Our Story

From MBG to TBC

 

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TBC Benefits Group, formerly Midwest Benefits Group (MBG) was founded by Barry Cohen in Lancaster, Ohio in 2003. Barry had over 12 years of experience working for leading health insurance carriers. 
 
In the chapter prior to MBG, Barry gained a deep understanding and insight into how insurance companies operate and underwrite health plans as well as how our entire health care system operates and integrates. Armed with this insider knowledge and a passion for helping businesses succeed, Barry created a firm built on care, expertise, and results. MBG quickly established itself as an innovative, trusted advisor, and tenacious advocate for small to mid-sized businesses and their employees throughout Central Ohio.

In 2024, the next chapter began as Barry’s son, Trevor, joined the family business. From a successful chapter in IT / data consulting account management, Trevor brings highly developed skills in customer needs-based planning, solution design, and results delivery.

The team rebranded the company as TBC (Trevor & Barry Cohen) Benefits Group— expanding into the Cleveland area while maintaining their commitment to serving partner-clients with care and precision throughout Central Ohio, Northeast Ohio, and beyond.

Our Stories, For You


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The Story of Caring

Supporting Your People

We’re here to be your true partner, supporting both your business and the team that drives its success. You value your people, and so do we.

How Do We Help?

  • Direct Support Since 2003: We take calls directly from you and your employees, guiding them through urgent and confusing healthcare situations.

  • Expert Guidance: We provide calm reassurance and help your team understand how their health plan works, ensuring they get the best outcomes.

Advocacy You Can Count On

  • We Know the System: With deep insight into how health insurance companies operate, we navigate the bureaucracy on your behalf.

  • We Fight for You: When challenges arise, we’re ready to escalate issues and get results—because we know exactly how the system works.

  • Insider Expertise: Our experience within the industry means we don’t just know the “flagpole”—we’ve been part of it.

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The Story of Expertise

Underwriting & Inside Knowledge

How Are Your Rates Determined?

We know—because we’ve been on the inside. With years of experience in group health insurance underwriting for major carriers, we:

  • Understand how rates are set.

  • Analyze and challenge quoted and renewal rates.

  • Negotiate better outcomes for you and your team.

How many brokers can say they’ve actually done the underwriting?


The Right Questions Lead to the Right Design

To create a benefits plan that truly works, it starts with understanding your team’s needs:

  • Would they pay more for better benefits or prefer lower costs with fewer options? 

  • Are you funding benefits they actually value and appreciate?

For over 21 years, our Comprehensive Employee Benefits Survey has uncovered what employees value most. These insights help you:

  • Understand how your plan resonates with your team then design a cost-effective, no-waste plan that delivers maximum value.

With the right questions, you get the right answers—and the right plan.

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The Story of Results

... is about your bottom line.

Money is important to your business and so is your bottom line. We never lose sight of your unique goals, leveraging our experience and insights on the carrier side, our underwriting expertise, and creative plan design to make sure you don't leave money "on the table".

  • We negotiate on your behalf, in the trenches with the carriers.

  • We are experienced and capable of negotiating directly with underwriters, speaking their language, to deliver results.

The Bottom Line is the result - a benefits plan that "fits" your organization, at the lowest possible cost. 

Moving Forward Together

As TBC Benefits Group expands into new markets and embraces the future, our mission remains the same: to deliver exceptional benefits solutions with creativity, innovation, expertise and caring.

Whether you're a small business in Central Ohio or a growing enterprise in Cleveland, we're here to guide you every step of the way.

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What we're all about

Explore our comprehensive services designed to help small to mid-sized organizations navigate group health insurance. From tailored plan options to compliance support, we provide expert solutions to optimize your benefits strategy and meet your business goals.