Find the Right Benefits Strategy
for Your Business

Level-funded plans combine the budget predictability of fully insured with the savings potential of self-funded. You pay a fixed monthly amount that covers expected claims, admin fees, and stop-loss insurance. If your group's claims come in lower than expected, you can get a refund. It's the "best of both worlds" for mid-size groups with relatively healthy populations.

Self-funded (or self-insured) plans give you the most control. You assume the financial risk of paying employee claims directly, typically paired with stop-loss insurance to cap catastrophic exposure. This structure eliminates carrier profit margins from your costs and gives you total visibility into where your healthcare dollars go. The trade-off: you need sufficient cash reserves and tolerance for monthly cost variability.

A Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA) allows multiple unrelated employers to band together to purchase group health insurance. By pooling employees across companies, you get access to rates typically reserved for much larger organizations. MEWAs are common in trade associations and industry groups. They require more regulatory oversight but can deliver significant cost advantages for mid-size employers.

Hybrid and consortium arrangements combine elements of multiple funding strategies. For example, you might self-fund your medical plan while keeping dental and vision fully insured, or join a consortium for stop-loss purchasing power while maintaining plan control. These strategies often include innovative elements like reference-based pricing, direct primary care, or captive insurance. They require expert guidance but can yield the greatest savings for the right organization.