Solutions
Healthcare Funding Options
Funding with Flexibility
Employers are in the healthcare business (whether they like it or not) if they offer healthcare coverage to their employees. With High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) deductibles growing to a level that makes coverage virtually unusable, employers are making difficult decisions. This is where the Kirsch Group is unique. We have the expertise and market sophistication to help you navigate ways to fund your healthcare plan with structures that benefit you – the employer and the employee. Employers have so many great options and we pride ourselves on being bullish about sharing those options with you in a digestible way.
Healthcare Funding Options
Select Best Plan For Business
Choosing a healthcare funding model impacts cost, risk, transparency, and flexibility. Each option offers a different balance, and the right fit depends on your organization’s goals, workforce, and appetite for risk.
Fully Insured Plans
The employer pays fixed monthly premiums, and the insurance carrier assumes all claim risk.
- Premiums are locked for 12 months which allows for predictability in monthly expenses.
- Typically used by businesses who may experience cash flow variances.
- Includes basic health, dental, vision and disability.
Level-Funded Plans
Employers pay a fixed monthly amount, while gaining access to more meaningful claims data and pricing transparency.
- Provides a fixed funding option while participating in potential surpluses.
- Flexible plan design
- Data transparency used to understand whether self-funding should be explored.
Self-Insured Plans
Employers pay claims directly and partner with a Third-Party Administrator (TPA), Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM), and a stop-loss carrier to manage high cost claimants.
- Employer pays no premium tax.
- Plan design flexibility
- Understanding of cost drivers with solutions to affect future cost.
Our Approach
Not Your Traditional Broker
As an independent firm, we are not constrained by carrier incentive compensation or rigid service models. This independence allows us to spend the time required to educate our clients, dig into the details, and build strategies that reflect long-term goals rather than short-term renewals. Our strategy work is built on three core pillars:
Time
We invest meaningful time upfront and throughout the year to understand your business challenges and educate your leaders about their options. This allows us to make informed decisions with confidence.
Data
We focus on helping employers understand the performance of their plan. For fully insured clients this means reviewing insurance carrier claim data that shows premiums paid versus claims paid; for level funded that includes reporting against the overall risk corridor and for self-insured plans that includes the affect of high cost medical and pharmacy claims on the plan with solutions on addressing those costs long-term.
Long-Term Thinking
Benefits are cyclical. Strategy should not be. We help employers create a 3 year total rewards roadmap which includes goals, priorities and potential work effort to ensure flawless execution.
Testimonials
What People Are Saying
"Two words that immediately come to mind to describe her are accountable and driven. She is an expert in her field, and really brings some great insight and strategy to her clients’ accounts. She has an extensive network which allows her to easily and quickly come to solutions in record time! I have always been amazed by how she is able to navigate even the largest organizations. The way she conducts herself and her approach to business is something we should all aspire to achieve!"
“When we first started working with Cara, it was really a breath of fresh air because she came in, she really took the time to listen to us in regards to learning about the company, what we really value from our mission, our values, our culture with our employees, and identified areas that she could add value in the sense of benefit offerings.”
"Cara Kirsch is a powerhouse when it comes to the employee benefits arena. Her extensive knowledge and insight are second to none. Cara can be trusted to keep the interests of her clients first. All that being said, Cara remains approachable and considerate in her delivery with clients."
"Cara is a focused professional who is particularly skilled at building her understanding of client needs and is tireless in working to find solutions that meet these needs. She has been a valued business partner to help us achieve our goals."
"Where do I start with Cara?! When joining Flywheel I inherited a mediocre broker that had just completed a disappointing renewal process. We quickly brought Cara and her team in and were able to adjust our renewal, increase our benefits offering and have all of the data at our fingertips to make informed decisions. Cara was a phenomenal partner and I look forward to working with her again."List Content
Contact Us
Ready to begin?
Set up a time to meet with us for a personalized benefits analysis. Together, we’ll turn complexity into clarity and help you make decisions that strengthen your organization.
Helping employers design and manage employer-sponsored health and benefits programs.