Without its employees, your business is nothing but an idea. If you have a team of highly-qualified, deeply-engaged people working for you, you’ll generally go a lot further than you would with a team of middling performers. The best employees also tend to be the people who have the most job options. Someone who has an incredible resume, glowing references and a long list of skills and certifications may be able to be picky about where they work. Not only do you want those employees coming to work for you, but you also don’t want them going to work for your competitors. To get them on your team, you’re going to have to offer competitive health benefits. Employers considering going the self-funded route often wonder if they will be able to offer appealing healthcare benefits. Continue Reading >

Small businesses have to be creative to survive in a competitive market. For many of these businesses, embracing a new kind of healthcare strategy is key to controlling costs and attracting top talent. Self-funding your healthcare plan means paying employees’ claims directly instead of paying premiums to an insurance carrier. Continue Reading >

For a startup to last beyond a few years, all the stars have to align. The business has to have a great product and a way to reach its customers. There has to be a place for that product in the market. Investors have to be willing to fund the business until it starts earning profits, which may take years. A successful startup also needs a team of skilled employees who are engaged in the work and committed to building something that lasts. Providing high-quality health insurance is one way a growing startup can attain and retain top talent. Self funding and stop loss coverage are two tools that can make that goal achievable. Continue Reading >

Collecting patient data is essential to the future of medicine. Here are some of the innovations already affecting the industry. Continue Reading >

After more than 25 years in stop-loss, I can say with experience that the stop-loss landscape is constantly evolving. Staying on top of the trends is the key to maximizing your coverage and taking advantage of your best options. One resource I rely on to understand the field is the Aegis Survey. Continue Reading >

When it comes to health insurance, choice is a good thing. American employers are spoiled for choice these days, with a variety of insurance arrangements available to even small businesses. But all that choice necessitates making some tough decisions. Before you can get into the nitty-gritty about benefits and co-pays, first you have to make a big decision. Should your company be fully insured and pay premiums to an insurance company, or should you choose self-funded insurance, sidestepping the insurer and paying employees’ claims yourself? Continue Reading >

How much do you know about self-funding? For many people, the answer is probably “nothing,” but self-funding should be a familiar concept to anyone involved in their company’s decision-making process around health benefits. Unfortunately, this insurance arrangement isn’t well understood by everyone—and that misunderstanding keeps companies from saving money. Continue Reading >