Title: Employee Benefits Benchmarking
Source: https://ethosbenefits.com/services/benchmarking
Publisher: Ethos Benefits
Summary: Ethos Benefits benchmarks your plan design and contributions against similar employers and models the cost and affordability of every change before you make it.

1.  [Home](https://ethosbenefits.com/)
2.  [Services](https://ethosbenefits.com/services)
3.  Benchmarking and modeling.

# Benchmarking and modeling. Your plan against employers like you.

Your plan design and employee contributions only make sense next to employers like you. Ethos Benefits benchmarks deductibles, out-of-pocket limits, contributions and cost per employee against peers, models ACA affordability and the financial impact of each proposed change, and shows your committee the trade-offs before anything is decided.

[Request a Strategic Analysis](https://ethosbenefits.com/strategic-analysis)

## What you get.

Benchmarks are often pulled once, at renewal, to justify a decision already made. Used properly, they frame the decision before it is made.

1.  **Plan design benchmarking** Deductibles, out-of-pocket limits, copays and coinsurance compared with employers of similar size, industry and region.
2.  **Contribution benchmarking** What employees pay for each coverage tier, compared with peers.
3.  **Affordability modeling** Each plan option tested against the ACA affordability standard for your lowest-paid eligible employees.
4.  **Financial impact modeling** The cost to the company and to employees of each proposed plan design or contribution change.
5.  **Benefits review across employee groups** Every plan and class of employee checked for accuracy and consistency.

## What we _benchmark._

| Measure | Why it matters |
| --- | --- |
| **Deductibles and out-of-pocket limits** | What employees face when they use care |
| **Employee contributions by tier** | What employees pay before they use care |
| **Cost per employee** | What the plan costs the company |
| **Pharmacy design** | Where drug costs are shared |

## Benchmarks are _a starting point._

An average tells you where the middle is, not where your plan should be. Ethos uses benchmarks to frame the options for your committee, then models what each option would cost and how it would land with employees, so the decision rests on your plan’s own numbers.

## Part of your Fiduciary Framework™.

Every Ethos service reports to your benefits committee. The work is reviewed at your quarterly committee meeting, each decision is recorded with the reasoning behind it, and the record lives in your Ethos Fiduciary OS. That is what lets your committee show the plan was run prudently.

[See the Fiduciary Framework™](https://ethosbenefits.com/fiduciary-framework) · [How fiduciary governance works](https://ethosbenefits.com/services/fiduciary-governance)

## Related reading.

-   [**Don't make this one mistake when benchmarking your health plan** Insight: Withholding claims data when you benchmark or market your health plan leads to weak bids and bigger increases later. Why full disclosure gets better offers.](https://ethosbenefits.com/insights/health-plan-benchmarking-mistake)
-   [**Employee benefits survey questions** Benefits 101: A free benefits survey template with 33 employee benefits survey questions by section, each with its answer format, plus how to run the survey and read it.](https://ethosbenefits.com/benefits-101/employee-benefits-survey-questions)
-   [**Employee benefits trends for 2027** Insight: The employee benefits trends that will shape 2027 health plan decisions, from premium growth and GLP-1 costs to PBM reform, parity and price transparency.](https://ethosbenefits.com/insights/employee-benefits-trends)

[Browse everything in Learn](https://ethosbenefits.com/learn)

## Sources

1.  [Employer shared responsibility provisions](https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/employers/employer-shared-responsibility-provisions), Internal Revenue Service

## Questions employers ask about this.

Who are we compared against?

Employers of similar size, industry and region. The peer group is shown with every benchmark so your committee knows what the comparison means.

Should our plan match the benchmark?

Not necessarily. A benchmark shows where your plan stands. Whether to move toward it depends on your goals, your workforce and your budget.

What is ACA affordability?

Under the ACA, coverage is affordable if the employee’s required contribution for the lowest-cost self-only plan stays under a percentage of income that the IRS sets each year. Employers usually test it using one of the IRS safe harbors.

## Keep reading Related to this page.

-   [**Claims analytics** Your company owns its health plan data. Ethos Benefits connects your claims and pharmacy data to analytics and reviews it with you every month. _Read more_](https://ethosbenefits.com/services/claims-analytics)
-   [**Benefits strategy** Ethos Benefits builds a three to five year strategy for your health and welfare plans: goals, plan design, vendor direction and targets your committee tracks. _Read more_](https://ethosbenefits.com/services/benefits-strategy)
-   [**Renewals and marketing** Ethos Benefits starts your health plan renewal at least six months early, markets it to carriers and vendors, and puts every option in front of your committee. _Read more_](https://ethosbenefits.com/services/renewals)
-   [**Claims, billing and eligibility audits** Ethos Benefits audits your health plan invoices and eligibility, coordinates claims audits with your vendors, and tracks every recovery to completion. _Read more_](https://ethosbenefits.com/services/audits)
-   [**Underwriting and rate analysis** Ethos Benefits checks the underwriting behind your renewal, projects claims from your data, and builds premium equivalent rates for self-funded plans. _Read more_](https://ethosbenefits.com/services/underwriting)

## See what your plan is really costing you.

A Strategic Analysis starts with your plan documents and your broker agreement, then shows you what your plan costs, where the risk sits, and what a committee would decide with the full picture.

[Request a Strategic Analysis](https://ethosbenefits.com/strategic-analysis) [Call (407) 803-4710](tel:+14078034710)