A Plan Nobody Has Questioned.
Renewals get accepted because they are “only” single digits. Three of those in a row is a different number than it looked like each year.
Three renewals of eight percent compound to about twenty-six percent. Each one was small enough to approve in a meeting, and together they moved the plan a long way from where it started. A second opinion is a way to look at the whole line, not just this year’s step.
What Is Actually True About a Plan Nobody Questions
What Is Actually True
- Single-digit increases compound, so the cost of three small renewals is closer to one large one.
- A plan that has not been reviewed in years usually carries design choices that made sense once and no longer do.
- Carriers price what you accept. A renewal that goes through without a question is a renewal the carrier never had to defend.
- The cost of looking is small compared with the cost of not looking, and most reviews end with a reason to stay.
What CFH Does About It
- We lay the last several years side by side so the compounding is visible.
- We review plan design, contribution and funding as a whole, not one renewal at a time.
- We test the current renewal against the market and tell you plainly when it holds up.
- We leave you with a written read you can use whatever you decide.
What a Second Look Turns Up
Four things a fresh review commonly finds, in any industry.
Several moderate renewals add up to a larger change than any single year suggested.
What we do about it: We show the multi-year line, then ask what drove each step.
Copays, deductibles and tiers set years ago no longer match how your employees use the plan.
What we do about it: We model changes against your real claims and enrollment.
The employer share was set once and has been inherited ever since.
What we do about it: We test alternatives and show what each costs both sides.
The plan has not been quoted in years, so no one knows whether the price is competitive.
What we do about it: We go to market only when the numbers justify the disruption.
Questions We Hear From Employers Who Are Not in Trouble
Do We Need a Problem to Ask for a Second Opinion?
No. Many of the employers we work with were not in trouble. They had simply not had anyone look at the whole program in a few years.
What if Our Renewal Is Fine?
Then we will say so. A review that confirms the plan is competitive is a useful result, and you will have the reasoning in writing.
How Much of Our Time Does a Review Take?
Mostly the time it takes to send the renewal, the claims report and the census. We do the reading.
A Plan Nobody Has Questioned: The Detail
A plan that has renewed quietly for years is not necessarily a good plan. These are the places we look first.
Inertia Is the Biggest Cost
Plans that renew without comparison drift from the market. Nobody notices because nothing breaks. Without a periodic comparison, rates and plan features can drift away from what the market offers for similar groups, and no one notices until the increase arrives. A scheduled review each year keeps the plan from coasting.
Check the Contribution Strategy
Employer contribution rules set years ago may no longer fit the workforce or the budget. Revisit how the employer share is set, how it varies by tier and whether it still matches headcount, wages and budget. Small changes in contribution design can matter as much as the carrier’s rate.
Compare Network and Benefit Design
Plan designs change, networks narrow, and employee needs shift. A side-by-side shows what moved. Compare provider access, copays, deductibles and prescription tiers, not only premium. Employees notice network changes first, so knowing what moved helps HR prepare answers. Look for changes the carrier made quietly between years.
Ask Who Last Tested the Market
If you cannot say when the plan was last compared, it has probably not been. Put a market review on the calendar ahead of the next renewal, name who owns it, and keep a record of what was compared so the next review starts from facts rather than memory.
Common Questions About an Unquestioned Plan
How do I know if my plan is overdue for review?
If you cannot name the last time it was compared to alternatives, or the contribution rules predate your current workforce, it is due.
Will a review mean changing carriers?
No. Many reviews end with the current carrier retained on better terms or a design adjustment.
What do you need from us?
The renewal, current plan summaries, a census, and the current contribution rules.
Does a review disrupt employees?
Not unless a change is made, and any change is planned around open enrollment.
Is it only about price?
No. Plan design, network fit, administration, and compliance all matter.
Our broker says everything is fine. Why look?
A second read costs little and can confirm they are right or surface gaps.
Can you review without telling our broker?
We can discuss the best way to approach it. Your relationship is yours to manage.
How long does it take?
A first read can be quick once we have the documents. Deeper work follows what we find.
What is the first step?
Send us the renewal. We will tell you what we see.
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.
Switch to CFH. Unhappy with your broker? Your employees won’t notice. You will. →
Cookies on This Site
We use cookies to keep the site working properly and to understand how it is used. You can decline anything that is not essential. See our Privacy Policy for the detail.
- Essential — needed for the site to load and for you to move around it. These cannot be switched off.
- Analytics — tell us which pages get read, so we know what is worth writing more of.
- Advertising — set by third parties such as ad and social platforms to measure and target campaigns.