Every proposal is restated on the same census before it is compared.
Collecting quotes is the easy part. Comparing them is where employers get misled, because every carrier prices on its own reading of your payroll, your lives and your plan. A proposal can beat your current plan on every per-unit rate and still cost more. That only becomes visible once the volumes are normalized.
Same people, same benefits, same basis.
Before any two numbers sit side by side, each proposal is rebuilt on one enrolled census and one set of benefit volumes.
One Enrolled Count
Every proposal is repriced on the same enrolled contracts by tier. A carrier that assumed fewer family contracts looks cheaper until it is held to the real mix. Normalizing enrollment is the first step in comparing proposals. Same people, same tiers. You can test your own figures with our rate guarantee value calculator.
One Set of Volumes
Life and disability are priced per unit of covered payroll or benefit. If one carrier used a lower salary file, its rate looks better and its bill will not be. Consistent volumes make life and disability quotes comparable. Match the salary file.
One Plan Design
A lower premium on a plan with a higher deductible or a narrower network is a different product, not a better price. Plan differences are stated before prices are. Normalizing plan design separates price from benefit. State plan differences first.
The proposals that look better than they are.
These are the patterns that only show up once the comparison is built properly.
The Cheaper Rate That Costs More
Lower per-unit rates on a volume estimate that was never going to hold. Normalized, the annual cost is higher than the renewal it claimed to beat. Normalization exposes proposals built on unrealistic volumes, so the cheaper rate is tested before it is chosen.
The Tier Shift Dressed as Trend
Three tiers rise sharply while one barely moves. That is a pricing decision about relativities, and it hits some employee groups much harder than the headline suggests. Tier-level review shows who a renewal actually affects. Some employee groups are hit much harder.
The First-Year Number
A rate guarantee that ends after one year, a rate held with a large action scheduled behind it, or a quote conditional on terms nobody has read yet. Reading the terms exposes first-year-only pricing. Check what happens in year two and beyond.
A comparison you could defend to your CFO.
The finished comparison shows the assumptions, not just the answer.
Annual Cost on One Basis
Every option priced for the same people and the same benefits, in total dollars as well as rates. Total annual cost on one basis makes proposals truly comparable, so the lowest number is the lowest cost. Totals, not just rates.
The Differences That Are Not Price
Network, plan design, rate guarantees and administration, listed plainly next to the dollars they trade against. Listing non-price differences completes the proposal comparison, so nothing that matters to employees is hidden behind a rate. Network and guarantees matter alongside the dollars.
The Refusals Too
Carriers that declined to quote, and why. A market test that hides its refusals overstates how competitive the market was. Reporting carrier declinations shows the real state of the market, and it keeps the comparison honest about what was available.
Comparable Proposals: The Detail
Proposals only compare if they are built on the same terms. These are the points we align.
Same Census
Carriers quote the same employees and dependents. Quotes only compare fairly when each carrier prices identical employee and dependent data, including ages, tiers and enrollment. A quote built on an outdated or partial census can look cheaper simply because it assumed a different group.
Same Plan Design
Deductibles, copays, and coverage match, or the differences are clearly flagged. Even small differences, such as a higher deductible, a different coinsurance split or a narrower drug list, change what employees actually pay. Putting plans side by side on the same terms lets you see the real tradeoff.
Same Effective Date and Terms
Rate guarantees and contract terms are compared. Rate guarantee periods, renewal caps, participation and contribution requirements and the effective date all affect the true cost. A quote that holds its rate for a shorter period or carries stricter terms is not the same offer, even at a similar price.
Network Differences Noted
A cheaper rate can mean a narrower network. Provider and facility access can differ meaningfully between carriers. Check whether the doctors, hospitals and pharmacies your employees use are in network, because a lower premium that sends people out of network can cost them and you more later.
Common Questions About Comparable Proposals
What makes proposals comparable?
The same census, benefits, and effective date.
Why do quotes differ so much?
Different networks, designs, and assumptions.
Can we compare with our current plan?
Yes, we put the renewal on the same basis.
How do you handle plan differences?
We flag them and show the impact.
What about rate guarantees?
We compare the terms offered.
Do you check networks?
Yes, for your providers.
How many carriers do you ask?
As many as make sense for your group.
How long does it take?
It depends on carrier response times.
How do we start?
Send your renewal and census.
Send us your renewal.
We’ll tell you whether it looks competitive, where we see opportunity, and the five questions we’d put to your carrier. No cost, and no obligation to move anything.
The renewal letter
Your current plan summary
Contribution split by tier
Enrolled counts by tier
Four documents, two more if your group is 50 or more. Nothing else; every extra one is a reason to postpone.
An independent employee benefits consulting firm. We look at the entire benefits program — cost, plan performance, risk and administration.
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