A Long Island-based employee benefits advisory firm built around principal-led accountability and year-round continuity.
Benton Oakfield was founded in 2017 in Manhattan (Times Square), New York City, with an operating principle: employers deserve an advisor who stays involved after enrollment, not one who disappears until renewal. In 2022, the firm relocated its base to Long Island.
Our founder, Thomas Hart, is originally from Long Island. He began his career in the insurance industry in 1996, working in Scottsdale, Arizona with exposure to West Coast business operations before returning to New York. With over 25 years of experience, he brings a deep understanding of both regulatory complexity and the human side of benefits planning in New York.
We work with a select group of employers across Nassau and Suffolk. These are organizations that value stability, accountability, and long-term thinking over annual re-shopping. When you work with Benton Oakfield, you work directly with the advisor responsible for your plan.
We take on relationships we can serve well, and we stay involved year-round.
Benefits decisions rarely fail at enrollment—they fail later, when network access breaks, compliance issues surface, or cost assumptions don't hold up. Our approach is grounded in understanding those downstream impacts before changes are made.
Plan recommendations account for provider access, total cost, compliance considerations, and workforce needs. Employee access is validated up front, and ongoing involvement ensures issues are addressed as they arise—not deferred until renewal.
See How We WorkThe principles that shape every client relationship
Clients work directly with the advisor accountable for plan decisions and outcomes—providing continuity, clarity, and faster resolution when issues arise.
Year-round involvement ensures benefits decisions are supported consistently, not revisited only at renewal.
Recommendations balance cost, coverage, network access, and long-term sustainability—not just price.
Founder & Principal
Thomas Hart brings more than 25 years of experience advising employers on employee benefits strategy and administration. Originally from Long Island, he began his career in 1996 in Scottsdale, Arizona, with early exposure to West Coast business operations before returning to New York.
He founded Benton Oakfield in 2017 in Manhattan (Times Square), New York City, and relocated the firm's base to Long Island in 2022.
Benton Oakfield operates on a principal-led model. Clients work directly with the advisor accountable for plan decisions, execution, and long-term outcomes.
