Real problems. Structured strategies. Measurable outcomes.

Client Profile

The Challenge

The employer faced consecutive medical renewals ranging from high single-digit to double-digit increases, with limited visibility into the claims drivers behind those trends. A planned transition from HMO to PPO coverage created additional concern around employee disruption and continuity of care — particularly for the union workforce.

Leadership was making renewal decisions without adequate data, and employees were receiving minimal education about their benefits — contributing to both underutilization and inappropriate utilization that was driving cost.

The Strategy
Core Benefits conducted a full funding and plan design analysis, identifying the specific cost drivers and evaluating alternative structures. We redesigned the medical strategy around data transparency, implemented a structured employee education program to support the HMO-to-PPO transition, and embedded ongoing compliance oversight into the program architecture.

Client Profile

The Challenge

The practice was experiencing escalating benefit costs while competing aggressively for clinical talent in a tight California labor market. Leadership lacked clarity on plan performance, compliance obligations, and how the benefits program aligned with physician and staff expectations. Renewals had become reactive and time-consuming for administrators who were already stretched thin.

Fragmented HR and payroll systems were creating administrative errors and consuming valuable management capacity.

The Strategy
Core Benefits evaluated the practice's medical and ancillary benefit funding structures, optimized the program for both physician and staff demographics, and implemented a structured renewal and compliance review process. HCM systems were reviewed and aligned to reduce administrative friction. Leadership and employee education were built into the ongoing program.

Client Profile

The Challenge

The employer faced recurring fully insured renewals with consistent double-digit increases, limited transparency into the claims drivers behind those increases, and fragmented vendor relationships that made strategic decision-making nearly impossible. Leadership had insufficient data to evaluate whether the current funding model was still appropriate for the organization's size and financial profile.

The Strategy
Core Benefits conducted a structured funding analysis comparing fully insured, level-funded, self-funded, and alternative funding models against the employer's specific claims history, workforce demographics, and financial risk tolerance. The benefits strategy was simultaneously aligned with HR systems, payroll workflows, compliance oversight, and employee communication.

Ship & Shore Environmental has been with Core Benefits since 2009. For the past ten years, the team at Core Benefits has never failed to look out for our best interest and has always kept us in the loop of new or upcoming health insurance trends. All the personnel we had the pleasure of working with are very courteous and respond to any requests or correspondence in a prompt and professional manner. The Ship & Shore team views Core Benefits as a reliable friend, as they are unlike any other insurance agency we have previously worked with."