Mitigate Partners

Here’s a question. Did you know that 1 out of every 5 of your employees likely had an insurance claim denied from your group plan?

That’s right. According to recent survey results from The Commonwealth Fund, over 20% of 4,589 respondents indicated that they had a denial of benefits under their health insurance plan.

20% is a lot. It’s stand-alone frustrating because people 1) can’t get the care they need, or 2) are having to come out-of-pocket even more for care they expected to be covered.

Here’s an even bigger concern. How does that impact your business and overall productivity? Chances are that it affects it a great deal. Even if only half of that 20% is impacted – that’s 10% of your team not performing at expectations.

So what do you do in other parts of your business if you have a 10% shortfall? You evaluate everything and make changes to turn things around.

Are you taking that same approach with your group health plan? Are you evaluating claims data on a regular basis and seeing if covered employees have been negatively affected?

(If you’re only looking at it during the very short window of plan renewal, then you’re not really evaluating the plan. You’re checking the box because your broker is pressing you to agree by an arbitrary “deadline”.)

There is a better way. It starts with working with the right advisor – who you can identify simply by looking at our list of advisors who help clients across the nation.

Get Healthcare that Works. Because you can’t afford a drop-off in performance.

Attention finance leaders. Which one are you?

Are you one of the 25% who say that your business can absorb rising health care costs? If so – good for you and your organization. We’d like to know what you’re doing.

Or are you in the 75% majority who realize that annual 6% growth in health plan premiums is unsustainable … and can’t continue to be covered by the employer sponsor at current cost growth rates?

Or are you unsure where you stand?

Here’s some quick math. If your company has 100 employees, you group health plan premiums have cost almost $500,000 MORE in total over the past three years.

Has your business continued to grow -even with these higher costs- or have you been challenged to drive sustained profit growth?

If you know those details -and if it’s not a good response- then you probably fall into the “75% majority” (whether you realize it or not).

Take a look at your group health plan. Not a knee-jerk action to simply replace it, but to really dig in and see where you have opportunities to create a plan that works better for your team and your business.

If you’re already doing that, then great. If your broker is already doing that, then hopefully it’s happening. And if you haven’t explored any of this – contact a Mitigate Partners advisor near you. We’re ready to help … just like we continue to do for happy clients across the nation.

Let's get started. Get Healthcare that Works.

It’s the start of summer!

Memorial Day is an annual holiday to remember and honor those who perished while serving in the U.S. military. Truly a time of reflection and remembrance.

It also symbolizes the start of summer! That means fun at the beach, vacations, picnics, concerts, sporting events … and many good times with family and friends.

And then on the other side of summer … it’s back to work. Overcoming challenges and solving problems.

One thing that was probably there before summer starts … and will still be there … are challenges with your group health plan. Unless you’ve made a change, you’re still facing rising costs and growing frustration from your employees.

It’s not going away. And it’s not getting better either.

Unless you contact Mitigate Partners. That’s what our clients across the nation did. And they’re rolling into summer with happy faces knowing that those challenges will not be staring back at them on the other side.

We can help. Contact an advisor near you. Not for a sales pitch. But for a no-obligation review of your plan to see where you are.

Seeing clearly is important. Especially when you’re the window company and the only thing you’re “seeing clearly” is rising costs.

That’s what was happening at American Vision Windows (AVW). Rising costs in group health plans with a proposed 12.9% premium increase in their upcoming renewal.

Our friend and colleague Stephen Daniel helped them make a change to Healthcare that Works. Working together, Stephen and the AVW team built a plan that worked better for the business and for the employees too. (NOTE: They built the plan TOGETHER … that’s different than many situations where renewals are just a “take-it-or-leave-it” approach.)

And together, they accomplished the key goals, which included:

✅ Lowering overall costs - 21.7% lower premiums & $303,000+ lower costs

✅ Minimizing the impact to employees in terms of understanding benefits and access to the same care providers.

Truly a great success.

You can enjoy that type of partnership (and likely similar results too). It starts by contacting a Mitigate Partners advisor near you.

Get Healthcare that Works.

Is the AI explosion impacting your group health plan? Maybe. Especially when it comes to fiduciary responsibility.

Even bigger question. Do you know your fiduciary responsibilities when offering AND managing a group health plan? You should know.

And even more important – does your broker know your responsibilities? They should.

Here’s a guess. Many brokers (… maybe most of them …) probably don’t know. Are you working with one of those who do (or don't) know?

Fiduciary responsibility is a critical element of healthcare plans. With continued rising costs, there is more scrutiny on transparency and timely availability of data.

And if you don’t have that – timeliness and transparency – there can be serious issues.

If you love your broker, that’s great. If you’re just so-so about your broker, then you’re not alone. Many leaders don’t love their broker, but they don’t take the time to look elsewhere.

