UNUM, Guardian and ING are just a few of the carriers with whom we write business. BIAFS is a Blue Diamond agency with Florida Blue (highest agency status with Florida Blue). One of the most respected insurance agencies in the panhandle, Barnes Insurance & Financial Services has grown rapidly into a top ten agency with Florida Blue with over 15,000 lives insured.
As a Florida Blue contracted general agency, we have the ability in certain circumstances to help employees transition their dependents to individual health policies. We are also available to counsel with employees and dependents that no longer meet eligibility requirements to review their specific options and possibly limit their cost and the employer’s COBRA exposure.
With a combined working experience of over 100 years, BIAFS has 8 accomplished employees with a diverse insurance background that complements our clientele.
Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. CST and all federally recognized holidays are observed.
Securities offered by certain representatives through Triad Advisors, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Triad is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Triad.
Meet Our Team
Dennis Barnes
Managing Partner
850-473-1500
Bill Roberts
Managing Director
Travis Riker
Sales Executive
Travis is the leader of our Benefits team. He has over 20 years of experience advising clients on all aspects of strategic employee benefit planning. Travis has dedicated his career to helping employers design benefit plans that break the status quo and drive real tangible change. The biggest barrier to financial security for working Americans is the cost of health care. He specializes in rebuilding those plans to find and eliminate the 20-30% of spend waste in today’s health care costs of others. Travis is a Registered Employees Benefits Consultant, Registered Health Underwriter and Certified Health Rosetta Advisor. Travis serves as the healthcare subject matter expert and is ultimately accountable for our success.
Jennifer Kinley-Lawrence
Benefits Consultant
Working in the insurance industry for over 26 years, Jennifer is passionate about helping her clients control their risk, retain talent and improve the well-being of their employees. Since 2006, she has focused her attention on consulting in an effort to fuel her client's success by bringing value to their plans and employees. Jennifer and her team partner with their clients by building a strong foundation of employee benefits that are competitive and impactful to their bottom line. She wants her clients to know that her team is an extension to their HR team and an advocate for their employees.
Jennifer has been a member of NAHU for over 20 years and earned their Soaring Eagle Leading Producer Roundtable award. In addition, she was chosen as one of Employee Benefit Adviser’s Top Women in Advising for 2020. In her spare time Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, playing guitar, gardening and reading.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
Collaborative Conversations: 2025 - What to Expect and What You Need to Know
Save the date for a conversation in September where we will discuss the impending PLO changes by BOLI and the Employment Department, their impacts, and other critical considerations.
September 12, 2024 at 08:30 am PT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Is Tech-Enabled Brokerage Right for You?
Our experts will lay out what tech-enabled brokerage is, how it works and why it makes sense for the right organizations.
September 19, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Meeting the Needs of an Aging Workforce
Our experts will provide tips and insights about how to incorporate Medicare, menopause benefits, retirement, communications best practices and other hot topics for older workers into your program successfully and without breaking the bank.
October 17, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Wealth Services
Weekly Market Update
Stocks fell last week as soft economic data rattled investors focused on the Fed’s next move with interest rates.
September 9, 2024
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Employee Benefits
Preparing for 2025: Creditable Coverage, Enrolling in Medicare and HSA Contributions
With significant changes coming in 2025 to creditable coverage determinations, employers and employees may have questions on what that means for them, whether they make the decision to enroll in Medicare Part D or continue to have coverage under their group health plan.
September 5, 2024
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Employee Benefits
Webinar: Better Benefits Administration and Lower Costs
If you don’t have expert assistance to guide you and your organization in the in using a sophisticated benefits portal, you’re wasting a lot of the money your business has invested — and probably frustrating the employees you mean to serve. Working with a brokerage that offers not only a leading-edge benefits portal but also year-round support and services enables your employees to seamlessly access, understand and navigate the portal, creating a positive benefits experience.
September 5, 2024
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Medicare Part D Credibility Determinations for Non-Calendar Year Plans
In 2003, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) added a voluntary prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program. The benefit, known as Medicare Part D or “Part D,” is an optional program for Medicare beneficiaries to access covered prescription drugs at a lower cost. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed and set into motion changes to Part D benefits, with additional impact on employers in 2024 and 2025.
September 5, 2024
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