03/25/2026
To the SMB owner who just got a 12% renewal increase. Don’t sign it yet.
Every year, I see the same thing. A business with 20 or 100 employees get their renewal notice, sees a double-digit hike, and thinks
“I guess this is just the cost of doing business.”
It’s not.
In 2026 the “Standard Plan” is a losing gam for small and mid-sized companies. You’re often subsidizing the claims of massive corporations whie your own team struggles with high deductibles,
You have options that didn’t exist five years ago:
Level-Funding: Pay for what you use, not what the carrier thinks you’ll use.
Pharmacy Carve-outs: Stop letting “middle-men” take a 30% cut on your teams prescriptions
Lifestyle Accounts: Attract Gen Z and Millennials with benefits they actually use (like student loan help or financial wellness) for a fraction of the cost of a premium hike
Benefits should be a tool for growth, not a drain on your EBITDA.
I’m sending out a 1-page Benefits Audit Checklist this week to help SMBs find the “leaks” in their current plan.
Want a copy? Comment “CHECKLIST” below and I’ll send it over