Renewals and marketing. Start six months out.

Your renewal decides most of next year's cost, and it is often decided in a few weeks. Ethos Benefits starts marketing at least six months before renewal, gathers underwriting data, compares bundled and unbundled options, reviews Medicare, COBRA and family glitch risks, and gives your committee every option side by side.

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What you get.

When the renewal arrives a few weeks before open enrollment, the only choices left are to accept it or cut benefits. Starting early is what creates other options.

RFPs issued earlyMarketing started at least six months before the renewal date, through Ethos Fiduciary Procurement.
Underwriting dataCensus, claims and large claim information assembled once and sent to every bidder.
Bundled and unbundled optionsTraditional carrier packages compared with separate administrator, network, pharmacy and stop-loss contracts.
Risk reviewMedicare coordination, COBRA and family glitch exposure reviewed before the plan is set.
Committee decision meetingsA pre-renewal meeting, an alignment meeting and a final decisions meeting, each with the situation, the complication and the options.
Kickoff recordThe final decisions, the committee’s reasoning, contributions and the compensation disclosure in one signed kickoff document.

The renewal timeline.

When	What happens
Six months out	Strategy check against your Fiduciary Framework™; underwriting data gathered; RFPs issued
Four to five months out	Bids scored; pre-renewal meeting with your committee
Three months out	Finalists, negotiation and contract redlines; alignment meeting
Two months out	Final decisions recorded; kickoff document signed
Before open enrollment	Communications, enrollment materials and system setup

Decided by your committee.

Every option is presented to your committee in the same form: the situation, the complication and the options, with the cost and the trade-offs. The decision and its reasoning are recorded, so next year’s renewal starts from what was decided and why.

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™ · How fiduciary governance works

Questions employers ask about this.

When should a renewal start?

At least six months before the plan year begins. That leaves time to gather data, market the plan, negotiate contracts and implement changes without rushing.

What is the family glitch?

Before 2023, family members of an employee offered affordable self-only coverage could not get exchange subsidies, even if family coverage was expensive. The IRS changed the rule, so family members can now qualify if family coverage is unaffordable. That changes how some employers think about dependent contributions.

Do we have to change carriers to save money?

No. Changing carriers without a strategy rarely changes the trend. The renewal is measured against your three to five year plan, and sometimes the best option is a better contract with the incumbent.

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 Call (407) 803-4710