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Bi-weekly briefings on what's really driving healthcare spend. Strategies covering self-funding, PBMs, and compliance. Free tools when you're ready to dig in.

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Benefits Blake

What's Costing You

Five systems in your benefits stack, each built to obscure cost.

1

You’re funding your carrier’s margin, not your plan

Fully-insured premiums build the carrier’s surplus. Self-funded employers own their claims data and keep the spread.

2

Your drug spend has a markup layer you’ve never audited

PBMs take spread pricing on generics and specialty drugs. Transparent contracts exist, but you have to know to ask for them.

3

There are structures that cap your exposure. You haven’t been offered them.

ICHRA, reference-based pricing, and Direct Primary Care change the unit economics of benefits. Most advisors don’t lead with them.

4

You’re making seven-figure decisions with no data

Self-funded employers can own their full claims file. That data predicts cost trends, surfaces waste, and gives you negotiating leverage.

5

ERISA fiduciary liability lands on you, not your broker

CAA, ACA 4980H, and DOL enforcement create personal liability for plan sponsors. Most CFOs don’t know the exposure until it’s triggered.

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The math exists. Most companies just haven't seen it.

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By the Numbers

Data-driven tools for data-driven leaders.

0Federal compliance requirements tracked
5-YearSavings projection horizon
30-SecBenefits Control Scorecard completion time

Employer Tools

See what's really going on. No contract required.

Benefits Control SystemSee what benefits complexity is really costing your organization. Interactive assessment with a personalized PDF scorecard.
  • Employee count + process analysis
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  • Stability score with benchmark comparison
  • Downloadable PDF scorecard
Run the Assessment 5-Year Benefits BlueprintSee how much a proactive benefits blueprint could save your organization. Interactive projections based on KFF 2025 data.
  • 5-year savings projection by funding type
  • Year-by-year cost comparison
  • Per-employee savings breakdown
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See Your Savings Compliance CalendarNever miss a benefits compliance deadline. Personalized calendar filtered to what actually applies to your plan, with monthly or twice-monthly status reports.
  • 72 federal compliance requirements tracked
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  • Resource library with fees, penalties, and responsible party
Start Tracking Compliance

Latest Articles

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stop-lossReinsurance Pricing Is Up 15%. Here's What's Driving Stop-Loss Rate Increases in 2026.Stop-loss loss ratios have hit 85% and carriers are calling it unsustainable. Here's what's driving 2026 rate increases, from reinsurance hardening to GLP-1 cla…May 20, 20263 min readRead Article →fiduciary-liabilityForm 5500 Is Due July 31. Your 75-Day Prep Checklist Starts Now.Form 5500 is due July 31 for December 31 plan years. Here's the 60-day checklist self-funded employers need to gather Schedule H, C, and A data and coordinate w…May 19, 20263 min readRead Article →pbm-transparencyPBM Contract Renewal: The Pharmacy Terms You Should Renegotiate Before You RenewThe CAA of 2026 gives employers new audit rights and transparency mandates for PBM contracts. Here are the specific terms worth renegotiating before your Januar…May 14, 20264 min readRead Article →

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About Blake

A decade in benefits. Still mad about it.

I'm Benefits Blake. I've spent ten years working with mid-market employers on employee benefits. Watching companies renew the same broken plan year after year because no one explained what the alternatives actually look like.

This publication exists because that information gap is expensive. Self-funding, reference-based pricing, ICHRA, direct primary care, PBM transparency. None of it is new. Most CFOs just haven't heard it said directly.

The newsletter is bi-weekly. The articles are permanent. Both are written for anyone who controls, influences, or cares about what the company spends on healthcare.

The math is there. You just need someone to show you.

Bi-weekly analysis across five pillars. Written in financial language for the people who own the budget.

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