Pharmacy is the easiest line item to fix in a self-funded plan. How spread pricing, rebate traps, and independent PBMs really work in 2026 — and the test to run.
How a New PBM Cuts Employer Drug Costs: The 2026 Playbook
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How to Pay a Fair Price for Healthcare
Spoiler Alert......You Can Just Pay a Fair Price Direct contracting is easier than people make it sound. Most employers think the price of health care is set for them. The network picks the rates. The insurance carrier gives you a discount off a price you can't really...
For ESOPs, Health Plan Spend Isn’t a Benefit Line — It’s a Shareholder Decision.
Most ESOPs treat health insurance the same way every other employer does. They renew it. They negotiate it down a point or two. They tell HR to “shop the market” if last year’s increase stung. Then they move on. That’s a $500K-to-$5M-a-year line item being managed...
How Manufacturers Cut Benefits Costs Without Cutting Coverage
Many manufacturers treat their health plan like a utility bill, painful and impossible to control. That assumption is costing them more than they realize. In 2026, employer-sponsored health coverage is projected to exceed $18,500 per employee, up roughly 6.5% from the...
Top 5 Level-Funded Health Plans We’re Seeing Success With
Over the last decade, level-funded health plans have moved from a niche strategy to a serious alternative for employers who want more control, better cost predictability, and smarter plan design, without jumping fully into traditional self-funding. But not all...
Three Prescriptions Nearly Forced a 135-Life Manufacturer to Reconsider Offering Health Benefits — Instead, They Cut RX Spend 53% in One Year
In early 2025, the leadership team at a 135-life manufacturing company in St. Louis sat down to review their group health insurance performance. What they saw wasn’t routine volatility. It was concentration risk. Out of 206 total members on the plan, three specialty...
Five Real-World Health Insurance Strategies That Actually Work
Most employers shop for health insurance the same way every year. They compare premiums.They negotiate renewals.They argue over deductibles. And somehow, costs still go up. That’s not because you’re doing it wrong. It’s because you’re focused on the wrong thing. Cost...
The Simple Scorecard That’s Saving Employers 6 and 7 Figures
As a midsize employer, you've been told that your health plan is "best in class" and that your vendors are the best for the job. But if your costs keep rising and your outcomes aren't improving, then either your needs are misunderstood or someone's grading their own...
Why One Employer Paid $35,000 for 3 Drugs—And How You Can Avoid It
Ever wonder how a health plan ends up spending $35,000 every month on just three prescriptions? That’s not a typo—and it’s not uncommon. Behind numbers like these is a rigged system of rebate games, formulary manipulation, and middlemen profiting every time you...
The Hidden Cost of Playing Defense at Renewal is Killing Your Health Plan
Have you ever wondered why every health insurance renewal feels like a bad surprise party, but you're the one stuck with the bill? Why does it always feel like you're cornered into bad options with no time to make a smart decision? In this in-depth blog post, we're...