Benefits by Design: What Employers Should Know

Current as of October 2026. Government programs, tax rules and prices change. Check the official sources listed at the end of this page before making a decision, and confirm details with a licensed advisor.

Who Benefits by Design is, in brief

According to its own website, Benefits by Design is a national Third Party Administrator (TPA). Its company history says BBD opened its doors in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia in 1996, launched its online administration portal, Nomad, in 2014, and was acquired by People Corporation in 2021. As of October 2026, BBD describes itself as a provider to more than 62,000 working Canadians from over 4,500 Canadian businesses.

The TPA part matters. A third party administrator is not the same thing as an insurance company. BBD says it will help employers set up, maintain, adjust and run their employee benefits plan, including streamlining enrolment and day-to-day administration. Where a benefit is insured, the insurance risk itself sits with an insurer. On its insurance advisor page, BBD lists GreenShield, Industrial Alliance (iA) and Empire Life, along with its parent company People Corporation, among the suppliers it works with. So when you compare a BBD proposal with a quote from a large carrier, you are partly comparing an administrator plus its insurance partners against an insurer that handles its own administration.

GroupBenefitPlans.ca is not affiliated with Benefits by Design, does not sell BBD products, and is not endorsed by BBD or People Corporation. This page summarizes publicly available information as of October 2026 so you can ask sharper questions. Product details change, so confirm current terms with a licensed advisor or directly with BBD.

What BBD publicly offers employers

BBD says it can provide benefits for small businesses with as few as one employee and up to more than 100, and its website also lists plans for associations and not-for-profits. Its employee benefit plans page groups the menu into health, wealth and happiness benefits. As of October 2026, the options it lists include:

• Extended health items such as hospital, vision, paramedical coverage, orthotics, medical items and travel insurance
• Catastrophic drug coverage, designed to help protect a plan from very large drug claims
• Dental coverage, accidental dental, telehealth services and Diagnostic Specialist Access Insurance (DSAI)
• Life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D), critical illness, and short and long-term disability insurance
• Health care spending accounts and personal or wellness spending accounts
• An employee assistance program (EAP) and a business assistance program
• Administrative Services Only (ASO) arrangements, where the employer pays claims plus administration costs and applicable taxes, with optional stop-loss protection for large individual claims

The BBD Starter Plan and spending accounts for small teams

For very small employers, BBD publishes information about a packaged product called the BBD Starter Plan. Based on BBD's Starter Plan article (most recently updated March 2026), here is what it describes as of October 2026:

BBD also markets standalone spending accounts. It describes its health care spending account as a non-taxable alternative or supplement to a traditional benefits plan, and its wellness spending account as a taxable benefit that can cover options such as gym memberships, education fees or childcare. BBD says its standalone product is open to any incorporated company, with no restrictions on the number of employees, hours worked or a minimum premium. If you are a one-person corporation or a small team weighing an account against insurance, our guide to health spending accounts versus group insurance explains the trade-offs, and the CRA's rules decide which expenses qualify.

• Designed with small businesses of 3 to 10 employees in mind
• Core benefits of extended health care (including drug, paramedical, medical supplies and travel coverage), dental, life and dependant life, and accidental death and dismemberment
• Optional additions such as short and long-term disability, health care and personal spending accounts, critical illness, an employee assistance program, Diagnostic Specialist Access Insurance and optional life, AD&D and critical illness coverage
• BBD says it aims to provide a full quote within two business days

The member experience day to day

For employees, the real test of any plan is how it feels to use: submitting a massage receipt after a stiff week at the desk, getting reimbursed for a child's new glasses, or checking whether a cleaning is covered before booking the dentist. BBD's online administration portal, Nomad, is available on a mobile phone, tablet or computer, according to BBD, and the company emphasizes a dedicated client services team. For its standalone spending account claims, BBD advertises a two to four-day turnaround for reimbursement.

If you are already a BBD plan member and need help with a login, a claim or your coverage, please go to BBD's official website at bbd.ca or contact BBD directly. GroupBenefitPlans.ca cannot access member accounts, claims or plan documents.

How to evaluate BBD against other options

No provider is the right fit for every employer. The fairest way to judge BBD is the same way you would judge any carrier or administrator: look at like-for-like quotes and read the plan details, not just the marketing. Our guide on how to compare group benefits quotes walks through this, and the compare providers page explains what a side-by-side review should include.

Things worth comparing include:

• Which insurer actually underwrites each insured benefit in the proposal, and who pays claims
• Premiums and administration fees for each benefit, and how renewals have been handled for groups like yours
• Coverage levels: coinsurance, annual maximums, paramedical limits and drug plan design
• Disability definitions, waiting periods and how claims are managed
• For ASO, the stop-loss threshold and how a single large claim would affect your costs
• Digital tools, claim turnaround and how easy it is for staff to reach a real person

Questions to ask an advisor about BBD

BBD has a dedicated program for insurance advisors, with staff who support advisors' client plans from implementation to renewal. A licensed benefits advisor who works with several providers can put a BBD proposal next to others and explain the trade-offs in plain terms. Useful questions include:

• Which insurer would underwrite our health, dental, life and disability coverage, and what happens if that changes?
• Is the Starter Plan a fit for our headcount, or would a custom plan or spending account serve us better?
• How do the drug plan and paramedical limits compare with other quotes for the same budget?
• Would ASO with stop-loss make sense for a group our size, or is fully insured safer?
• What fees apply on top of premiums, and how are renewal increases calculated?
• If we outgrow this arrangement, how easy is it to move?

Getting a neutral second opinion

BBD is one of many options Canadian employers can consider, and you can browse insurers and administrators on our group benefits insurers hub. The right choice depends on your team's ages, where people live, how often they use dental and paramedical services, and what you want to spend. When you are ready, get matched with a licensed benefits advisor who can gather proposals from BBD and other providers and help you decide with the full picture in front of you.

Common questions

Is Benefits by Design an insurance company?

BBD describes itself as a national Third Party Administrator. It administers benefit plans and works with insurers and other suppliers, and on its advisor page it lists GreenShield, Industrial Alliance (iA) and Empire Life among them. An advisor can tell you which insurer would underwrite each benefit in a specific proposal.

Who owns Benefits by Design?

According to BBD's company history, it was acquired by People Corporation in 2021. Ownership details can change, so check BBD's official website for current information.

Can a very small business get benefits through BBD?

BBD says it serves organizations from one employee up to more than 100. As of October 2026, it describes its Starter Plan as designed for businesses of 3 to 10 employees, and says its standalone spending accounts are open to any incorporated company. An advisor can confirm what your business qualifies for today.

I am a BBD plan member. Can GroupBenefitPlans.ca help with my claim or login?

No. GroupBenefitPlans.ca is not affiliated with Benefits by Design and cannot access member accounts or claims. Please visit bbd.ca or contact BBD directly for help with logins, claims or coverage questions.

GroupBenefitPlans.ca is a referral and information service. Advice and coverage are provided by the licensed professional and relevant providers. An enquiry does not activate insurance.