Group Benefit Services, Inc. and Client First Brokerage Services announced a new agreement to merge the firms effective November 1.

Hunt Valley, Md.-based GBS, an employee benefit plans administrator serving the mid-Atlantic, said Client First and its affiliated companies – Client First National and ClientFirst Health Plans – will join its corporate headquarters operations.

Through the merger, Towson, Md.-based Client First will merge all its group and individual insurance business to GBS for all future sales, customer service, claims reporting, policy administration and billing.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Kathy Simmons

Kathy Simmons, CEO of GBS, said that Rodger Bayne, chairman and CEO of Client First, will join GBS as a vice president and executive committee member, with the rest of Bayne’s staff joining the GBS team beginning Nov. 9.

“This is a great opportunity for both of us to expand our geographical reach and product offerings in the individual and group benefit marketplace,” Simmons said in a statement.

Bayne said he is “very pleased” to merge with GBS, “who enjoys an excellent reputation and offers a broad range of carriers, services and technologies that will continue our practice of offering innovative products and services to support the growth of our broker partners and their clients.”