Here’s some quick guidance. Call a Mitigate Partners advisor near you. We are true advisors … not brokers. Our #1 goal is to help you … review what you have … explore possible options … and make a better, more informed choice.

That’s what you need. And that’s what we deliver.

Call us. We’re ready to help.

Want to know where your premium dollars go?

Here it is.

The stuff on the top? That’s the true cost of healthcare. Doctors, hospitals, medication. It’s about 80% of every dollar spent. And likely something you can’t change or influence.

But there’s another 20% of “stuff”.

A cost for “cost containment”. Hmmm. Almost non-sensical.

The best one? Profits.

And no, that’s not profit for your business. It’s profits for those in the healthcare business. Big carriers. Administrators. Those who plan the plan. And those who WORK the “plan”.

Maybe you never get it to zero on that other “stuff”. But there are real opportunities to make your premium dollars work better for your people and your business.

Take control. Get Healthcare that Works. Contact a Mitigate Partners advisor near you.



Sources: KFF, The Commonwealth Fund

What’s more frustrating with group health plans … growing costs or uncertainty?

Our conversations with prospective clients and their people provide a clear answer.

It’s the “not knowing” … or uncertainty … about a number of things.

Not knowing …

- Which providers and facilities are in-network

- What medical procedures are covered … and what’s not included

- Actual co-pays

- Covered frequency of visits

- Allowed prescription refills, and how often



And of course – how much is my insurance going to cost next year? (That’s for both the employer-sponsor AND covered employees.)

And when those same prospects ask us what makes us different, we answer this way …

“We eliminate the ‘not knowing’ … on everything in your health plan.”

Straightforward and direct. That’s what people want. Clear and honest answers about the most important thing … individual health and well-being.

Tired of the “not knowing”? Call us. Our advisors across the nation are ready to help.

Here’s a simple question. Where’s the best place to positively impact your business?

Many will have this answer – focus on the customer.

That is true. Take care of those who buy your stuff and good things happen.

But here’s a better answer. Take care of your people.

That’s right. Your TEAM. Those who make it happen for the customer. If the people who get paid by your organization feel that you’re taking care of them – they’ll make it happen.

Next question – what’s the BEST way to show your people you’re taking care of them?

Simple. Provide great support for their personal health and well-being.

Nothing is more important. Not one single thing.

But higher payroll deductions and more challenges getting the care they need are not taking care of them. That’s creating problems. For them and for you. And that's what you have today if you're simply renewing the same group health plan without reviewing alternatives.

So now ... back to that first question. Where should you focus to positively impact your business?

There’s only one “best answer”. And when you know that - your next step is to contact a Mitigate Partners ADVISOR. (We’re not brokers. We focus on helping.)

Great businesses adapt and adjust. When costs grow and lead times get longer, they will make changes. Like this one.

Going direct to suppliers.

That’s right. Smart leaders will create direct supplier relationships. For raw materials. Or office supplies. Eliminating the distributor -or middle man- can result in lower costs and faster, better productivity.

Here’s a question (… and a STRONG recommendation …) ... why not do that with your employee benefits?

You may think you need a big insurance carrier, because “that’s the way we’ve always done it …” or “I have more confidence that they’ll take care of us …” or “they’re the experts …” and other stuff.

But guess what? They are the “middle man” just like other distributors. And the costs of that “expertise” continue to go up. In fact – your employee benefits are likely one of your largest costs, and it’s also probably one of your fastest growing costs. Not a good combo.

If you're already working directly with suppliers, you CAN do that with your group health plan too.

Really … YES you can.

Our clients made that choice, and they now enjoy Healthcare that Works. You can too. It's not complicated. And you'll be amazed at the results. For your business, and more importantly, for your team.

Contact a Mitigate Partners advisor near you.

True story. A patient covered under a big carrier plan was offered a “self-pay” option for a routine test (vs. filing a claim with their insurance plan). $97 self-pay vs. estimated $146 out-of-pocket with plan benefits. The patient selected self-pay.

Fast forward – the patient recently received a statement for amounts due of $146 for the routine test PLUS a $50 co-pay. The medical office actually did file a claim against the plan. Countless phone calls, emails, and somewhat abrasive language from the medical billing office still has not resolved the error.

Here’s the question. How many times do YOUR EMPLOYEES have this experience?

Chances are the answer is … a lot.

Faced with what they think their big carrier plan will cover … and what it actually covers … and how they prefer to pay … are real (and likely) situations that your team faces when trying to use their benefits.

And when YOUR EMPLOYEES are distracted with these challenges … guess what happens?

Productivity declines. Satisfaction dwindles. Your organization’s results may suffer.

Our clients recognized these challenges and made a change to Healthcare that Works. Partially or completely self-funded plans. Direct Primary Care. Same doctors. Same hospitals. Better benefits.

And the best part of all? Lower costs.

That can be you. Contact a Mitigate Partners advisor near you.