Case studies with audited numbers.
Every BENEFITRA case study below is a real client outcome. We name the funding options we modeled, the dollars we moved, and the trade-offs the owner weighed. No fabricated testimonials. No inflated stats. If a number is here, we can defend it on a discovery call.
We came from ADP and would've been happy just saving the 28% on workers' comp. What we didn't expect was real employee benefits, faster support, and a simpler experience across the board. Easier to hire, easier to retain good people, and morale is stronger. We came for the savings and ended up with a partner that helps our business win.
Health, dental, vision & life for the cost of health alone
FOUR PAWS USA — a Taft-Hartley plan turned a health-only budget into full coverage.
- Same spend that once bought health alone now covers 4 lines of coverage
- Team grew 8→16; benefits scaled with them
- Renewed every year for 5+ years
Saved ~50% switching carriers — same doctors
Cambridge Biotherapies — BCBS → MGB at ~half the cost, then a Taft-Hartley plan for more.
- ~50% lower (BCBS→MGB) with the same deductible and doctor network
- Then a Taft-Hartley plan cut cost further
- A ~9-year advisory relationship, renewed every year
Saved 37% over 5 years ($42K year one)
A 28-person MA brokerage moved off fully-insured Blue Cross to a Taft-Hartley plan.
- $42,142 saved in year one
- Projected ~$325K / 37% over five years
- Every employee upgraded to a PPO
Modeled <3%/yr renewals over 6 years
Taft-Hartley structure via Central States Joint Board. IRS Section 414 handles multi-entity. ERISA-grade quarterly audits. The honest plan limits surfaced on day one.
- Six funding options modeled (fully-insured, level-funded, MEWA, self-funded, traditional PEO, Taft-Hartley)
- 14–15 months of plan reserves — structural reason renewals stay flat
- BCBS network + Express Scripts pharmacy + $1M+ stop-loss + no co-employment
Saved 38% over 6 years
No changes to network, deductibles, or what employees pay out of pocket.
- Switched funding mechanism (kept the same carrier behavior employees saw)
- Renewal cycle moved from chaotic to predictable
- HR claims-dispute time cut by 8–20 hours per case
Saved 37% on health insurance
Compounding year over year as the prior trajectory continues to widen the gap.
- Two PEOs modeled side-by-side on the same census
- Dedicated benefits coordinator vs call-center claims handling
- K1 owner + part-time office manager classes structured cleanly
Saved 52% on health insurance
Full Grip Games — 52% cheaper on a comparable plan; they upgraded the plan and still cut total cost 40%.
- Master plan pricing under what their group could access independently
- Dedicated benefits rep replaced call-center experience
- HR/admin hours per week recovered for the owner
Saved ~23% on employer cost, Year 1
Comparable plan, deductible cut in half ($1,000 → $500), broader network — and a worst-case spend that no longer swings.
- Deductible $1,000 → $500 (richer coverage, not leaner)
- Network upgraded EPO → PPO (broader provider access)
- Worst-case employer spend capped — no more renewal-cycle whiplash
96% renewal hike avoided
Benefits restructured into a recruiting tool — total comp impact several multiples of the cost change.
- Talent retention reframe: benefits as recruiting leverage, not just cost
- Coverage richness held or improved while premium pressure absorbed
Saved 34% on premiums + HMO → Nationwide PPO
Lower deductible, broader network, multi-state hiring unlocked. 6-year savings projected to scale into seven figures as headcount grows.
- $5,000 deductible → $2,000 deductible (better coverage at lower cost)
- Premium increases capped at 3%/yr vs 8–10% on the prior trajectory
- Multi-state PPO network unlocked hiring beyond the original HMO footprint
From one regional plan to nationwide employee choice
A 7-person mortgage brokerage moved to PrestigePEO + UnitedHealthcare.
- Nationwide UHC network vs a single regional plan
- Low- and high-deductible / HSA options for employees
- Cost competitive with the fully-insured renewal
~$800/mo cheaper, lower deductible, 100+ covered
A staffing firm moved its core to a Taft-Hartley plan and opened it to 100+ 1099 locums.
- ~$800/mo (~$9,600/yr) saved on family coverage
- Deductible cut $2,600 → $1,000
- Dental, vision & $10k life bundled in
Built a benefits program from scratch; ancillary ~22% down
A locum-staffing firm got self-funded medical plus a dental/vision suite bid across five carriers.
- ~22% (~$12K) off dental + vision via a 5-carrier RFP
- Self-funded medical plan, built new
- Funded with an hourly health-and-welfare allowance
7 drivers on a pooled, large-group plan
A last-mile contractor put its driver crew on a pooled Taft-Hartley plan running the BCBS PPO network.
- Large-group access for a 7-person crew
- BCBS PPO national doctor & hospital network
- Better rates & large-pool rate stability
A 9.5% renewal turned into a cut
A construction company’s FrankCrum/Aetna renewal came in at +9.5%; an alternative landed below current.
- Renewal as offered: +9.5%
- Alternative Aetna plan: −4.2% (below current)
- Same PEO — no platform disruption
Added $98K+ in annual value to strengthen a sale
A growing construction company used benefits strategy to lift its value ahead of a sale.
- $98K+ in annual value added
- Positioned to strengthen its sale
- Benefits structured as a valuation lever
Neutralized a 9.6% renewal — and upgraded
A 30-person operations company escaped a 9.6% renewal and locked in predictable costs.
- 9.6% renewal neutralized
- Predictable costs locked in
- Provider network upgraded at the same time
How to read these
Each case shows the carrier and funding mechanism the client moved from, the specific trigger that brought them in, the headline outcome as a percentage (so you can apply it to your own spend), and what changed under the hood. We've omitted client names and headcounts so you can map yourself onto the cases by situation, not by size.
Source documents — quote comparisons, premium tables, renewal letters — available under NDA on request.
You've seen the outcomes. Now run yours.
Seven funding strategies modeled on your actual census, your actual carriers, your actual renewal pressure. No obligation, no pitch — just the comparison.
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