The SMB Benefits Cost Crisis

How Strategic Plan Design Can Save Your
Business Hundreds of Thousands, Every Year

Health benefits are one of the most significant expenses and administrative burdens for U.S. employers, and for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), those costs are becoming increasingly unsustainable. As premiums rise and economic pressure continues to mount, many SMBs are being forced to make difficult decisions: reduce coverage, shift more costs to employees, or eliminate benefits altogether.

Unlike large corporations, SMBs lack the buying power, internal HR resources, and dedicated benefits teams to effectively and efficiently navigate this evolving landscape. And the traditional broker model, which isn’t designed to meet the needs of smaller employers, often leaves these businesses without the advocacy and support they need to manage costs strategically.

But there is a way forward. With the right benefits partner—one that offers a full-service approach to plan design and ongoing lifecycle support—SMBs can take back control. Through smarter strategies, full-picture visibility, and shared savings models, SMBs can reduce wasteful spending, increase employee satisfaction, and save hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

This whitepaper explores the scope of the current benefits cost crisis, why SMBs are disproportionately affected, and what a better path looks like.