Latest news and updates

Stay informed with the latest developments, news, and updates from our team.

How to Structure A Benefits Plan Your Employees Will Value

The most valuable benefits package isn’t necessarily the one with the most benefits. It’s the one that directs employer spending toward the benefits that employees actually need, understand and can afford to use. Even a substantial benefits investment can miss the mark when employee benefits plan design doesn’t reflect the

Should You Renew or Switch? A Benefits Planning Guide for Employers

An employee benefits plan renewal should be a decision, not a default. Ahead of open enrollment, employers face a familiar annual cycle. They receive the group health plan renewal notice, review the changes and decide how to move forward. Premium hikes, increased out-of-pocket costs, narrower networks and reduced coverage can

5 Signs You’ve Outgrown Your Employee Benefits Broker

As your organization grows, managing employee benefits often becomes more complex. Rising costs, a larger or more dispersed workforce, greater administrative demands and changing employee expectations may require more from your employee benefits broker than they once did. If you’re no longer receiving the strategy, service or health plan solutions

How GLP-1 Employer Health Plans Can Reduce Costs by More Than 40%

GLP-1 utilization has surged, driving increased pharmacy spending and forcing employers to make difficult decisions. How do you provide access to in-demand and potentially valuable treatments while keeping your health plan affordable and sustainable? Heading into the next round of health plan renewals, GLP-1 coverage has become a critical cost

What’s Driving Healthcare Spending?

To control healthcare spending, you need to understand it first. Healthcare costs continue to rise, creating challenges for both employers and employees. A recent UnitedHealthcare Briefing, drawing on data from the 2026 Health Trends Report, highlights the key factors driving spending increases and offers strategies employers can use to help

The Blue Ocean Opportunity in Employee Benefit Sales

It’s become increasingly difficult to stand out in employee benefit sales. Most brokers are offering the same basic plan designs from the same carriers, and employers often aren’t impressed with the options. A blue ocean strategy offers a different approach. Instead of struggling to get noticed in a crowded market,

Employee Benefits for Trucking Companies: Solutions That Reduce Turnover and Control Costs

Truck drivers face unique challenges, so they need employee benefit solutions that meet their needs. Employers can provide great benefits while controlling costs with innovative solutions, such as self-funded direct health plans and telehealth options. Commercial drivers keep our country’s stores stocked, but it’s not an easy job. Effective employee

Beyond Reference-Based Pricing: A More Sustainable Approach to Healthcare

Reference-based pricing has helped many self-funded employers take greater control over healthcare spending through more transparent and predictable cost structures. Now, some employers are now taking the next step by building direct partnerships with community healthcare providers. By moving beyond traditional reference-based pricing models, employers can create a more collaborative

How Rural Employers Are Reducing Health Plan Costs While Improving Access to Care

Securing health coverage is more challenging when your business is in a rural community. The health plan options are limited, the costs are higher, and if your local providers are out of network, you’re out of luck. A direct plan offers a simple alternative, and it can also save rural

Providence Health Plan Exit Forces Portland Employers to Find a New Benefits Strategy

Providence Health Plan’s planned exit from most of the health insurance market in 2027 means many Portland employers will soon need to find a new benefits solution. Rather than simply replacing one carrier with another, this transition presents an opportunity to rethink how health benefits are funded and delivered. By

Where Your Healthcare Dollars Go … And How to Get A Few Back

If you want to control your company’s healthcare costs, you need to know where the money is actually going. It’s not just medical care. Administrative overhead and carrier margins quietly consume a meaningful share of every premium dollar. However, once you see the breakdown, you can start redirecting spend toward

Why ESOPs Thrive in Direct Partnership Health Plans

Peanut butter and jelly. Romeo and Juliet. ESOPs and direct partnership health plans. Some things just belong together. Companies that offer Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) know the value of collaboration. When employees gain ownership of company shares, they also gain a vested interest in the long-term prosperity of the