Mitigate Partners

An image of an extended open hand is powerful. It represents helping and comforting.

This week brings the 25th anniversary of 9.11.2001. So much to remember. A very dark day in the United States and around the world.

We remember those who perished. We honor those who helped.

And we remind ourselves to continue helping one another.

#911

Our nation officially celebrates the workforce this weekend.

Our clients celebrate their workforce all year long with group health plans that cost less and include better benefits.

You can too.

Make sure you thank your people for their hard work today and every day.

Happy Labor Day!

“We’re just so busy that we don’t have time to review our plan …”

That’s a direct quote from a recent meeting. And it’s likely true. Organizations are appropriately focused on their businesses. And while they recognize that a robust benefits plan will help attract and retain the best talent, their time is spent working IN their business … and not always ON their business and what can make it better.

A 2025 Stanford University study revealed some concerning issues about employer-sponsored health plans. This report seems a little harsh in that it suggests “employers do not care” about employee satisfaction with benefits. But it does show that:

- Over half of respondents do not actively measure and manage their plan

- More than 2/3 rely on consultants to review and recommend plans

- Over 1/3 don’t actively request employee feedback about the plan

That’s concerning. Here’s what is even more concerning. With continued consolidation in the industry, there are PERCEIVED fewer options, yet with the same complexity that can be difficult to manage internally. So plan “review” is often delegated to brokers who represent … the large insurance companies. And as the author suggests, brokers and intermediaries “contract in ways that enable them to keep a lot of the money for themselves.”

This is a fundamental challenge that we continue to solve for our clients. Because we work for YOU.

Learn about the difference of our approach. Contact a Mitigate Partners advisor near you.

Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine is a non-profit (501c3) dependent on donations and grants to empower the medically underserved of Polk County, Florida. The organization continues to serve through a “culture of caring” by providing access to free, high-quality, comprehensive health and dental care through a community of caring volunteers.

However, in mid-to-late 2025, LVIM was faced with a dilemma. Premiums through their fully insured plan were set to go up substantially, and they were faced with having to ask participating employees to cover some of the increases on the plan that had historically been fully-paid from the organization. Not a good situation.

Fortunately for LVIM, they knew Liz Antaya, and drawing on her years of experience and knowledge of innovative approaches from other Mitigate Partners, they were able to craft a new plan that resulted in significant cost savings and improved benefits for participating employees … NO CO-PAY for doctor visits scheduled through the embedded nurse navigation feature of the new plan.

You can enjoy this type of plan too. It takes a little courage … and a willingness to explore something different -and better.

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

Your plan renewal is coming up. You're ready … right?

And your broker has been helping you all year with ...

- Regular updates

- Reviews of your plan’s performance

- Alerting you to high claims activity

- Evaluating possible options in advance of renewal

- Keeping you informed as to possible premium increases

… and much more …

Right? That is happening … correct?

Hopefully your answer is a solid YES.

If not – then we should talk. Because you already have enough surprises in your business. Changes in your group health plan shouldn’t be one of them.

Let’s get started. Get Healthcare that Works. Contact a Mitigate Partners advisor near you.

CVS Health reported higher-than-expected Q2 earnings this week. According to reports, a big part of the results is from “improved profitability in CVS's insurance business, where the medical benefit ratio declined to 87.4% from 89.9% a year earlier.” (Yahoo! Finance)

What is the Medical Benefit Ratio? It’s the percentage of premium revenue spent on direct medical care as compared to administrative costs.

In summary – CVS Health spent less in Q2 on direct medical care (care providers and facilities) than in the prior year. (CVS Health also reported a 7% increase in Q2 revenue y/y … or in real terms over $7 billion more than last year.)

More revenue. Lower expenses. That’s a really good business strategy.

Except in this case, it’s directly related to the care and well-being of people.

Healthcare usage is not declining. People are still seeing doctors and getting treatments and filling prescriptions. But it’s costing more. And it’s impacting providers and facilities … and individuals. In some cases traditional plans are not paying out as much.

Do you know what your plan’s Medical Benefit Ratio is? You should. It will tell you how much of your premium dollars are spent on medical care for your people.

A Mitigate Partners advisor can help you understand those details – and explore options that could serve you and your team better.

Work with the leader. Give us a call. We’re ready to help. Get Healthcare that Works.

Projections for 2027 health care premiums are starting to appear. And to no surprise – they will be going up.

ACA marketplace rate filings are projected to rise 14% on average across 77 participating carriers. Employer-sponsored group health plan premiums are expected to grow upwards of 9%.

Wow. (There are probably stronger words to use here.)

Beyond the initial shock (and strong concern) – why is that happening?

According to a recent PwC report – it’s attributable to the rising costs of healthcare. Or more simply – physicians, facilities, and pharmaceuticals are finding new ways to increase their own revenue. Remember, these organizations are FOR PROFIT (and increasingly moreso with practice consolidation and PE-backed ownership). They are driven to increase revenue and reduce costs.

From that, insurance plans are under increased pressure resulting from more claims and higher plan usage. And like providers, the big insurance companies are also FOR PROFIT.

Which means … those pressures are pushed down to employer-sponsors, who now face record-growth in the cost of their health plans to help employees with personal health and well-being.

Employers feel that they’re stuck with no options. Here’s reality. Employers DO have choices. It starts with contracting directly with providers and facilities ... and thinking differently.

But even before that, it starts by contacting a Mitigate Partners advisor. We help clients all across the nation solve these problems and much more. Lower costs. Better benefits.

Get Healthcare that Works. Let’s get started.

Most key issues are in this list. And when there’s a challenge, you likely make a change.

Yet most businesses don’t think about their benefits plans like this. It’s just one of "those things" you have to offer and doesn’t have an impact -good or bad- on your core business.

Think again.

Employee benefits, and specifically your group health plan, are one of your fastest growing costs. And those growing costs are being passed along to employees which drives frustration within your team. And when there’s low morale and higher costs, often there is a change in leadership that drives additional changes.

Taking care of your people -and your business- with a better plan will drive better results.

It’s really that straightforward.

We can’t solve for sales growth or the competition, but we can help you lower costs, improve morale, and empower your leadership.

Really … we can do that. And we’re doing that for satisfied clients across the nation.

Do an online search for Mitigate Partners. Even better, do a search for any of our advisors. There’s a reason we show up first in the results. Because we’re considered the experts. Best-in-class.

Or ask our clients. They’ll tell you the same thing.

Get Healthcare that Works. Find an advisor near you.

The summer temperatures aren't the only thing that's going up.

Your employer-sponsored benefits plan premiums are going up too. So are the related costs of prescription drugs under your plan.

And many employers are evaluating options and are likely to make changes in their plan. Possible changes include:

- Passing along more of the costs to employees 😕

- Increasing deductibles that drive more out-of-pocket costs 😒

It's a real challenge. Rising plan costs are starting to have a real impact, and employers are somewhat forced to make changes. Many employers are also looking at non-traditional options that include Direct Primary Care and low/no deductible plans.

Many of our clients have already made those changes. And the results have been fantastic for the employers ... and for the employees too.

That can be you too. Contact a Mitigate Partners advisor near you. Get Healthcare that Works.