4 ways level-funded health plans help contain costs for employers
Level-funded plans are designed to offer employers predictability with the potential of upfront savings and a surplus refund.
- Select states
- Small Business (2-100)
- Midsized Business (101-4,999)
- Cost management
Level-funded plans continue to pick up steam in the health insurance market. 42% of small firms in 2021 reported that they have a level-funded plan,1 compared to just 7% two years ago, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation Employer Health Benefits Survey.2
What’s driven increased adoption of these plans? As health costs continue to rise, while broader economic uncertainty and concern looms, employers are seeking more cost-effective plan designs. Enter: level-funding.
Level-funded plans offer the potential savings of self-funded plans, with reduced risk, while offering similar predictability of fully insured plans, but at a potentially lower cost, due to an opportunity for lower premiums upfront and a surplus refund if medical claims are lower than expected. UnitedHealthcare prices level-funded plans based on risk profile so that healthier groups do not pay as much as less healthier groups. As a result, employers may pay 17% less under a UnitedHealthcare Level Funded plan compared to a fully insured plan.3
“Level-funded plans offer the consistency, flexibility and transparency that many fully insured, small group plans can’t provide. They’re designed to compete with fully insured plans,” says James Guemple, regional vice president at UnitedHealthcare.
Level Funded Video
Understanding level-funded plans
While there’s been increased adoption, understanding the value of level-funded plans still requires some education in the marketplace.
“Brokers and consultants want more transparency, a little more flexibility in the plans that they’re able to offer and for the employer to be able to participate in the performance of their own plan,” says Beth Soberg, regional chief executive officer at UnitedHealthcare. “So we are having conversations with brokers and consultants, not just about the benefit design, but also the underlying funding of the plan designs and the products, and how that allows employers to have more skin in the game with us.”
At their core, level-funded plans are generally self-funded plans that offer 3 distinct elements, with certain plan components variable among carriers:
- Stop-loss insurance to mitigate risk
- An opportunity for a surplus refund3
- A third-party claims administration agreement
Level-funded plans also can include monthly reports with data that employers can use to track health care usage and wellness programs that may increase member engagement and reduce costs.
“Level-funded allows us to be more agile and able to react quicker to changes and the needs of the market,” says John Koewler, director of sales for UnitedHealthcare Level Funding. “As a type of self-funded health plan, our plans are built to provide the pricing stability employers want and need, and provide them an opportunity for a surplus.”
To take a closer look at how level funded health plans help contain costs for employers, here’s how they compare to self-funded and fully insured plans.
1. Level-funded plans offer predictability and mitigate the risks of self-funded plans
Similar to a self-funded plan, level-funded allows employers to assume the financial risk of providing health services to employees by directly paying for employee medical claims.
How do these plans mitigate risk? Employers with level-funded plans pay a fixed monthly fee, which covers the maximum claims liability, administrative fees and stop-loss insurance to protect against unexpectedly large claims and high utilization.
In a self-funded model, the employer pays more if claims are higher than anticipated and gets money back if claims are lower at the end of the plan year. Level-funded plans, however, cover the cost of individual or aggregate claims that exceed the plan’s maximum, while offering the health plan an opportunity to receive money back if lower-than-expected claims produce a surplus.
“Level-funded plans mitigate risk associated with the self-funded model. There is no risk of additional liability outside of what is being funded,” Guemple says.
2. The health plan may receive a surplus refund with level-funded plans
For a fully insured plan, the insurance company assumes the financial risk for providing health services to the employer group. For a fixed monthly premium paid by the employer, the insurer pays health care claims and covers administrative costs, sales commissions and taxes. At the end of the plan year, if the actual health care claims are higher than expected, the insurer pays them. The insurer keeps the difference if they’re lower.
In contrast, an employer with a level-funded plan is insured against higher-than-expected claims while potentially receiving a surplus refund resulting from lower-than-expected claims. “For employers, there’s an incentive to help keep their employee populations healthier to drive for a greater surplus refund,” says Mary Zarn, chief executive officer for UnitedHealthcare Level Funding. “With wellness programs and virtual care included with our level-funded plans, we can help make this happen.”
3. Level-funded plans offer greater insights to help contain costs
Unlike with most fully insured plans, employers with level funding can receive detailed monthly data reports to help them better understand employee utilization of health services and manage their benefits.
“With our monthly reporting package, employers are able to see how their group is running and can see trends and utilization within their specific population,” Koewler says. “They don’t have to wait until the renewal period at the end of the year before they can understand how member behavior may be driving up costs.”
These insights may enable employers to alert individual members that:
- Low-cost generic medications can often be substituted for brand name medications
- Going to urgent care may be more appropriate and less costly than going to the emergency room
- Seeing their primary care provider virtually rather than in-person can save them time and money
“Detailed data reports are a huge advantage, especially for small employers, by giving them insights into their virtual care usage, ER use, pharmacy utilization and network strategy,” Guemple says. “Tracking these things over time and making informed decisions as needed helps drive a better member experience.”
4. Member experience is key within the level-funded model
UnitedHealthcare Level Funded plans include wellness programs and 24/7 virtual care options, which may help employees and their families play a more active role in their health care and save on out-of-pocket costs.
Employees in some markets may be invited to participate in a fitness tracking program designed to rewards up to $1,095 for completing certain daily fitness goals either directly to pay out-of-pocket expenses or health savings account (HSA) dollars. To offer employees more convenience, 24/7 virtual care is available for a variety of conditions, including general medical care, back and neck care and behavioral health counseling.
“The member experience including virtual, health engagement and plan design options is what distinguishes our level-funded plan,” Guemple says. “It helps to increase customer satisfaction and engagement for employees; for employers, it’s the opportunity for lower costs and the chance to achieve a surplus refund.”
Cost management that meets the moment
The right blend of network and plan design, with employee engagement and clinical strategies, may help employers combat increasing financial pressures.
Network configurations designed to improve care quality and reduce costs
More employers are considering tiered networks that promote quality care and cost savings while retaining a broad range of choices.
Explore strategies for your business
Uncover more ways to help your business save.
Discover plans, strategies and products that can improve engagement.
Find ways you and your employees can simplify the experience, make healthier choices and lower costs.
Explore the innovative strategies that are helping make health care work better for you and your employees.