One of our recent small business health insurance renewals really stood out.

Every client has an expected renewal timeline. As those dates approach, we’re watching for renewal information so we have time to review it before decisions are made.

Based on our renewal calendar, this one should have arrived.

It hadn’t.

That simple observation started everything that followed.

So we contacted the carrier and learned this renewal had fallen outside the normal process and required additional handling. After a little persistence, it finally arrived.

I thought we were ready to begin the review.

We weren’t.

First, We Had to Figure Out What We Were Reviewing

The renewal packet contained several proposal pages, but it never clearly identified which plan the group was actually being renewed into.

It also didn’t include the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) for that plan.

Before I could compare premiums or benefits, I first had to know exactly what I was comparing.

We contacted the carrier again, confirmed the renewal plan, and requested the SBC.

Only then could the review really begin.

Evaluating the Small Business Health Insurance Renewal

Because the employee census had changed, the first step was recalculating last year’s premium using the current enrollment. That gave us an apples-to-apples comparison.

The result was an true increase of approximately 5.2%.

From there, we compared the benefits.

Almost everything remained the same. The primary change was that emergency room services moved from 100% after the deductible to a $300 emergency room copay plus the deductible, followed by 100% coverage.

For a renewal in that range, it was a relatively modest change.

Could We Do Better?

We still looked at the alternatives.

One thing employers don’t always see is that plan options aren’t always available in small, predictable steps.

The next comparable non-HSA copay plan wasn’t just a slightly higher deductible. It jumped from a $5,000 deductible with 100% coverage after the deductible to a $6,000 deductible with 80% coverage after the deductible.

Yes, it lowered the premium.

It also represented a much bigger change in benefits.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that you work with the hand you’re dealt. I can’t invent plan options that don’t exist. My job is to understand the options that are available and recommend the least disruptive path for the client.

In this case, staying with the current plan made the most sense.

Broker’s Desk

Looking back, what stands out isn’t the 5.2% increase.

It’s everything that had to happen before we could confidently recommend accepting it.

Had the client opened that renewal packet on their own, I think they would have had more questions than answers. The renewal plan wasn’t clearly identified, the actual increase wasn’t obvious because the employee census had changed, and the benefit documents weren’t included.

That’s why even a good renewal deserves a careful review.

Sometimes the value isn’t finding a different plan.

Sometimes it’s simply bringing clarity to a process that would otherwise leave more questions than answers.

At a Glance

A scheduled renewal didn’t arrive when expected, prompting us to follow up with the carrier.
The renewal packet didn’t clearly identify the renewal plan or include the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC).
We confirmed the correct renewal plan before comparing premiums and benefits.
After adjusting for changes in the employee census, the actual increase was approximately 5.2%.
The primary benefit change was a $300 emergency room copay plus the deductible.
We reviewed alternative plans, but the next comparable option required a much larger change in benefits.
The recommendation was to remain with the current plan because it represented the least disruptive path.

About the Author

For more than three decades, Ted Stevenot has helped Ohio small businesses evaluate employee benefits as a partner at McCarthy Stevenot Agency, Inc.

He writes the Broker’s Desk series to document the real-world decisions, conversations, and observations that come from helping Ohio employers navigate health insurance renewals and employee benefits.

Protecting Client Privacy

Client names, identifying details, and certain facts have been modified or omitted to protect client confidentiality. The situations described reflect real-world experience, but no post is intended to identify a specific employer.

If you’d like to learn more about health insurance renewals and employee benefits, these guides provide additional context.

Related Resources

Disclaimer

Broker’s Desk is a series of observations from more than three decades of helping Ohio employers navigate health insurance. Some articles explain a process. Others tell the stories behind the work. All are intended to help employers understand how experienced brokers think through real-world situations—not to suggest there is one right answer for every employer.

Why Even a Good Renewal Still Takes Careful Review