Our History

The Other Health Plan started as a vision of the leaders of Group Benefits, Ltd. (GBL), of Urbandale, Iowa. Like most employers, GBL struggled with how to keep ever-increasing employee health care costs under control while making sure morale and productivity remained high.

As a leader in benefit solutions for individuals and groups, GBL's expertise gave company management a unique perspective on ways to address the problem. GBL President and CEO Brian Hewitt knew that in addition to giving his team members the coverage they needed and deserved, he had to help his employees understand and take personal responsibility for their own health – to change their mindset and their behavior.

Although there were many worksite health improvement programs in the marketplace, none of the offerings provided all the tools and resources today's employers need, and most were tied to an insurance plan. That's why GBL decided to create its own solution: The Other Health Plan. The Other Health Plan is a portable, comprehensive, simple, and flexible health improvement solution.