Strategic Employee Benefits & Healthcare Cost Consulting
Core Benefits partners with growth-focused employers to design smarter benefits strategies, reduce healthcare costs, and build stronger workforce programs.
We serve as strategic advisors to CEOs, CFOs, and HR leaders at companies with 50–500 employees — helping them move beyond reactive renewals into long-term, sustainable benefits architecture.
Healthcare Costs Keep Rising. Most Employers Are Trapped.
A More Strategic Approach to Employee Benefits
We don't just place coverage. We partner with leadership teams to build sustainable, long-term benefits and human capital strategies.
Diagnose
We conduct a comprehensive analysis of your current benefits cost structure, funding model, workforce demographics, vendor relationships, and compliance posture. We identify what's working, what's leaking, and where the opportunities are.
Design
We build a tailored benefits architecture aligned with your financial objectives, workforce needs, and long-term business goals — not just next year's renewal.
Implement
We coordinate the integration of funding strategy, plan design, compliance infrastructure, HR technology, and employee communication — managing the complexity so you don't have to.
Optimize
We monitor performance, analyze trends, and adjust strategically throughout the year. Not just once at renewal.
Core Consulting Services
Benefits Strategy & Consulting
Multi-year benefits strategy, plan design, vendor evaluation, and renewal management — aligned with business goals, not just annual cycles.
Funding Strategy & Self-Funding
The funding model you choose for your health plan is one of the most consequential financial decisions your organization makes.
Voluntary & Ancillary Benefits
Medical coverage gets most of the attention. But life, disability, dental, vision, and voluntary benefits are often what employees value most.
Technology & HCM Consulting
When payroll, HRIS, benefits administration, and compliance systems don't communicate — data errors multiply, administrative hours
Client Results
California Manufacturing Employer — ~120 Employees
Challenge: Consecutive high-single to double-digit renewals with no claims transparency.
Outcome: Improved cost predictability, structured employee education, and embedded compliance oversight. Leadership now makes benefits decisions with full data visibility and confidence.
Physician-Owned Medical Practice — ~85–150 Employees
Challenge: Rising benefit costs, tight clinical labor market, fragmented HR systems.
Outcome: Predictable benefit costs, improved physician and staff satisfaction, streamlined administration, and a repeatable long-term strategy.
Professional Services Firm — PEO Exit Strategy
Challenge: PEO arrangement limiting flexibility and creating cost opacity.
Outcome: Greater control over benefits design, reduced long-term administrative costs, and a workforce infrastructure built for future growth.
Leadership You Can Trust
Timothy "TJ" Johnson
Founder & Managing Principal
TJ Johnson founded Core Benefits in 1989 under the name The Johnson Group, rebranding as Core Benefits Insurance Services in 2004 to reflect a broader strategic vision: to evolve beyond brokerage into a multidisciplinary employee benefits and human capital consulting firm.
For more than three decades, TJ has advised CEOs, CFOs, and business owners on employee benefits strategy, healthcare cost management, PEO evaluation, and workforce program design. His approach combines deep technical expertise with a genuine commitment to long-term client partnership.
TJ holds the Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) designation and is licensed in California (Lic. #CA 0E50855).
"I built Core Benefits because employers deserve more than an annual renewal conversation. They deserve a strategic partner who is invested in their long-term success."
Who We Are
How Well Is Your Benefits Strategy Working?
Take our 10-question Benefits Cost Diagnostic to uncover hidden cost drivers, infrastructure gaps, and decision blind spots in your current benefits and HR program.
It takes less than 3 minutes. No email required to see your score.
What Our Client Say
Real feedback from businesses that trust us with their employee benefits and HR needs.
Avg rating 4.9
Ship & Shore Environmental has been with Core Benefits since 2009. For the past ten years, the team at Core Benefits has never failed to look out for our best interest and has always kept us in the loop of new or upcoming health insurance trends. All the personnel we had the pleasure of working with are very courteous and respond to any requests or correspondence in a prompt and professional manner. The Ship & Shore team views Core Benefits as a reliable friend, as they are unlike any other insurance agency we have previously worked with. We look forward to growing our business with Core Benefits by our side. We appreciate all that you do, and a special thank you to Tim, Marcela and Andreas.
Ship & Shore Environmental
Core Benefits is absolutely the best. Tim and the entire team have been serving our company for over ten years now and have always served us well. Their service, attentiveness to detail, and sense of responsibility for our welfare is unparalleled. Give them an opportunity to earn your business and see what they can do for you.
Paratus Partners, LLC
The team of Timothy Johnson, Marcela Carney and Andreas Gershkoffte are truly masters of their respective fields. The professionalism and expertise they provide to our staff is uncompromised. They are always available for consultation and guidance regarding their health coverage needs. Core Benefits is highly recommended to all employers who offer health benefits to their employees.
Patrol One
Window to Recovery
Ready to Move Beyond Annual Renewals?
If your organization is facing rising healthcare costs, evaluating a PEO, or looking for a more strategic benefits partner — let's have a conversation.